Earlier today President Trump delivered remarks at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services about ongoing efforts to lower the cost of prescription drugs.  Introducing a new set of HHS and FDA pharmaceutical reforms.  Excellent initiative.

[Transcript] U.S. Dept of HHS – 2:14 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.  Thank you.  It’s a big day.  It’s a very important day.  (Applause.)  Thank you.  Please.

Thank you very much, Secretary Azar, for your tremendous leadership.  This really is an important day for me.  I’ve been talking about drug price reductions for a long time.  And now we’re doing things that nobody was, let’s say — because I’m speaking on behalf of all of us — bold enough to do.  And they’re going to have a tremendous impact.

I also want to thank FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb.  Scott — stand up, Scott.  You’ve done such an incredible job.  Really, an incredible job.  (Applause.)  And CMS Administrator Seema Verma for joining us.  Seema, thank you very much.  Seema, great job.  Great job.  (Applause.)

I’m thrilled to be here at the Department of Health and Human Services, and I want to thank everybody.  I understand that it’s been decades since the last President came here.  And I’m very surprised that President Obama didn’t come here for Obamacare.  Explain that one to me.  (Laughter.)  But he didn’t.

But it’s a great honor to be here.  You do an incredible job.  You really do an incredible job.  So I thank you.

Since the day I took office, I have made reducing drug prices one of my highest priorities.  Last year, the FDA approved more than 1,000 low-cost generics — the most in the history of our country.  This year, we beat that record, approving even more generics.  These new approvals are leading to cheaper competitive alternatives for lifesaving drugs like the EpiPen, saving Americans almost $9 billion a year last year alone.

Since releasing my drug pricing blueprint in May, 16 drug companies reduced their list prices, rolled back increases, or froze their prices for the rest of the year.  We called a few of those companies recently, where they raised their prices, and I guess maybe it was one of the times that I realized how powerful the presidency is, because they immediately rolled their prices back to where they started.  And those companies know who we’re talking about, and we appreciate it very much.

Earlier this month, I signed two bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs: the “Know the Lowest Price Act” — “Know the Lowest Price Act,” it’s a big thing — and the “Patient Right to Know Act.”  And, by the way, put those two together and you have a complicated deal.  (Laughter.)  Sounds simple, but that one is not.  Ending the unjust gag clauses once and for all — where you’d go into a drugstore and the pharmacist wouldn’t even be allowed to talk about alternatives or pricing.  How ridiculous is that?  Think of it — how ridiculous.  That’s not going to take place anymore.  And, actually, the pharmacists are very happy about it.

Patients now have the right to know the lowest price and most affordable alternative available at their pharmacy.

Today, we are here to announce another bold and historic action to bring down the price of prescription drugs.  With the action I am unveiling today, the United States will finally begin to confront one of the most unfair practices — almost unimaginable that it hasn’t been taken care of long before this — that drives up the cost of medicine in the United States.

We’re taking aim at the global freeloading that forces American consumers to subsidize lower prices in foreign countries through higher prices in our country.  And I’ve seen it for years, and I never understood.  Same company, same box, same pill, made in the exact same location.  And you’ll go to some countries, and it would be 20 percent the cost of what we pay, and in some cases much less than that.

And I’d say, “Why is this?”  I never knew that I would be able to stand here before you and have a chance to fix it.  And that’s what we’re doing.  We’re fixing it.  That’s called “real-life experience,” I guess.

For decades, other countries have rigged the system so that American patients are charged much more — and in some cases much, much more — for the exact same drug.  In other words, Americans pay more so that other countries can pay less.  Very simple.  That’s exactly what it is.  It’s wrong.  It’s unfair.  It’s not surprising.  I’ve seen trade deals where it’s far more costly to us than even this.  And we’re changing them also.

Foreign countries even threaten to disrespect our patents if they are not given cheaper prices on drugs.  So they’re not going to even look at the patents.  They’ve been very, very disrespectful, previously, to our country and to all of the things that we stand for.  And especially, they would disrespect patents when it came to American-made drugs.

The American middle class is effectively funding virtually all drug research and development for the entire planet.  So we are paying for it.  We are subsidizing it.  Everybody else is benefitting.  And they are paying nothing toward research and development.

The world reaps the benefits of American genius and innovation, while American citizens — and especially our great seniors, who are hit the hardest — pick up the tab.  But no longer.

