Carrie Buck Opposes Drug Price Cuts While Campaigning to Lower Costs

Nevada Congressional Candidate Carrie Buck Faces Scrutiny Over Prescription Drug Price Stance

Carrie Buck, who is running for Congress as a Republican in Nevada, has placed a focus on cost reduction in her campaign, despite having previously opposed measures aimed at lowering prescription drug prices.

Since her election to the Nevada Senate in 2020, Buck has represented her constituents, and she is currently seeking to represent Nevada’s 1st District, which encompasses parts of Las Vegas and Henderson.

In the year 2023, Buck opposed Assembly Bill 250, a legislative proposal designed to apply Medicare drug pricing benefits to all residents of Nevada. This bill aimed to cap the prices of several medications, including those for diabetes, blood clots, heart failure, and autoimmune diseases, at the levels negotiated by the federal government for Medicare recipients.

The bill was strongly supported by former Lt. Gov. Kate Marshall, who emphasized its importance in a statement to the Nevada Independent. Marshall stated, “People have the right to have access to medication at a reasonable price,” highlighting the bill as a moral necessity.

In defending her stance against the bill in 2024, Buck expressed concerns without detailing specific reasons, stating, “Anytime you put caps on things, I really worry about the greater impact.” Her comments were reported by the Nevada Independent.

Although Assembly Bill 250 successfully passed through the Nevada Legislature, it was ultimately vetoed by Republican Governor Joe Lombardo. The Democratic Party has plans to reintroduce the bill in the future.

Additionally, Buck opposed the 2021 Inflation Reduction Act, which authorized the federal government to negotiate reduced drug prices, benefiting over 140,000 Nevadans. Buck criticized the legislation as a “disaster.”

In her congressional race, Buck is challenging the incumbent Democratic Representative Dina Titus, a proponent of the Inflation Reduction Act who lauded its ability to lower healthcare costs, prescription drug prices, and energy expenses. Titus had issued a statement in support of the law’s passage.