Coalition Against Socialized Medicine Statement on President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union Address

ALEXANDRIA, VA, February 8, 2023 – The Coalition Against Socialized Medicine (CASM), a broad coalition of leading conservative and free-market groups such as the Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC), Heritage Action, FreedomWorks, the National Taxpayers Union, the Club for Growth, Citizens Against Government Waste, American Commitment, and the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, has issued the following statement on President Biden’s 2023 State of the Union address, attributable to Jack Kalavritinos, Executive Director of CASM:  

“The President’s speech was little more than a love note to Big Government. But whether it is a failing Postal Service, a bankrupt Amtrak, or a non-functioning Transportation Department, Americans see where the Biden approach takes us: a bloated and ineffective government that puts politics ahead of people. His remarks on the so-called Inflation ‘Reduction’ Act are a perfect example of his misguided approach to governing. 

The pork-laden bill raids Medicare to pay for unrelated liberal programs while waylaying America’s healthcare system with price controls, red tape, and regulation. Thousands of federal bureaucrats are slowly strangling what was once the world’s finest healthcare delivery system thanks to President Biden and his “crowning legislative achievement.” He holds this legislation up as a success when in reality it is an abject failure.

Within just four months of passing the Inflation ‘Reduction’ Act, its true effects are already becoming clear, with research and development already canceled on several promising new treatments for cancer and other diseases because of Biden-imposed government price setting and regulations. Provision of the new law could prevent more than 100 new drugs and treatments from being made available due to the impact of heavy-handed federal price control regulation. More than 600,000 jobs in the healthcare industry are now at risk. All the while, fewer than half of all Americans think U.S. healthcare quality is excellent or good, according to recent polls.

We deserve a competitive healthcare market that fosters medical innovation, drives down prices, and increases the quality and availability of life-saving treatments. Unfortunately, Biden Bureaucrats are taking us in the opposite direction.

Americans see the SOTU as an annual rite of promises and platitudes, and of gross exaggeration and gas-lighting. Last night was no exception. But what was noteworthy was that the President doubled down on his strategy of Big Government regulation and more control of the healthcare space by federal bureaucrats. This despite overwhelming evidence that more regulation equates to fewer lifesaving discoveries in healthcare. The solution is not more regulation as President Biden proposes. Rather, it is using market forces to improve healthcare delivery.

Thankfully, the President’s agenda is dead on arrival with Republicans controlling the House of Representatives.”