Senator Josh Hawley ripped into big drug companies at a Senate hearing this week, exposing how middlemen are ripping off hardworking families. Hawley confronted Juan Carlos Scott, a top pharmaceutical executive, demanding answers on why Americans pay over four times more for medicine than other countries. “You’re failing patients while getting rich,” Hawley declared, calling out the greed crushing everyday Americans.
The Missouri Republican revealed shocking facts about drug industry corruption. Three giant companies control 80% of the market, squeezing local pharmacies out of business. In Missouri alone, 73 pharmacies closed last year—leaving some towns with nowhere to fill prescriptions. “This is a monopoly,” Hawley said, slamming executives for putting profits over people.
Scott tried claiming pharmacy benefit managers lower costs, but Hawley shredded his excuses. “Either you’re the worst negotiators ever, or your business model is broken,” he fired back. Data shows these middlemen pocketed $7.3 billion in hidden fees over five years. Meanwhile, seniors skip doses because prices are too high. Hawley didn’t back down: “Missourians are getting screwed.”
The hearing exposed how corporate collusion hurts small pharmacies. PBMs underpay independents while favoring their own chains, killing competition. In rural areas, families drive hours just to get lifesaving meds. “This isn’t free enterprise—it’s theft,” Hawley said, vowing to break up the drug cartels.
Hawley’s fighting for a new bill to smash the Pharma-PBM alliance, backed by President Trump’s latest executive order. “We’ll stop these predators,” he promised, urging Congress to act fast. His plan would force transparency and ban shady kickbacks that inflate prices.
Democrats and Republicans alike agreed reforms are urgent. Senators from both parties blasted PBMs for strangling Main Street pharmacies. Even liberal members admitted the system’s rigged. Hawley’s leadership shows conservatives leading the charge to put patients first.
This isn’t just about drugs—it’s about stopping the swamp. Lobbyists and bureaucrats let these middlemen exploit loopholes for years. Hawley’s standing up to the D.C. elites, proving real leaders defend the little guy. “Enough is enough,” he said. “We won’t let them win.”
The message is clear: America’s sick of being overcharged. With Hawley pushing bold solutions, there’s hope to end this nightmare. Let’s drain this corrupt swamp and put American families back in charge of their health—and their wallets.