Here are just a few examples: For one eye medication that helps prevent blindness, Medicare pays over $1 billion dollars a year.  If we paid the prices other nations pay, we’d bring the $1 billion down to $187 million dollars a year.  It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?

We spend more than $1 billion a year on two drugs to treat bone disease, but we could save more than $800 billion [million] dollars — think of that — $800 billion [million] saving for our seniors by paying the prices other countries pay.  Nothing special — just the prices that other countries pay.  That’s the way the United States has been disrespected for too long in too many ways.

One common cancer drug is nearly seven times as expensive for Medicare as it is for other countries.  This is a highly used and very effective drug.  And it’s seven times more expensive.  Not fair.  This happens because the government pays whatever price the drug companies set without any negotiation whatsoever.

Not anymore.  Under our new plan, the Department of Health and Human Services would allow Medicare to determine the price it pays for certain drugs based on the cheaper prices paid by other nations.  Some people call it “favored nations clauses.”  We have them in business.  We have them in a lot of different contracts that I’ve seen over the years and been part of.  “Favored nations” — so think of that.

So, we’re paying a price based on the price that other nations are paying.  That’s what we’re going to pay.  No longer seven times more.  No longer 10 times, 11 times, even 12 times more — I’ve seen examples of paying the same price.  I’m talking about billions and billions of savings to people.  To people.

We will no longer accept the inflated prices being charged to our seniors.  I had a congressman — respected congressman — come to the Oval Office and say, “Sir, for my constituents, drug pricing is more important than healthcare.”  And I said, “Explain that to me.”  But he actually said “drug prices” — I’ve never forgotten the expression — “drug pricing.”  We know how important healthcare is.  “Drug pricing is even more important for my constituents.”

At long last, the drug companies and foreign countries will be held accountable for how they rigged the system against American consumers.

This is a revolutionary change.  Nobody has had the courage to do it, or they just didn’t want to do it.  And this is a change for the people.  This is not a change for industry or for companies or for pharma.  This is a change for the people.  It will be substantially a reduction in drug prices for our people and our senior citizens.  Tremendous, tremendous difference.

Our plan will also fix a broken payment system where doctors are reimbursed more if they prescribe a much more expensive drug.  Under our new proposed payment system, doctors will be paid a flat rate — and when you think of it, it’s like being a contractor or anything else — if it’s an expensive drug or a less expensive drug, it’s the same.  Doesn’t take any more.

And I think this will be good in terms of the pricing of the drug; it’d be fantastic for that.  But it will also be much better for patients and it very well may be better for doctors.

This follows other significant actions that we have taken to protect Medicare for our great seniors.  We have given the plans that serve more than 45 million seniors on Medicare Part D and 20 million seniors on Medicare Advantage new tools to negotiate lower prices.

Thanks to our actions, this year, premiums for both Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage have — and I’ll give you a word that you haven’t ever heard — ever heard — have “gone down.”  (Laughter.)  You’ve never heard that word.  (Applause.)

True.  True.  Gone down.  And now they’re going to go substantially down.

Sadly, a majority of Democrats in the House of Representatives have co-sponsored a very socialist healthcare plan that would destroy Medicare, terminate Medicare Advantage, and outlaw the employer-sponsored healthcare plans of 157 million Americans.

We think that they’re going to actually come along with us when they see what we’re doing.  We think.  We hope.  It’s something that makes no sense any other way.  So we really think that can be bipartisan.  It happened to be a Democrat that told me how important drug pricing was.  It wasn’t a Republican in this case; it was a Democrat.

Under this administration, we will always protect Medicare for our great seniors.  And we will always protect Americans with preexisting conditions.  Always.

In every action we take, we are putting America first.  And this is very much about putting America first.  We get tired of having people go to other countries to literally fill prescriptions.  And you know where I’m talking about.

We’re fighting for lower drug prices, which will now be automatic.  It will be automatic and very substantial.  Lower premiums, where we’ve done a really god job with healthcare in bringing the premiums down to a much lower level — much more acceptable level.  And we’re going to be soon announcing some things that will really have a tremendous and positive impact on healthcare also.  And better healthcare, very importantly, for every single American.

So I just want to thank everybody in this room.  You’re outstanding people.  I know how hard you work.  I know how important your work is, how brilliant your work has to be, and how complex a job you have.  You have a very complex job.  You have everything.  You have probably every single element of life in the work you do.

