Overnight Health Care — Presented by Altria — Vulnerable House Dems push drug

Welcome to Wednesday’s Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup.

It’s almost Halloween, which means lawmakers can get together for the annual “Bipawtisan” tradition of dressing their dogs up in costumes.

Today, we’re keeping our focus on Democrats’ negotiations over their social spending package, including how Democratic lawmakers in competitive districts are calling on their colleagues not to drop drug pricing provisions.

For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan (psullivan@thehill.com), Nathaniel Weixel (nweixel@thehill.com) and Justine Coleman (jcoleman@thehill.com). Write to us with tips and feedback, and follow us on Twitter: @PeterSullivan4, @NateWeixel and @JustineColeman8.

Let’s get started.

A campaign to keep drug pricing in package 

It’s not entirely clear exactly what health care provisions will end up in Democrats’ package as negotiations intensify. But House Democrats in competitive districts are warning not to drop or water down one of their top priorities: allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices. 

On a call with reporters, Reps. Susan WildSusan WildWe owe front line workers a lot, we must accurately count them Democrats weigh changes to drug pricing measure to win over moderates Biden meets with vulnerable House Democrats with agenda in limbo  MORE (D-Pa.) and Sharice DavidsSharice DavidsPennsylvania Republican becomes latest COVID-19 breakthrough case in Congress Lawmakers laud diversity gains in Congress Biden meets with vulnerable House Democrats with agenda in limbo  MORE (D-Kan.), both from competitive 2022 districts, noted that Democrats have made lowering drug prices one of the centerpieces of their campaigns.

“All of us would love to be able to go back to our districts and say, ‘Hey this is something we campaigned on that we delivered,'” Wild said on a call organized by the group Protect Our Care, speaking about “front-line” members from competitive districts.  

Democratic strategists note that the issue is extremely popular with voters. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll this month found 83 percent of the public supports allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices.   

The drug pricing provisions are one of the final issues being negotiated as lawmakers seek to close in on a deal on President BidenJoe BidenBiden invokes Trump in bid to boost McAuliffe ahead of Election Day Business lobby calls for administration to ‘pump the brakes’ on vaccine mandate Overnight Defense & National Security — Presented by Boeing — Afghanistan reckoning shows no signs of stopping MORE‘s Build Back Better package. 

Where things stand: Advocates have been alarmed in recent days that the provisions could be watered down significantly as leaders seek to win over Sen. Kyrsten SinemaKyrsten SinemaOvernight On The Money — Senate Democrats lay out their tax plans Democrats haggle as deal comes into focus Sinema backs corporate minimum tax proposal MORE (D-Ariz.), who has been a major question mark on the issue.

A handful of moderate House Democrats also previously voted “no” on the sweeping House drug…