Phil Bredesen touts bipartisan past, advocates for lower drug prices while in Jackson

Former Governor and Democratic candidate for Senate Phil Bredesen was in Jackson Thursday to discuss a range of issues effecting West Tennessee.

Bredesen was invited by the nonpartisan West Tennessee Economic Development Caucus. 

"One of the things we really can come together on is economic development," Bredesen said in his opening remarks. "We all have interest in jobs, and good jobs."

High hopes for Megasite

The land for the Memphis Regional Megasite was purchased while Bredesen was still governor in 2009.

Since then, the site has remained empty, leaving some people skeptical that it will ever be filled. 

"I’m hearing in some corners people say the Megasite project is dead," state Rep. Johnny Shaw (D-District 80) said. "It's not dead."

Bredesen acknowledged some of the infrastructure issues facing the site.

“I had seen the power of having these sites ready to go in places like Chattanooga and up in Clarksville," Bredesen said. "I’m convinced once those access issues are worked out, it's such an attractive site, and it will transform the economy and some counties in the future.”

The State of Tennessee has allocated $170 million for the Megasite. 

Bredesen said he wants to work with whoever becomes governor in the same way Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn) and Bob Corker (R-Tenn) worked with him when he was governor.

“One of the things Volkswagen liked when they were coming to Chattanooga was that the state had two Republican senators and one Democratic governor, and we got along," he said.

Talking drug prices

According to a Vox study, Americans pay $858 per person on prescription drugs — nearly double that of the United Kingdom.

“There’s no reason a Tennessee citizen digging into their pockets should be paying several times what someone in France, Germany or the UK does," Bredesen said. "We can fix that, the president is willing to work with Congress; it can be fixed.”

Medicare, which covers 55 million adults over the age of 65, is one of the largest drug buyers but, by law, is prevented from negotiating drug prices.

President Donald Trump made lowering drug prices one of his campaign issues during the 2016 election. 

“I have been talking about dramatically bringing the cost of drugs down in our country," Bredesen said. "It can particularly help in rural parts of our state.”

Crossing the aisle

Multiple times during the caucus meeting Bredesen spoke of working with Trump and crossing the aisle to work with Republican senators.

Bredesen was the only Democratic candidate for Senate to come out in support of confirming Brett Kavanuagh to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I plan to not be hyperpartisan," Bredesen said. "Every side needs to be listened to. I found it best as governor if you took ideas from both sides of the spectrum — frankly right here in West Tennessee, they would benefit.” 

The West Tennessee Economic Development Caucus is hosting two more candidate forums this month — one with Republican Senate candidate Marsha Blackburn and one with Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bill Lee.

Adam Friedman can be reached by email at afriedman@jacksonsun.com or call me at 731-431-8517