, Associate Editor
Americans are dissatisfied with how both parties in Congress are handling the issue, with Democrats and Republicans faring almost equally poorly.
Three-quarters of Americans consider the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. to be “unreasonable,” and despite promises from President Trump and members of Congress to rein in prices, few approve of how either has handled the issue.
Based on a new national poll from the nonprofit West Health Institute, just 23 percent of the public approves of how Trump is dealing with the high cost of prescription drugs.
And Americans are also dissatisfied with how both parties in Congress are handling the issue: 20 percent approve of what Democrats in Congress are doing and 16 percent approve of the Republican approach. Roughly a third of respondents had no opinion either way.
The survey also found the high cost of healthcare is a top public policy issue for Americans. When presented with a list of six issues, 78 percent said addressing healthcare costs was their highest priority.
That’s similar to the number who say the same about jobs and the economy (76 percent), and it ranks higher than national security (71 percent), the environment (63 percent), immigration (51 percent) and trade (38 percent).