A New Approach To Driving Down Drug Prices
33:35 Share

You can Venmo this, or you can Venmo that. Venmo this, or you can Venmo that.

The Venmo MasterCard is issued by the Bancorp Bank, and a pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated. Card may be used everywhere MasterCard is accepted. Venmo purchase restrictions apply. Put us in a box. Go ahead. That just gives us something to break out of. Because the next generation 2025 GMC Terrain Elevation is raising the standard of what comes standard.

As far as expectations go, why meet them when you can shatter them? What we choose to challenge, we challenge completely. We are professional grade. Visit GMC.com to learn more. I'm Brett Baer. I'm Maria Bartiromo. I'm Brian Kilmeade, and this is the Fox News Rundown. ♪

Monday, June 9th, 2025. I'm Jessica Rosenthal. One state's trying to lead the way in lowering health care costs, specifically drug prices, but will their new law work? And if it does, will other states follow suit? Arkansas has led on actually holding their feet to the fire, not letting these drug middlemen take advantage of lax regulations and abuse customers. We speak with Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

I'm Chris Foster. The job market's holding steady. Look, there's a lot of positive in the economy right now. Surprisingly so, given the uncertainty about the macro environment. Most folks are saying recession is off the horizon. And I'm Roland Holleyhans. I've got the final word on the Fox News Rundown. ♪

Many consumer watchdog groups have long griped about pharmacy benefits managers. If insurance companies anger people with their denials, pharmacy benefits managers get a lot of blame for increasing drug costs. PBMs are third-party companies. They act as intermediaries or middlemen between insurance companies, big pharma, and pharmacies. And they're supposed to negotiate for lower costs through rebates and discounts.

President Trump said in May when he signed an executive order about drug prices, while standing next to his Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. So we're cutting out, Bobby, the middlemen. It's so important, right? They got to do that. They get they get they're worse than the drug companies. They don't even make a product and they make a fortune. He also called out pharmacy benefits managers specifically saying they'd been bilking Medicare patients with drug prices.

FDA Commissioner Marty McCary told this podcast on that day of the executive order signing that the markups pharmacy benefits managers engage in are often too high. When it's just price gouging, that's a good place for the role of government to step in and say, we're not going to tolerate this and we're going to use every tool in the toolbox.

to make sure Americans are not gouged any longer. About a month before the president signed this order, one governor signed a new law banning pharmacy benefits managers from owning and operating pharmacies in the state of Arkansas. But the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association says such laws will hurt seniors and veterans using prescription drug home delivery and patients with complex medical conditions who rely on specialty pharmacies for their treatments.

CVS and Cigna's PBM subsidiary Express Scripts have filed a lawsuit in Arkansas, as other states like New York, Vermont and Indiana consider similar legislation. You know, I think there were a couple of factors that went into play. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is the governor of Arkansas, and we spoke with her last week. Everybody is feeling, certainly under the Biden administration, prices have

Everything going up and prescription drugs have long been part of the conversation that they cost too much. But then we started hearing a lot from our local pharmacists how they were going to have a hard time keeping their doors open because of the unfair system that

that had been created and frankly taken over by pbm they are a massive corporation and their job they're supposed to be the ones that negotiate drug prices between pharmacies and insurance companies however the big problem is you had all the pbm have been bought up by pharmacies which allows them to take advantage of the really complicated healthcare landscape that exists

inflate prices and push competitors out of business. And so that's exactly what they've done. And now you have the three biggest PBMs in the country process 80% of all prescriptions. And so the consumers were the ones that were really getting pushed out. And we wanted to make sure that our seniors, our veterans, our rural patients

are not getting sacrificed at the stake of PBM stock prices. And so it became a big issue during this legislative session, and I'm proud of the fact that Arkansas has led on actually holding their feet to the fire, not letting these drug middlemen take advantage of lax regulations and abuse customers. And so we put it into that in our state. And I think their biggest fear isn't that it's happening in Arkansas. It's that they think it's going to be

a cascading effect, and they're going to see it in a lot of other states. Yeah. Tell me about, are there any sort of benchmarks in the law that require any math to be done to say, hey, we expect or anticipate X amount of savings? We want to see that customers, that individuals in Arkansas are benefiting from this law. Is there any way to track that?

