President Biden on Thursday urged his Cabinet secretaries to swiftly implement key pieces of legislation passed last year, saying the American people need to see the impact of these laws as quickly as possible.
The meeting was the first time Mr. Biden convened his Cabinet since October and came as the administration moves to implement laws including measures aimed at lowering the price of insulin and penalizing drug makers who raise prices more than the rate of inflation.
“Now we need to focus on implementing some of the big laws that we passed so the American people can feel the benefits of what we’ve done,” Mr. Biden said at the start of the meeting. “The big laws we’ve passed are consequential but they’re basically promises to most people.”
Mr. Biden used the insulin law as an example of what needs to be carried out in 2023. A proposal that caps the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month for certain Medicare beneficiaries and group and individual plans passed the House in September, but did not go into effect until Jan. 1.
Another change set to go into effect this year will enable Medicare recipients to receive all recommended vaccines at no cost.
“Folks need to know to take advantage of these benefits that we got passed,” Mr. Biden said. “And that’s on us. That’s on all of us around the table to make sure we get that message out clearly.”
Cabinet meetings are rare for Mr. Biden. He has convened his Cabinet six times since taking office in January 2021.
His predecessors held Cabinet meetings much more frequently, according to Mark Knoller, a former CBS News White House correspondent and an unofficial keeper of presidential statistics.
At the same time in their administrations, President Trump had convened his Cabinet 18 times; President Obama held 12 such meetings and President George W. Bush had 11.
U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield was the only one of the 25 Cabinet members not attending, according to a roster provided by the White House.
The president has emphasized bipartisanship in recent public appearances. He continued that tone on Thursday, noting that the legislation from last year succeeded because Democrats and Republicans came together.
On Wednesday, Mr. Biden appeared in Kentucky alongside Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, and state and local officials on both sides of the aisle to underscore the need for bipartisanship.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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