Biden Bits: “Get American Seniors and Taxpayers a Better Deal”…

It’s Friday…

10 SLEEPS UNTIL #CHRISTMAS!
👉 https://t.co/08kJVAWqc2 🎄🎅 pic.twitter.com/ZAj0Rc6MiY

— Your Christmas Countdown (@christmas_clock) December 15, 2023

President Biden’s public schedule for 12/15/2023:

10:00 AM Presidential Daily Brief	The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing Closed Press
1:30 PM Lunch	The President and The Vice President have lunch Closed Press

Remembering Sandy Hook Tweet

From Thursday…

Eleven years ago, the souls of Newtown, Connecticut, and the nation were pierced forever when twenty-six lives were stolen at Sandy Hook Elementary School by a lone shooter.

Today, Jill and I are praying for the families and survivors in the Newtown community.

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 14, 2023

His full statement:

Eleven years ago today the soul of Newtown, the soul of Connecticut, and the soul of the nation were pierced forever when twenty-six souls were stolen at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Within minutes, a shooter armed with a weapon of war took the lives of twenty first grade students who had their whole lives ahead of them and six educators who bravely sacrificed their own safety to protect their students. Today, those first grade students should be seniors in high school, dreaming big and about to embark on their adult lives.  
 
We should not have to live like this. It is a national tragedy that over a decade later our nation’s gun violence epidemic is still not solved. My Administration is implementing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to the fullest extent under the law, we have taken dozens of executive actions, and this fall I established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention to take every action available to save lives. But it’s not enough. We will not be able to protect Americans from the threat of gun violence until Congress does its part and takes commonsense and proven measures like passing universal background checks, banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, and more.
 
Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to the courageous survivors, families, first responders, and Connecticut officials who turned their deep grief into action. Their years of advocacy made the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act possible. We must continue to follow their lead and honor the innocent lives who were stolen that horrible day by turning our pain into purpose, our loss into determination, and our collective and justifiable anger into a deep-seated commitment for change.
 
Today, Jill and I are praying for the families and survivors in the Newtown community, and every single community that has been ripped apart by this senseless violence. May God bless them.

White House.gov. 12/14/2023.

“Big Pharma”/Affordable Care Act Tweets

From Thursday…

Tune in as I deliver remarks on my Administration’s progress to lower prescription drug costs. https://t.co/OL02PWGQ1h

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 14, 2023

The YouTube is 15 minutes and 52 seconds long. His full remarks can be found here.

Trickle-down economics has let Big Pharma rake in big profits for too long while millions struggled to afford the medicines they need.

Not anymore.

We finally beat Big Pharma when I signed the Inflation Reduction Act to get American seniors and taxpayers a better deal.

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 14, 2023

But not anymore.

We finally, after all these years, beat Big Pharma when I signed the Inflation Reduction Act to get seniors and taxpayers a better deal.

White House.gov. Remarks posted on 12/15/2023; given on 12/14/2023.

You shouldn’t pay the highest prices in the world for drugs that your tax dollars helped create.

From now on, the part of the federal government that responds to public health emergencies will make “fair pricing” a standard part of its contract negotiations with drugmakers.

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 14, 2023

It’s a simple principle.  You shouldn’t pay the highest price in the world for drugs that your tax dollars have already helped create.

[snip]

I’m pleased to announce that, from now on, the part of the federal government that prepares for and responds to public health emergencies will make the cal- — so-called fair-pricing a standard part of its contract negotiations with drugmakers.

White House.gov. Remarks posted on 12/15/2023; given on 12/14/2023.

Big Pharma has been used to getting its way for too long – suppressing competition to keep prices high.

It says it needs that extra revenue to develop cutting-edge drugs.

But studies show Big Pharma lately spent more on stock buybacks and executive pay than on research. pic.twitter.com/yevCc1MLFg

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 15, 2023

But with Big Pharma, it’s been using to get its own way — no negotiation, suppressing competition instead of innovation.

Drug companies say they need that extra revenue to develop cutting-edge drugs.  Well, but studies show Big Pharma lately has spent more on stock buybacks, executive pay, and research than — than on research.  Meanwhile, American taxpayers are footing the bill — more of the bill. 

White House.gov. Remarks posted on 12/15/2023; given on 12/14/2023.

From Friday…

Yes, the Affordable Care Act is still providing coverage to millions of Americans.

And yes, it’s still a BFD.

Sign up at https://t.co/v3QBMxaPaR before January 16. pic.twitter.com/Zj0xByePmb

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 15, 2023

The video snip is 33 seconds long.

President Biden: Hey President Biden, is Obamacare still a thing? Is it still a thing?

Former President Obama: Yes. Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, Bidencare–whatever you call it. Yes, it is still a thing. The other side’s been trying to repeal it every year since it’s existed. But we’ll keep fighting to protect it.

President Biden: Not just protect it, but expand it. Saving millions of dollars for working families. We’re covering more people than ever.

Former President Obama: Just go to Healthcare.gov., to learn more.

President Biden: Yeah, it’s still a BFD.

From the White House…

12/14/2023

• FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Announces Dozens of Pharma Companies Raised Prices Faster than Inflation, Triggering Medicare Rebates

• The Congressional Republican Agenda on Prescription Drugs: Giveaways to Big Pharma and Higher Costs for Seniors and Families

From Congress.gov…

08/16/2022:

• Inflation Reduction Act (08/16/2022).

Ukraine Tweet

From Friday…

Ukraine’s freedom is on the line.

And if we do not stop Putin, it will endanger the freedom of everyone almost everywhere.

— President Biden (@POTUS) December 15, 2023

From the White House…

12/12/2023:

• Readout of President Biden’s Meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine

• Readout of Vice President Harris’s Meeting with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine

• Remarks by President Biden and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine Before Bilateral Meeting; the YouTube 4 minutes and 45 seconds long.

• Remarks by President Biden and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine in Joint Press Conference; the YouTube is 26 minutes and 36 seconds long.

This is an Open Thread.