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Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., repeatedly pressed President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to endorse universal healthcare as a “human right” Thursday, growing frustrated as the nominee declined to give him the yes-or-no answer he sought.
Dr. Heidi Overton, a physician who completed her residency at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore before joining the America First Policy Institute, faced off with the Vermont independent as she seeks to replace Dr. Marty Makary, who resigned earlier this year amid disagreement with the Trump administration over flavored vapes.
“Do you happen to believe that healthcare is a human right that should be available to every man, woman and child in our country?” Sanders pressed, arguing that the U.S. is the only major country not to guarantee healthcare and that thousands die because of a lack of access and affordability.
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Overton replied that access to healthcare is very important and said she looks forward to carrying out policies and responsibilities “vested from Congress” to the FDA.
Sanders said Overton was not answering his question and tried again.
“I live 50 miles away from the Canadian border,” said Sanders, who hails from Burlington. “Somehow everybody in that country can go to a doctor.”
Overton said she understands the importance of access to care and believes in getting patients the “best care possible.”
Sanders then moved on, saying he was running out of time.
He then pressed Overton on whether President Donald Trump was truthful when he said the U.S. had gone from paying the world’s highest prescription drug prices to the lowest.
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The nominee replied that 89% of branded drugs are covered by agreements to lower prices for U.S. consumers.
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“The most-favored nation-policies have dropped prices and right now CPI says that for the first time in 60 years prescription drug prices have gone down by 3%,” Overton said, citing a framework championed by Trump. Sanders disputed what caused the decline.
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“Yeah, which may have something to do with the legislation that we passed several years ago,” he said. The broader debate over Medicare for all and other government-run healthcare proposals is also playing out ahead of November’s midterm elections.
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