Karine Jean-Pierre: Mitch McConnell ‘Holding Hostage’ the Bipartisan Innovation Act to Protect Big Pharma’s Profit

EXCERPT:

JEAN-PIERRE: “Finally, lastly, Senator Mitch McConnell is holding hostage the bipartisan package, a bipartisan package, the Bipartisan Innovation Act, which would make more in America and strengthen our competitive edge with China. And he’s doing all of this, he’s putting this in hostage, this bipartisan law to protect the Big Pharma’s profit. It is outrageous, and here’s the thing, we must do both, and we can do both. I remind — I remind you and all others that when Leader Mitch McConnell himself agreed last fall that bipartisan negotiations shouldn’t be paused for other priorities, saying, and I quote, ‘Republicans have been negotiating in bipartisan good faith to meet the real infrastructure needs of our nation. The President cannot let congressional Democrats hold a bipartisan bill hostage over a separate and partisan process.’ I want to be clear here, though. Negotiations have been productive, and in recent weeks negotiators made progress in key issues of the Bipartisan Innovation Act.”