But I just want to let you know, the American people very much appreciate — have great respect for you.  I think they’ll even have more.  That will go up very significantly when they see their drug prices falling.  They’re going to say, “What’s happened?  They must have made a mistake.”  (Laughter.)  It’s true.  They’re going to go up to the counter; they’re going to say, “Did you make a mistake?”  Some won’t say that, they’ll just think it.  (Laughter.)  And some might say, “Did you make a mistake?”  But you’re going to see a big reduction.

I want to thank everybody very much.  It’s an honor to be here.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)

END – 2:27 P.M. EDT

Tonight President Trump is heading to Mosinee, Wisconsin, for a 2018 midterm MAGA Rally. The venue is the Central Wisconsin Airport in Mosinee and the anticipated start time is 6:30pm CST / 7:30pm EST.

UPDATE: Video Added

RSBN Livestream Link – Fox News Livestream Link – Alternate Livestream Link

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both deliver remarks at a White House event to highlight the continued efforts to combat Opioid abuse [Background Here]

Well, there it is.  Quietly within the deliberate words from Vice-President Mike Pence a revelation that explains the origination of the Central American invasion force.  For those who are not deep in the geopolitical weeds, the subtlety can pass unnoticed; for those who travel within the deepest international conflicts, Pence’s words here are as subtle as a brick through a window:

[…] “Financed by Venezuela; and sent North to challenge our sovereignty and our border”…

https://videopress.com/embed/tXWLlFMs?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0Announcing the migrant caravan is “financed by Venezuela” is a direct notification the Central American invasion force is being funded by Russia and China.  Venezuela doesn’t have any money to sustain its own operational government – let alone a 10,000 person convoy.  Venezuela is entirely reliant upon massive investment from Russia and China.

In fact China owns 49% of Venezuela’s state run PDVSA energy production. A collateral system where Beijing takes oil as payment for prior loans the Maduro regime cannot pay back.  With the crippling treasury department sanctions President Trump put on Venezuela last year, Trump has punched Maduro and Xi-Jinping hard.

With Mike Pence pointing a finger at Venezuela the politics behind the invasion force begin to make much more sense.  The invasion objective takes on a geopolitical angle directly targeting a series of U.S. policies that are against the interests of Russia and China.

It helps here to remember the strategic moves taken by President Trump that have put the geopolitical/economic squeeze on both China and Russia:

♦Squeeze #1. President Trump and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin sanctioned Venezuela and cut off their access to expanded state owned oil revenue. Venezuela needs more money. China and Russia are already leveraged to the gills in Venezuela and hold 49% of Citgo as collateral for loans outstanding.  China and Russia now need to loan more, directly.

However, China cannot engage in economic commerce with Venezuela or they risk losing access to the U.S. banking system.  Therefore all current Chinese aid to Maduro comes in the form of IOUs.  These ongoing loans are likely impossible to be repaid.

♦Squeeze #2. China’s geopolitical ally, Russia, is already squeezed with losses in energy revenue because of President Trump’s approach toward oil, LNG and coal. Trump, through allies including Saudi Arabia, EU, France (North Africa energy), and domestic production has influenced global energy prices.  Additionally, President Trump is demanding NATO countries, specifically Germany, stop supporting financial dependence on Russia.

Meanwhile, and directly connected, Russia is bleeding out financially in Syria. Iran is the financial reserve, but they too are energy price dependent and President Trump is now putting pressure on Iran vis-a-vis new sanctions and new demands on allies.

♦Squeeze #3. In 2017 Trump and Secretary Tillerson, now Secretary Pompeo, put Pakistan on notice they need to get involved in bringing their enabled tribal “extremists” (Taliban) to the table in Afghanistan. Pakistan’s primary investor and economic partner is China. The U.S. removed $900 million in financial support to pressure Pakistan toward a political solution in Afghanistan, China has to fill void.  [NOTE: Last month the World Bank began discussions about a financial bailout for Pakistan.]  Again, more one-way bleed for China.

♦Squeeze #4. China’s primary economic threat (competition) is next door in India. President Trump has embraced India as leverage over China in trade and pledged ongoing favorable trade deals. The key play is MFN (Most Favored Nation) trade status might flip from China to India. That’s a big play.  It would have massive ramifications.

♦Squeeze #5. President Trump launched a USTR Section 301 Trade Investigation into China’s theft of intellectual property. This encompasses every U.S. entity that does manufacturing business with China, particularly aeronautics and technology, and also reaches into the financial services sector.

