Bernie Sanders seeks Trump's support in cutting drug costs

Within the last 24 hours, Sen. Bernie Sanders has called President Trump’s behavior “delusional,” “dangerous” and “unconstitutional.”

But the Vermont independent also says he wants to work with Trump – “if he is serious about standing up to the pharmaceutical industry and reducing drug prices.”

Following Trump’s Tuesday meeting with drugmakers, Sanders announced he will soon introduce legislation to lower prescription drug prices and said he hoped Trump would support that effort.

He and Democratic Rep. Elijah Cummings of Maryland are drafting a bill that would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prices with drugmakers. The bill would also allow the importation of less expensive “but safe” drugs from other countries.

“The root of this problem is that we are the only major country not to negotiate drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry,” Sanders said in a statement.

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Sanders has pledged to hold Trump accountable for his campaign promises to not cut safety net programs, to create jobs and lower prescription drug prices. He has highlighted Trump’s statement earlier this month that pharmaceutical industry is "getting away with murder" for what they charge the federal government for drugs.

But in his Tuesday meeting, Trump indicated he sees a different cause for high drug prices: taxes and regulations.

Trump seemed to satisfy drugmakers by saying he would support lower taxes and streamlined regulations, though he told them they need to create U.S. jobs.

“You have to get your companies back here,” Trump said.

Read more: 

Trump pledges fewer regulations, more competition for drugmakers