It's not as prescriptive as, you know, you have to hit a certain savings mark. But by not allowing somebody who owns both sides of the negotiation run the entire process, I think will make a big difference. And the people who are going to benefit will be the consumers as well as our local pharmacies. And if you don't see the effects of that, I imagine there will be people saying, excuse me, something's not working here. Like this is the intended effect. If the intended effect isn't met,

there would be some sort of consequence or some sort of adjustment made? Certainly, I think you have to give yourself room to make adjustment. But when you have somebody who has totally monopolized the system and run the regulations, you can tell that there is fear on their side. Otherwise, they wouldn't be engaging in the massive attacks

ad campaigns and an all-out broadside against our new law, flooding our airwaves before the legislation was signed. I think they know they're on the wrong side of this. Let's not forget, prior to even passing this legislation, we imposed $1.5 million in penalties

on PBMs because they were operating incorrectly in our state. And so this isn't the first action we've taken because we know that they haven't been playing by the rules that they're supposed to be abiding by to begin with. And this just allows us to take further action and make sure they can't just completely take advantage of and control the market.

So then in Arkansas, our pharmacy benefits managers, because you were saying that local pharmacies were getting hurt. So then local pharmacy benefits managers are not

going to be owning pharmacies or they already don't is what you're saying? They already don't. The process is so complicated and the expertise required. To my knowledge, there are no local pharmacies that own any

PBMs, and certainly not now that the legislation has passed restricting their ability to do so. But you have some of the bigger multi-billion dollar companies that own both the pharmacies and the PBMs and control the vast majority. Again, about 80% of all prescriptions are handled by the three largest PBMs in the country.

So when CVS and these other pharmacies say the new law is illegal and they're suing, they say it's illegal because they say it's punishing out-of-state pharmacies like CVS and not in-state pharmacies. They say there's like an exception for Walmart. What is your response to their argument that this is too unconstitutional because it punishes out-of-staters?

That is just the only way that they feel like they can fight back because it's a losing battle for them. The positive side effect is on benefiting the consumers that they claim to care about. If they cared that much about the consumer, it's really simple. Don't own the PBM in the same place where you're operating the pharmacies. But they're choosing the PBMs over drugs.

the pharmacies and providing access to consumers they claim to care about. Okay. Before I let you go, just a couple more for you, because I want to broaden this. You did work at the white house. We know you have a national profile as well. When you hear the president say that,

He wants to cut drug costs. He wants to get the U.S. most favored nation status. When he signed that order, I don't know if you were watching. You might have been given this law. He mentioned pharmacy benefits managers. I know there's not a deep dive on PBMs through that order, but it certainly seems like it's on the mind of people who want to lower prices nationally. Do you anticipate...

Arkansas being like a model here? Do you think members of Congress will do something on this? It seems difficult to get things done. I certainly hope so. We've already had a number of other states that have reached out wanting to pass similar legislation, and our team has worked with them on crafting and helping explain what we did and how it's working here in Arkansas.

And so I think it would be an incredible thing for the federal government to get it done if anybody can. It's Donald Trump. He's afraid of no one. And he is challenging every institution that has existed in our country, whether it's

you know, higher ed to pharmacies to overall health care. This is a president who's not afraid to take on big challenges. And so I think if you're really looking at how do we do a better job of lowering prescription drug prices, you

You cannot leave PBMs out of that conversation and not make that part of the change that you're looking to implement. And so I certainly wouldn't be surprised if this White House, this president takes it up. And I would be a very proud cheerleader and happy to see that happen. OK, so do you miss what Caroline Leavitt is currently doing? Do you miss doing that job? Are you happier as governor?

