House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) is celebrating a major milestone in the fight over drug costs, saying prescription drug prices have tumbled to their lowest level in more than 60 years. He's giving credit where he thinks it's due: to President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans.
Mike Johnson Says Prescription Drug Prices Are at 'Lowest Levels' in 60 Years, Credits Trump and Republicans for Lower Costs
MarketDash
Johnson credits Trump and Republicans for record low drug prices, stating Americans are seeing lower costs and more money in their pockets.
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Johnson Touts 60-Year Low In Prescription Drug Prices
On Tuesday, in a post on X, Johnson said, "Prescription drug prices are at their LOWEST LEVELS in more than 60 years, thanks to @POTUS and Republicans."
"Americans are seeing lower costs and more money in their pockets," he added.
The Republican leader framed the decline as more than just a political talking point, calling it a "REAL, POSITIVE result" that "American people deserve."
Rapid Response 47, a Trump-aligned group, echoed the sentiment, writing: "Many have promised — but ONLY President Trump has actually delivered lower prescription drug prices."
Medicare Drug Talks Drive Price Drop
Behind the headlines, there's a legal and policy story unfolding. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., just rejected Merck & Co. Inc.'s (Merck (MRK)) constitutional challenge to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, upholding the Inflation Reduction Act. That's a big deal because it clears a major hurdle for the government's ability to negotiate drug prices directly with manufacturers.
Meanwhile, the numbers back up Johnson's claim. Prescription drug prices fell 3.1% year over year in July, their sharpest decline in more than 60 years, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The White House was quick to highlight the drop as proof of Trump's success, with Trump himself saying, "I told you that was going to happen."
But economists are pointing to a mix of factors, including the Medicare drug-price negotiations that were actually established under Biden's 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. So while the political credit is being claimed, the policy roots are a bit more tangled.
Oz Defends Medicare, Vaccine Policies
CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz is also in the spotlight, outlining plans to shore up Medicare's finances through drug-price reforms, fraud reduction, and AI technology. He touted the proposed Great American Health Act, which would codify most-favored-nation drug pricing, and claimed CMS had cut $42 billion in Medicare fraud over the past year.
Oz also noted that 17 pharmaceutical companies, representing 85% of the drug sector, have agreed to the pricing approach. And for those watching the GLP-1 craze, he highlighted $50-a-month drugs for eligible Medicare beneficiaries.
On a separate front, Oz defended parental choice on childhood vaccinations and clarified Trump's comments about the MMR vaccine, stating plainly, "No, the MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine." His remarks come as CDC data shows 92.4% of U.S. kindergartners received the MMR vaccine during the 2025-26 school year.
So, is this a win for patients? The price drop is real, but the story is more nuanced than a single tweet. The legal battles, the policy origins, and the ongoing debates over vaccines all add layers to what's happening in healthcare right now. For investors, the Merck ruling is a signal that drug pricing reforms are here to stay, which could have long-term implications for pharma stocks.
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