In March of 2018 U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer completed a section 301 review of China’s trade practices.  [SEE HERE] Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 authorizes the President to take all appropriate action, including retaliation, to obtain the removal of any act, policy, or practice of a foreign government that violates an international trade agreement or is unjustified, unreasonable, or discriminatory, and that burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.  However, as talks with China progressed, President Trump shelved the 301 action to see where negotiations would end-up. The May and June, 2018, negotiations between the U.S. and China provided no progress.  The 301 review of China was pulled back off the shelf, and President Trump assembles his trade-war strategy.  The 301 tariffs/sanctions are currently being worked out with U.S.T.R Robert Lighthizer.

♦Squeeze #6. President Trump, Secretary Ross, Secretary Mnuchin and USTR Robert Lighthizer dissolved NAFTA in favor of the USMCA.  One of the primary objectives of team U.S.A. was to close the 3rd party loopholes, including dumping and origination, that China uses to gain backdoor access to the U.S. market and avoid trade/tariff restrictions. [China is a Non-Market Country without a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and sends parts to Mexico and Canada for assembly and then back-door entry into the U.S. via NAFTA.]

As we see in the details within the U.S-MCA trade agreement, China’s ability to use Mexico and Canada as a backdoor into the United States is now gone.

(Link to Article 32 pdf)

♦Squeeze #7. President Trump has been open, visible and vocal about his intention to shift to bilateral trade renegotiation with China and Southeast Asia immediately after Team U.S.A. concluded with NAFTA. [Current discussions with Japan are ongoing]

♦Squeeze #8. President Trump positioned the U.S. relationship with the E.U. as a massive potential loss for Europe (via Steel, Aluminum, and Auto tariffs) if they did not: (A) shift their trade relationship toward greater reciprocity; and (B) reconsider the size of their trade relationship with China.  After initially trying to push-back, Europe acquiesced.

♦Squeeze #9. President Trump has positioned ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) as trade benefactors for assistance with North Korea. Last year the KORUS (South Korea and U.S.) trade deal was renegotiated, and announced in March. The relationship between ASEAN nations and the Trump administration is very strong, and getting stronger. Which leads to…

♦Squeeze #10. President Trump has formed an economic and national security alliance with Shinzo Abe of Japan. It is not accidental that North Korea’s Kim Jong-un fired his last missile over the Northern part of Japan. Quite simply, Beijing told him to.  However…

♦Squeeze #11. President Trump cut-off the duplicitous Beijing influence over North Korea by engaging directly with Kim Jong-un.  The open exchange and ongoing dialogue has removed much of the ability of Beijing to leverage the DPRK nuclear threat for their own economic benefit.  This dialogue was as much, if not more, about dismantling the Beijing geopolitical influence as it was about denuclearizing the Korean peninsula; however, no-one caught on to that part of the strategy.

SUMMARY: It makes sense from the perspective of China, Russia and Venezuela to use their alliance to create a border crisis between the United States and Mexico, especially since the interests of President-elect Lopez Obrador and President Trump are now aligned within the U.S-MCA trade agreement; which is structured to the detriment of pre-existing Chinese investment in Mexico under their prior -and corrupt- Mexican leadership.

Remember, President Trump out manuevered Chairman Xi Jinping in North Korea.  Xi lost most of his control position over DPRK Chairman Kim Jong-un; and while President Trump stood guard on the watchtower North Korea (Kim) and South Korea (Moon) are now happily joined in mutual fellowship.  In the grand trade-conflict between the Red Dragon and the United States, Xi needed a new form of leverage.

In the geopolitical realm this invasion force makes much more sense now…

Tonight President Trump dined with military leaders in the Cabinet Room. The president answered a few questions from the media at the beginning of the briefing.

Defense Secretary James Mattis is seated to President Trump’s right, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford seated to his left.  President Trump delivers remarks then answers more questions about: Jamal Khashoggi; the Central American migrant caravan; and Space Force.  WATCH:

Attendees include:

Lieutenant General Joseph Kellogg, Assistant to the President and National Security Advisor to the Vice President;

The Honorable Mira Ricardel, Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor;

The Honorable James Mattis, Secretary of Defense;

The Honorable Patrick Shanahan, Deputy Secretary of Defense;

General Joseph Dunford, USMC, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;

General Paul Selva, USAF, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;

General Mark Milley, USA, Chief of Staff of the Army;

Admiral John Richardson, USN, Chief of Naval Operations;

General Robert Neller, USMC, Commandant of the Marine Corps;