You know, I love getting to be governor and live in my home state and see the change that we're making so directly and so personal. You're so close to the policies that you're implementing here to get to meet a family who's been positively impacted and their kid is now going to a school because of education freedom accounts that we were able to implement here or

A mom can pay for groceries in her cart because we eliminated the grocery tax in our state. Those are things I love and I'm really proud of. I also have days where I miss certainly the people I had the opportunity to work with and the president I had the chance to work for.

and serve the American people in a broader role. I absolutely loved my job as White House Press Secretary. And frankly, I wouldn't have the opportunity to serve as governor if I hadn't also done that job. So I'm forever grateful to President Trump for giving me the opportunity. But I love what I'm doing now. I think Caroline Leavitt is doing an unbelievable job. She's tough. She's smart. She's articulate. She's quick.

And I'm really proud and love getting to watch her give it right back to reporters. I also love the fact she's a young mom and is showing women that you can balance both being in the workplace and also still be a mom to your kids. Certainly one of the proudest moments I have is being the first mom to ever serve as the White House press secretary. And I love that that's a tradition that President Trump is continuing on. Yeah.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you one more thing because you're a governor. Are you preparing for what the big, beautiful bill might entail for your state? Are you preparing, I guess, for snap cuts or anything to do with Medicaid? Is there anything sort of as a governor that you're keeping your eye on as this thing moves through Congress?

You know, when we have $37 trillion in debt, that's something that I think the president is absolutely right to reform the system and fix what we're doing. We have pushed some specific things that we would love to see.

When it comes to both SNAP and Medicaid, we have fought for a workforce requirement waiver and asked for that. And I feel confident that will happen under this administration when it's stalled out in the previous one. We've also asked for a SNAP waiver to prohibit the purchase of soft drinks.

and candy from the food stamp program. When SNAP, if you really think about it, the second word in that stands for nutrition. And you'd be hard-pressed to argue that there's anything nutritious about a soft drink or a candy bar. And so we are not doing a good job of helping promote some of our most vulnerable populations to a healthy lifestyle.

and live longer, healthier lives. And I think that's something we can do a much better job on. And that's why it's one of the things we've led on here in the state of Arkansas and worked closely with this administration on to make those types of significant changes. So I like the direction. Certainly we'll prepare for certain things, but...

I think they're right to take a holistic look at the system, make significant changes. And again, there's nobody else that can get these things done other than Donald Trump. I think because he's so willing to take on any fight,

any special interest. He is uniquely qualified to get some of these things done that nobody else could imagine possible. Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, thank you so much for your time. Absolutely. Thanks so much for having me.

Since 2017, Disney has grown its U.S. workforce by nearly 20,000, employing 160,000 people across all 50 states. And with more than $30 billion in investments in U.S. parks, Disney is creating nearly 10,000 jobs. Learn more at thewaltdisneycompany.com slash economic dash impact.

This is Jason Chaffetz from the Jason in the House podcast. Join me every Monday to dive deeper into the latest political headlines and chat with remarkable guests. Listen and follow now at Fox News podcast dot com or wherever you download podcasts. This is Brallon Holligan with your Fox News commentary coming up.

There's uncertainty in the economy as President Trump works to reshape what he sees as an unfair trade system. The labor market, though, is holding pretty steady, cooling off some in May, but better than most economists expected. 139,000 new jobs added to this economy is great for the American people. Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRiemmer on Fox Business. The unemployment rate is steady at 4.2%. Healthcare companies added 62,000 jobs. Bars and restaurants, 30,000. Manufacturing jobs fell by 8,000.

And 22,000 more federal government jobs disappeared last month due to cuts and people leaving. Overall, a monthly jobs report getting a thumbs up on Wall Street. They're interpreting it to mean no recession. Fox Business correspondent and anchor Jerry Willis. So the takeaway here is that the economy is firing on all guns. Was the jobs report perfect? No, it was not. But it was good enough that Wall Street is taking a positive message from it. Yeah, at least at this point.

um, chicken littles are proven or being proven wrong, um, in, in terms of the tariffs and whatever else is going on. Um,

Not a great time to be a federal worker or looking for a federal job. No, no, no. Government jobs were down. And we're still looking for manufacturing to get some wind under its wings. And part of the problem there is really the fact that we don't have enough people who want to do those jobs, right? It's not a question of do they exist. They exist. They're there. But I got to tell you, people aren't taking them up. So that is the problem we have to solve. Okay. What could get people off the sidelines? Wages are...

