WASHINGTON, D.C. — Democratic lawmakers are raising the alarm about an executive order of President Donald Trump that pauses some efforts to bring down prescription drug costs.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order rescinding Executive Order 14087 of 2022, titled “Lowering Prescription Drug Costs for Americans.”

The original executive order, signed by then President Joe Biden, launched several pilot programs to bring down drug costs.

The order was an addition to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, which included a number of drug-related provisions, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate prices for common yet expensive prescription drugs.

In 2023 three programs from the executive order were selected for further review: a plan to cap generic medications at $2 per month, a plan to improve Medicare recipient access to cell and gene therapy often used to treat conditions such as cancer, and a plan to speed up the process for access to new treatments.

“It would have absolutely lowered the costs for Medicare beneficiaries,” said Jonathan Swichar, a pharmacy litigation attorney with Philadelphia-based law firm Duane Morris.

Trump’s recission of Biden’s executive order does not halt measures signed into law as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. It will not likely have any immediate effect on out-of-pocket costs, but rather could delay efforts to bring costs down.

Swichar said Trump’s order seemed at odds with his campaign promises to reduce prescription medication costs.

“The recission of the executive order is not actually increasing the cost for those that participate in these government programs, but there's a concern as to whether it demonstrates an intent by President Trump and the administration not to carry through as aggressively as was touted during the campaign initiatives that would actually reduce the costs of prescription drugs,” said Swichar.

Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, led a letter co-signed by 51 other House members seeking clarification on how Trump’s order will affect efforts to bring down prescription costs.

Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, who also signed the letter, questioned the president’s motive in rescinding Executive Order 14087.

“The government is supposed to use its purchasing power to lower prescription drug prices for everyone. And it started doing that finally, after decades of advocacy from all of us,” Landsman said. “And then Trump says, ‘No, we're going to stop doing that.’ Why? I'm assuming because the people who make a lot of money overcharging us on prescription drugs for seniors gave him a ton of money during the campaign.”

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the impact of the order.

Some savings could be on the horizon for Medicare patients, however. Three days before President Trump’s inauguration, the Biden administration announced 15 additional drugs to be included in the next round of Medicare price negotiations. Combine with the 10 drugs from the first price negotiation, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid estimated patients will save $1.5 billion in 2026.