Senator Josh Hawley took the fight to Big Pharma this week, exposing how middlemen are ripping off hardworking Americans. At a fiery Senate hearing, the Missouri Republican confronted pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) executives about their role in sky-high drug prices while small town pharmacies vanish.
Hawley blasted PBMs for charging Americans 422% more than other countries pay for the same medications. He called out the three corporate giants controlling 80% of the market, asking if they’re “the worst negotiators in history” or just greedy profiteers. The answer was clear as he detailed their $7.3 billion windfall from overcharging patients.
Missouri families are paying the price. Hawley revealed 73 pharmacies closed in his state last year alone, leaving two counties without any drugstores. Elderly veterans drive hours for prescriptions while PBMs pocket fortunes. “Missourians are getting screwed while you’re getting rich,” Hawley told the PBM lobbyist across the table.
This isn’t just about prices – it’s about survival. Independent pharmacists testified that PBMs deliberately underpay them while favoring corporate chains they own. Sen. Marsha Blackburn highlighted how Tennesseans face the same shakedown. These tactics crush Main Street businesses to boost Big Pharma profits.
Democrats and Republicans finally agree on something. Committee leaders from both parties demanded action to stop PBM abuses. Even liberal Sen. Cory Booker admitted the system rigs the game against ordinary Americans. When woke corporations team up with government, conservatives must lead the fightback.
Hawley’s solution? Smash the monopoly. His bill would force insurance companies to divorce from PBMs and pharmacies they own. President Trump backs the plan, showing real leaders put America First over globalist cartels. Let free markets work – break up these corrupt alliances draining our communities.
The hearing proved Washington’s swamp creatures hate daylight. PBMs tried blaming everyone else, but Hawley’s facts spoke louder. While coastal elites get rich, heartland families choose between medicine and groceries. This is corporate socialism at its worst – and it’s time to end it.
Conservatives know the answer: less government collusion, more competition. Pass Hawley’s bill. Protect local pharmacies. Make drug prices transparent. Let’s put Americans back in charge of their health care – not faceless bureaucrats and their billionaire buddies.