Wages were healthy. Month to month was four-tenths of a percent. But we're seeing strong numbers in terms of wages. I think what you're seeing overall here, and this is no surprise, I know you know all about this, is that the American workforce is aging. And it's hard to get those people back in. Yeah, which is also leading to an increase in health care jobs. Yeah, we saw that. Health care, leisure and hospitality, those were the big gainers. Could things be doing better

if things weren't quite as uncertain as they are. Well, I do think that's casting a shadow over some of the planning that executives might otherwise be doing. And it's interesting because some companies just charge ahead and others really pull back

and try to figure out what to do next. And I think what's interesting is that this is really a challenge to leadership. How do you navigate this kind of world where, you know, maybe tariffs, maybe not tariffs. You're not really sure. You have to decide how you're going to plan for the future. But as those questions start to dissolve, and I think it's going to have to happen in short order because I don't think the market's going to have

you know, a whole lot more patience with this. I think you'll see, I think you'll see the market solidify. Yeah. Patience was the word I was going to use there. At some point, you know, maybe status quo is fine, but then maybe it gets better or it gets worse after what? Summer? Summer.

Well, I'd love to predict for the stock market and the economy is going in the next three months. But until I'm paid like a hedge fund manager, I'll probably keep my opinions to myself. Look, there's a lot of positive in the economy right now. Surprisingly so, given the uncertainty about the macro environment. You know, you're seeing this really great jobs market report. Most folks are saying recession is off the horizon. You know, as long as you have a strong jobs market, that's what

keeps the consumer firing. That's what keeps the consumer spending. We are like two thirds of the entire economy. It is essential that consumers participate. This is good news for consumers and their wages are going up. So that's good news as well for them. So this, the big, beautiful bill. Yeah. So it's called back and forth among Senate Republicans. Is there back and forth among Republicans

People in the actual business world that you about whether it's a good thing or a bad thing. Yeah, I think that's what Elon Musk is. Right. I mean, I think there is, you know, there's there's not a monolith of support for the big, beautiful bill. Right. There's a lot of people on either side. Some people think we're spending too much money yet again. That seems to be what we do for a living. But there are supporters. I think you see people on both sides. Sure. President Trump.

maybe whatever this jobs report said, said, look, it's obviously time to lower interest rates and

Does this move the needle at all in terms of what people at the Fed might be thinking? Well, I think the Fed's going to sit on the sidelines for a while here. They're not going to get involved yet. We've got the 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate at 6.85%. The housing market sales are running at $4 million. That's a running rate. $414,000 is the average price for a median-priced home.

The housing market is in trouble. There's no doubt about it. People think they absolutely have to have lower interest rates to make that work. I cannot tell you when that's going to happen. I don't have a window into that. I can tell you China's exporting deflation right now. So there are deflationary pressures in the global economy. How long it takes to reach our shores, whether it impacts interest rates, particularly mortgage rates, is an open question. I think

I think you are going to see some recovery coming this year in the housing market. It didn't happen in time for spring, this all-important spring housing market, but it could start to look better later this year. We're already starting to see inventory turn.

And we've seen several key housing markets where prices are starting to drift lower, which would start to pretend a better housing market for buyers. According to Redfin, 11 of 50 markets are showing some decline in price. And this includes like big markets, Dallas, Austin, Orlando, Phoenix.

Oakland, San Antonio. So you're starting to see a little bit of that. I know buyers or soon-to-be buyers are cheering that. We've really got to see those housing prices mellow before they get in. Yeah, and they are. And for a long time, we've talked about...

there just wasn't enough inventory. And now that's getting better. Prices are going down. But sometimes we talk about, oh, it's a seller's market, it's a buyer's market. Right now, it seems like it's neither. Yeah, it's just been a terrible market is what it's been. I'm keeping my eye on new home starts, which were very positive. I'm keeping my eye on interest rates, which at 6.85%. That's a hurdle for a lot of people, especially at these pricing levels.