General David Goldfein, USAF, Chief of Staff of the Air Force;

General Joseph Lengyel, USAF, Chief, National Guard Bureau;

Admiral Karl Schultz, USCG, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard;

General Joseph Votel, USA, Commander, U.S. Central Command;

Admiral Kurt Tidd, USN,”Commander, U.S. Southern Command;

General Curtis Scaparrotti, USA, Commander, U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe;

General Thomas Waldhauser, USMC, Commander, U.S. Africa Command;

General John Hyten, USAF, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command;

General Paul M. Nakasone, USA, Commander, NSA, CSS, Cyber Command;

General Terrence OShaughnessy, USAF, Commander, U.S. Northern Command;

Admiral Phillip Davidson, USN, Commander U.S. Indo-Pacific Command;

General Stephen R. Lyons, USA, U.S. Transportation Command;

General Vincent K. Brooks, USA, Commander UNC/CFC/USFK;

Vice Admiral Craig Faller, USN,Senior Military Assistant to the Secretary of Defense;

Brigadier General Andrew J. Gebara, USAF, Director of Strategic Capabilities and Plans, National Security Council;

Colonel Adam K. Ake, USA, Director for Defense Policy and Strategy, National Security Council;

Lieutenant Colonel Ryan D. Skaggs, USAF, Director for Defense Policy and Strategy, National Security Council.

Following a signing ceremony for the ‘America Water Infrastructure Act‘ President Trump held a lengthy press conference in the Oval Office to cover a variety of topics.

During the Q&A the President said he may meet with Putin when he is in Paris in November. He also spoke about Saudi Arabia and Jamal Khashoggi, saying he wants all the facts before he makes a decision.  Noting his conversations with foreign leaders, the President said: “Nobody likes what happened.”

Speaking about the Central American ‘migrant caravan’, he said he thinks 10,000 people are coming which spells out something needs to be done. “We’ll have to call up our military if we need to we cannot allow our country to be violated like this”, Trump said.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gives remarks on a variety of international issues including the central American caravan; Jamal Khashoggi/Saudi Arabia; and takes questions from the State Department press pool.

The transcript is not yet available; but will be posted HERE.

We Remember.

President Trump delivers remarks during a meeting between federal and state leaders. The conference is held to emphasize coordination between federal officials and their direct contacts at the state level.

The most recent reviews of media presentations for this story (The Hill and CNN) reflect MSM disappointment that SCOTUS has ruled in favor of the administration.

The U.S. Commerce Department is adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census. An activist judge in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) -framing a challenge based on the question being discriminatory- ruled that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross must submit to a deposition to discover “the motives” of the decision.

An appellate circuit panel initially agreed with the lower court and ACLU lawyers. However, U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco asked the Supreme Court to stay the circuit court ruling.  SCOTUS agreed with the administration and blocked the ridiculous activist lawyers from questioning the cabinet; the supreme court does allow the plaintiffs to question the DOJ civil rights division lawyer.

(CNN) The Supreme Court blocked a deposition of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Monday in a case challenging the decision to reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 census.

The action is a partial victory for the Trump administration that argued such a deposition of a cabinet official is “rarely, if ever justified.” The court did, however, allow the deposition of a top Department of Justice official in the case, acting Assistant Attorney General John M. Gore of the Civil Rights Division, as well as other discovery to proceed at least for now.

Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas wrote to say they would have also blocked the deposition of Gore as well as related discovery.

Blocking the Ross deposition is a partial loss for a coalition of states and the ACLU, who are going to trial on November 5 and sought the deposition to bolster their argument that adding the question is unlawful and unconstitutional. (more)

Justice Neil Gorsuch filed an opinion, joined by Justice Clarence Thomas, where they dissented in the part of the SCOTUS ruling that allowed the DOJ lawyer to be questioned.

Justice Gorsuch wrote he would have granted the government’s full request and blocked all of the lower and appellate court rulings for depositions and discovery.  Writing:

“When it comes to the likelihood of success, there’s no reason to distinguish between Secretary Ross’s deposition and those of other senior executive officials: each stems from the same doubtful bad faith ruling, and each seeks to explore his motives.”

The challengers are led by New York’s attorney general and left-wing activist groups such as the ACLU.  They are claiming that President Trump’s real reason for adding the citizenship question is to reduce the representation of immigrant populations in the census.  There is no structural basis for their claim. It is not likely their challenge will succeed on the merits.  The case is schedule to go to trial November 5th.