At debate, Biden meant to say he had beaten ‘big pharma,’ not Medicare

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — At least one mystery about President Joe Biden’s often convoluted answers during the presidential debate has been solved. During the debate, the 81-year-old Democrat ended one of his statements about the national debt by declaring, “We finally beat Medicare.” That was not what Biden had intended to say about the popular program providing health insurance for older Americans. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Wednesday clarified the president’s intent by saying, “He meant to say that he beat big pharma.” Biden was referencing one of his legislative achievements — that Medicare now can negotiate the prices it pays pharmaceutical companies for some prescription drugs.