Biden praises Harris at first joint event and says she will be “a damn good president”

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris appeared together at their first public event since replaced him as the Democratic candidateand touted the administration's new plan to lower prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.

At an appearance at Prince George's County Community College in Maryland, a calm Biden praised Harris and said she would make “a damn good president.”

Mr Biden and Harris announced the outcome of the first Medicare drug pricing negotiation as part of the administration's efforts to lower costs for Americans.

“There is a great deal of affection for our president in this room,” Harris said. “And I think there are many, many reasons for that, including because few politicians in our country have done more than Joe Biden on so many issues, including expanding access to affordable health care.”

Two years ago, the Biden administration gave Medicare the authority to negotiate lower drug prices, allowing Medicare to negotiate on an equal footing with big pharma, Harris said. It was Harris who cast the deciding vote for the Inflation Reduction Act, which gave Medicare that authority.

“Thank you, Joe!” she said, prompting a roar of “Thank you, Joe” from the crowd.

As the White House announced on Thursday, Medicare has reached agreements with drug manufacturers to lower prices for all 10 drugs selected for the first round of negotiations. “This is a relief for the millions of seniors who take these drugs to treat heart failure, blood clots, diabetes, arthritis, Crohn's disease and more – and it is a relief for American taxpayers,” Biden said in a statement.

The 10 prescription drugs in the first round included big names like Eliquis, Jardiance and Stelara, as well as others that are among the highest spenders in Medicare Part D. The lower prices, which will take effect in 2026, could save taxpayers about $6 billion in the first year, the White House said. Those enrolled in Medicare Part D would save about $1.5 billion in out-of-pocket costs.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Biden administration's negotiations will reduce the cost of these ten drugs by 38 to 79 percent.

The president said he could fly Americans to Canada or France to get the same drugs there for much less than the “totally unaffordable” ones in the United States.

“Kamala and I both understand that. We know it's not just about health care – it's about your dignity,” the president said, adding that he believes health care “should be a right, not a privilege in America.”

Although the White House touts savings on prescription drugs, seniors did not have to pay full price for these drugs even before the negotiations, and the negotiations will have no impact on Americans who are not covered by Medicare.

“Kamala and I and all of us in this room will continue to fight back against the pharmaceutical industry,” Biden told the crowd in Maryland. “I've fought too damn hard to give up now.”

Harris, who rose to the top of the Democratic ticket less than a month ago when Biden announced he would not seek re-election, said in a statement that the administration will not stop there and plans to select more drugs for price negotiations each year. The White House has also touted extending the $35 cap on insulin for Medicare beneficiaries to the commercial market.

While Harris returned to the campaign trail following the president's announcement that he would not seek re-election, Biden largely stayed out of the spotlight, letting Harris take the stage. But Biden, no longer worried about his re-election chances, made his opinion known on Monday.

“Perhaps you have already heard of the MAGA Republican Project 2025 planBiden said to boos. “They want to take away Medicare's power to negotiate drug prices and allow big pharma to charge whatever they want again. Let me tell you what our project is in 2025 – to give them hell.”