There are prices. There are mortgage rates. Is any of this – I don't know how you quantify it – vibes? With that uncertainty, people who maybe could swing the mortgage and could swing the interest rate and the price and everything else, but like, I don't know, man. It just doesn't feel like the time to make a big –

ticket decision like this until things are settled. I'm not sure I agree with that. I got to tell you, I think people have been on the sidelines so long. They're so desperate for the opportunity to open up. If they can swing it, they're going to do it, even if it's at the margin, right? They're going to they're going to push every dollar they have.

You would think that the conversation over tariffs might stop people, but that's not what they're thinking about, I don't think. They're thinking about, I have the extra kid. I can't stay in the apartment. It's all very practical concerns. Okay. So I'm overestimating the effect of vibes. I don't think it's the most important thing in this particular market right now. Jerry, you got a new book? Yes. We're all very proud of you. Thank you. Lincoln's Lady Spy Master. Yes.

Who was Elizabeth Van Loo? Elizabeth Van Loo was a Southern belle who served as a spymaster for Ulysses S. Grant and Lincoln during the war, the Civil War.

She was born and raised in Richmond, which became the capital of the Confederacy. She turned on friends, family, people she had known her entire life. She built out a ring using people from all over the city, from all economic classes. She was able to tap Germans who were tradesmen.

African-American slaves, black freemen, and of course, unionists. One of the misunderstandings about the South during that time, people think it was a monolith of support for the Confederacy. It was not. It was Swiss cheese out there, and she took advantage of it. And what's interesting about her is she was almost lost to history. It wasn't until 100 years after the Civil War, after

An obscure NSA analyst was combing through the National Archives, walking down the hallway, saw a room he had never noticed before, walked in. And in the corner, there were stacks of documents to the ceiling, and they were held together by actual red tape. He started looking at them. He started reading them. And he realized, oh, my goodness, these are the actual reports and documents of

of Union spies from the war that have not been seen since the war's end. And mentioned in those documents many, many times were Elizabeth Van Loo and the people she worked with. Her ring, her spy ring, he said, was the most productive of the entire war on either side, North or South. So one of America's greatest spies.

One of America's greatest spies, one of America's unknown spies. And I'm really trying to drag her into the spotlight. She did not even want the spotlight herself. She was afraid of reprisals. She was a society woman, a wealthy woman. I mentioned a Southern belle. She knew everybody in town. And if she couldn't persuade you to do what she wanted you to do, she would bribe you. So driven by ideology. She just was she was she that much of an antagonist?

that much of an abolitionist? She was that much of an abolitionist. She was absolutely opposed to slavery. But, you know, as happens in real life, her family owned slaves.

So she helped some of them escape to the North, others she employed in her spy ring. But the other thing she was opposed to, and this was critical to her point of view as well, she did not believe in secession. She loved her state, Virginia, the Commonwealth, which had produced four of the five first presidents. She believed that Virginia was an important leader in the country and should not secede. So as the voices of dissension were mounting, she turned to her unionist friends and she said,

What are you guys going to do? Are you going to stand up to them when they did not? That's when she decided, I'm going to fight my way. The book is Lincoln's Lady Spymaster, the untold story of the abolitionist Southern Belle who helped win the Civil War. Jerry Willis, good to talk to you. Thanks. Good to talk to you.

Here's a look at the week ahead. Monday, techies will be turning their attention to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference. The multi-day event is expected to unveil a number of software updates and showcases new features across a number of Apple products. Wednesday, lawmakers play ball. The annual congressional baseball game raises funds for DC charities. The GOP is the defending champion. You can catch the bipartisan action on FS1.

Also, New Jersey Congresswoman LaMonica McIver has a preliminary hearing connected to her arrest at an ICE facility in Newark last month.

Thursday, the governors of Illinois, New York and Minnesota will be on Capitol Hill testifying before the House Oversight Committee on sanctuary policies in their state. Saturday, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Army, a large military parade will take over the streets of our nation's capital. The parade coincides with Flag Day and President Trump's 79th birthday. And that's a look at your week ahead. I'm Anna Eliopoulos, Fox News.

Feeling a little stalled in the bedroom? Through HIMS, you can get some gas back in the tank with personalized ED treatment options that are accessible without ever stepping foot into a doctor's office. With hundreds of thousands of trusted subscribers, HIMS can help you find the ED option that works for you.

