Kent Kaiser: Trump administration’s drug pricing plan is wrong for Wisconsin and wrong for America

The Trump Administration has been toying with the idea of implementing an international pricing index (IPI) model for Medicare Part B drugs and biologicals. The ostensible goal of the model would be to lower drug prices. This supposedly would be accomplished by pegging the price that the Medicare system pays for drugs to a level closer to the prices paid in a collection of other countries…

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Ainsley Shea
Senator Warren: Drop Your Assault on Medical Innovation

U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren recently released a statement on her 2020 healthcare plan. She wants to allow the government to hijack the Bayh-Dole Act’s March-in provision to revoke patent protections from pharmaceutical innovators in an attempt to artificially lower drug prices…

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Ainsley Shea
USMCA is nice but no model

Policymakers and pundits from across the political spectrum are celebrating a newly unveiled plan to pass the United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement (USMCA) on trade. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has even called it a model for future trade agreements. The USMCA contains many improvements over its 1994 predecessor, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and should be passed expeditiously. Yet while there are many positive aspects to the USMCA, the agreement is far from perfect and should not be viewed as any kind of “model” for future trade agreements…

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Ainsley Shea
Speaker Pelosi, Pass the USMCA before It’s Too Late!

Time is running out for Congress to approve the USMCA, and some members of Congress are expressing frustration with the leadership. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), previously optimistic about passage, has said he is now concerned about ratification of the USMCA…

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Ainsley Shea
A Mini Deal Is Better Than Stalemate

On Wall Street, stock and commodity prices climbed immediately, suggesting that the president’s optimism over the prospect of a deal with China was infectious. Indeed, many on Wall Street and across the country were waiting eagerly to hear positive news come from the talks with China after weeks and even months of stalemate…

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Ainsley Shea
To Avert Recession, End the Trade Wars

The world economy is showing signs of weakness, and many analysts are predicting a recession. There are plenty of signals to support the predictions. According to Bloomberg, China reported the weakest growth in industrial output since 2000; Germany’s economy shrank as exports slumped; and euro-area production plunged the most in more than three years as the overall expansion cooled…

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Ainsley Shea
Congress Should Use August Recess to Finalize USMCA

The United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) presents a much-needed update, better showcasing a modern approach to trade with the U.S.’s closest trading partners, Canada and Mexico. When it comes to “winners” and “losers” in a trade agreement, the USMCA represents a significant win for the United States.

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Ainsley Shea