Biden teams up with progressive former rival Bernie Sanders to slam Trump over health care

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden teamed up Wednesday with one-time political rival Bernie Sanders to hammer Republicans on prescription drug costs.

The independent U.S. senator appeared with Biden at the White House for an event with healthcare advocates that focused on lowering the costs cost of inhalers to $35 a month, along with other Democratic efforts to expand access to health care.

"Bernie, you and I've been fighting this for 25 years. Finally, finally, we beat Big Pharma," Biden said, touting measures Democrats in Congress passed to cap the cost of insulin for seniors and empowering Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices

"Bernie helped get it passed. Not one Republican in the entire Congress − this surprised me, I have to admit to you − not one single Republican voted for it," Biden said.

The appearance came as the Biden reelection campaign works to contrast its health care agenda with that of presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who has threatened to overturn the Obama-era Affordable Care Act if elected again.

"They want to quote − I love their word − 'terminate' the Affordable Care Act. I love it: 'Terminate,' as my predecessor says," Biden said, "kicking millions of Americans off their health insurance."

Sanders' visible show of support for Biden could give the president a boost with progressives and younger Americans. Biden's unconditional backing for Israel in its war against Hamas has riled both groups and cost him support in Democratic primaries in key battleground states.

Sanders pushed the United States to back a U.N. resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all hostages and access to aid. And he has urged Biden to stop sending offensive weapons to Israel. More than 30,000 Palestinians have died since Israel began its strikes on Hamas, according to the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry. Israel has been pummeling Gaza in retaliation for the militant group's surprise Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people and led to the kidnapping of hundreds.

Biden accused Trump and congressional Republicans of wanting to raise the eligibility age for Social Security and cut Medicare while cutting taxes for corporations and the wealthiest Americans.

"I got a better idea," Biden said. "I'm going to protect Social Security and Medicare, along with Bernie and other members of Congress, to make sure the wealthy begin to pay their fair share to keep these programs solvent. It's not hard."

Sanders has long pushed for a taxpayer-funded, national healthcare plan known as Medicare-for-All, that would provide all Americans with healthcare coverage. It was a staple of both of the Vermont lawmaker's presidential campaigns.

Biden sought to bring attention to actions he has taken with the help of congressional Democrats to lower prescription drug costs at the event with Sanders, who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The president is now pushing for a $2,000 cap on drug costs and $35 insulin for every American, not just seniors.

"With Bernie's help, we're showing how health care ought to be a right, not a privilege, in America," Biden said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders team up on healthcare drug costs