UAEM Endorses Rep. Tlaib’s Medicines for the People Act

For Immediate Release: March 5, 2026

Contact: Cassidy Parshall, cassidy@uaem.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-12) introduced the Medicines for the People Act, a landmark reform that would establish a public option for full-cycle biomedical and pharmaceutical research and devleopment (R&D) in the United States.

The current biomedical R&D paradigm produces medicines that are priced out of reach for many, oftentimes after receiving substantial public support during the development process, and prioritizes innovations with the highest commercial, rather than public health, return. To make progress towards affordable access to medicines that address public health priorities, the Medicines for the People Act establishes the National Institute for Biomedical Research and Development, as part of the National Institutes of Health, to carry out transparent, public-health centered research and development of drugs, devices, and biological products.

“The Medicines for the People Act is about making sure taxpayers get high-quality medicines to solve our most pressing health challenges, not just pad the bottom lines of major corporations,” said Cassidy Parshall, Program Manager for Universities Allied for Essential Medicines North America. “By expanding the public’s innovation system, patients will get the care they need while we lower the costs of medicines for everyone.”

UAEM proudly endorses the legislation alongside CA Consumer Advocacy, American Economic Liberties Project, Doctors for America, Health GAP, Just Treatment, MomsRising, National Nurses United, Our Revolution, Oxfam America, People’s Health Movement U.S., People’s Policy Project, People’s Action Institute, Popular Democracy in Action, Public Citizen, T1International, The 90-10 Institute, The Senior Alliance, Treatment Action Group, Voices of Health Care Action, and Wellbeing Economy Alliance (WEAll).

Read the full text of the legislation and the bill two-pager for more details about the Medicines for the People Act.

See UAEM’s blog post: “A Public Option for Broader Equity”.

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