Hymns provides access to a range of doctor-trusted ED treatments like chewable tablets, Viagra and Cialis, and their generics for up to 95% less. No insurance is needed, and one low price covers everything from treatments to ongoing care. Just fill out an intake form on their site, and a medical provider will determine the right treatment option. If prescribed, your medication ships directly to you for free. Start with your free online prescription.

visit today at HIMSS.com slash rundown. That's H-I-M-S dot com slash rundown for your personalized ED treatment options. HIMSS.com slash rundown. The featured products include compounded products which are not approved nor verified for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA. Prescription required. See website for details, restrictions, and important safety information. Price varies based on product and subscription plan. I'm Benjamin Hall, Fox News Senior Correspondent and New York Times Best Selling Author. Join me every Monday on my podcast as I speak about

with silent but noteworthy heroes. Make sure you subscribe to my podcast, Searching for Heroes with Benjamin Hall, wherever you download podcasts and leave a rating and a review. Rate and review the Fox News Rundown on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

It's time for your Fox News commentary. There's something almost poetic about the Democrat Party's desperation. Faced with a mass exodus of young men from their ranks, the left's solution isn't to rethink their disastrous policies or the cultural rot they've championed. Nope. They've decided to shell out tens of millions of dollars to study us, not talk to us, not listen, not ask honest questions, just study us.

like we're alien creatures under a microscope. That's not strategy, it's stupidity. And worse, it shows how wildly out of touch Democrats have become with reality, especially the reality young men live every day. You couldn't make this up if you tried.

Let's get one thing straight. No amount of polling, focus groups or think tank memos is going to win back the respect of my generation because Gen Z guys aren't confused about what we're walking away from. We're walking away because the modern Democratic Party has spent years demonizing us, mocking masculinity and replacing real leadership with tick tock cringe and rainbow flag activism.

We've been told we're toxic if we believe in traditional values. We're called privilege if we work hard and succeed. We're branded threats if we dare to question liberal narratives on gender, race, or the role of government. And now, when that propaganda isn't working anymore, they're throwing cash at consultants to figure out why. It's laughable and it's offensive.

You see, if Democrats truly wanted to connect with young men, they'd have to do something radical, something they've proven time and time again they're unwilling to do: tell the truth. The truth about crime, the truth about border security, the truth about the value of hard work, responsibility, and yes, masculinity. But they won't, because to embrace those values would be to admit their entire cultural agenda for the last decade has been a failure.

So instead, they'll burn through tens of millions of dollars trying to understand us. Money that will go straight into the pockets of overpaid consultants, liberal marketers, and out-of-touch campaign staff who think a few new slogans and a TikTok dance will change the tide. It won't. If anything, it'll backfire.

Young men aren't hard to figure out. We want freedom. We want opportunity. We want leaders who want to apologize for loving America. We want a government that works for us, not against us. We're tired of being ignored. We're tired of being blamed. And we're definitely tired of being studied like we're some great political mystery. We're not a mystery. We're a movement.

The fact that the left is admitting that they have to invest tens of millions of dollars just to understand us proves how disconnected they are from the very people they claim to care about. And it's not just embarrassing, it's revealing. It shows that even now, they still think politics is something you can buy. But here's the truth they refuse to learn. No amount of money will make my generation go back to a party that's lied to us, mocked us, and tried to erase everything we believe in.

The Democrats want to know why they're losing Gen Z men? It's simple. Because we've seen what they have to offer and we're not buying it. Let them keep setting their money on fire. The rest of us are building something real. I'm Brown Hollihan, Chairman of the Republican National Committee's Youth Advisory Council.

You've been listening to the Fox News Rundown. And now, stay up to date by subscribing to this podcast at foxnewspodcasts.com. Listen ad-free on Fox News Podcasts Plus on Apple Podcasts. And Prime members can listen to the show ad-free on Amazon Music. And for up-to-the-minute news, go to foxnews.com.

It is time to take the quiz. It's five questions in less than five minutes. We ask people on the streets of New York City to play along. Let's see how you do. Take the quiz every day at the quiz. Fox. Then come back here to see how you did. Thank you for taking the quiz.