The clock is ticking: In two weeks, millions of Americans could lose access to the affordable medication that’s helping them lose weight and improve their health.
I should know — I’m one of them.
In the final weeks of his administration, President Biden’s Food and Drug Administration quietly ended the “shortage” of tirzepatide, a popular GLP-1 medication.
That means on March 19, safe, lower-cost alternatives will be removed from the market — and Big Pharma’s profits will skyrocket.
When Dr. Marty Makary, President Trump’s nominee as FDA commissioner, sits down Thursday for his confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, this crisis deserves to be on the agenda.
00:00
04:08
Ending a shortage sounds like a good thing, so how exactly can this decision harm Americans?
First, understand that Biden’s unilateral decree did nothing to change reality: The shortage of tirzepatide, which has zoomed in popularity in the last two years, still exists.
But without government acknowledgment of that fact, pharmacies will no longer be permitted to sell alternative, lower-cost compounded versions of the medication — and costs to consumers will soar.
Patients who today can get the drug compounded for $350 a month will have no option but to pay $1,000 a month for Mounjaro or Zepbound, the Big Pharma name-brand versions that insurance usually won’t cover — if they can find it, that is.
Simply put, tirzepatide will become unaffordable overnight for many who rely on it.
GLP-1 medications like tirzepatide — one of several drugs that mimics our natural GLP-1 hormone, helping patients feel fuller and eat less — have become a cornerstone of health management for millions of Americans.
When used under the care of a physician and paired with lifestyle changes, these drugs have revolutionized both weight loss and the treatment of chronic conditions.
Trust me, I speak from personal experience.
Over the years, I’ve tried every weight loss drug, from Fen-Phen to Contrave and Qsymia, but GLP-1s have truly been a game changer for me.
The end of the tirzepatide “shortage” is not isolated: In February, a Biden administration holdover at the FDA declared an end to the shortage of another GLP-1 medication, semaglutides like Ozempic and Wegovy — imposing looming deadlines on compounded versions of those products as well.
Increasing access to life-changing medications should be our government’s priority. So why did the Biden administration put the profits of Big Pharma over the well-being of millions of Americans?
Biden’s decision to sell us out will have a significant impact. More than 12% of US adults have used GLP-1 drugs to manage chronic conditions including diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
A tripling of their costs will be devastating to those who have come to rely on it.
Many people using GLP-1s are at high risk of developing serious cardiovascular and metabolic diseases without the medication. Yet insurance companies only cover the costs in limited circumstances.
This pushes patients into paying incredibly high out-of-pocket costs — leaving many with no safe alternatives, should legitimate compounding pharmacies be forbidden from making off-brand versions.
In fact, recent data has revealed that if tirzepatide becomes unaffordable, millions of Americans may turn to unregulated sources instead.
An internal poll conducted by Ivim Health found that 85% of GLP-1 users would turn to black-market alternatives for their medications if the price became prohibitive.
And while Americans would compromise their health, Big Pharma would continue raking in profits.
The United States is grappling with an obesity crisis. By eliminating affordable access to revolutionary treatments, we miss the chance to reduce risk for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disorders and more — conditions that can lead to life-altering disabilities.
If their medications are suddenly removed, research shows, patients who benefited from GLP-1 therapy will face both weight regain and increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and other major cardiovascular events — all due to the FDA’s rushed decision.
Americans cannot and should not tolerate our government prioritizing corporate profits at the expense of our health.
And this is about more than just one class of drugs: It showcases the concerning reality that the FDA has continued to allow corporate interests to take the upper hand in our health care.
President Trump’s FDA needs to correct course, and quickly. Without urgent action, on March 19 Americans are going to pay the price.
Sean Spicer, who served as the 30th White House press secretary, hosts the Sean Spicer Show podcast.
The IRS isreportedlydrafting plans to fire as much as half of its workforce through a mix oflayoffs, attrition and incentivized buyouts, two leakers told theAssociated Press, who spoke on condition of anonymity "because they weren't authorized to disclose the plans."
According to the report, "The layoffs are part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency by closing agencies, laying off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection and offering buyouts to almost all federal employees through a “deferred resignation program” to quickly reduce the government workforce."
According to former IRS commissioner John Koskinen, a reduction of tens of thousands of employees would render the agency "dysfunctional."
AP would also like us to know that IRS cuts would be both racist and sexist, as "People of color make up 56% of the IRS workforce, and women represent 65%."
In February, roughly 7,000 IRS employees with less than one year of service were racistly and sexistly laid off from the organization, while the rest of the agency was offered "deferred resignation program" buyouts. Employees involved in processing the 2025 tax season, however, were told earlier this month that they would not be able to accept the offer.
Meanwhile, the IRS's deputized pistol-packin' IRS-CI agents are being loaned out to the Department of Homeland Security to help assist with immigration enforcement, after DHS Secretary Kristi Noem asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to borrow them.
US President Donald Trump will tell Congress Tuesday that the American dream is "unstoppable" and the United States is regaining its confidence as he begins a second term, according to excerpts released by the White House.
"The American Dream is surging -- bigger and better than ever before. The American Dream is UNSTOPPABLE, and our country is on the verge of a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed, and perhaps will never witness again," Trump will say in the most highly anticipated speech since his inauguration six weeks ago.
Trump will take a victory lap for slashing border crossings, per released excerpts:
“Since taking office, my administration has launched the most sweeping border and immigration crackdown in American history — and we quickly achieved the lowest numbers of illegal border crossers EVER recorded. The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new LEGISLATION to secure the border — but it turned out that all we really needed was a new PRESIDENT.”
Trump reiterates his plan for widespread tariffs, according to excerpts released by the White House.
“Whatever they tariff us, we tariff them. Whatever they tax us, we tax them. If they do non-monetary tariffs to keep us out of their market, then we do non-monetary barriers to keep them out of our market,” Trump will say. “We will take in trillions of dollars and create jobs like we have never seen before.”
Trump plans to give a shout-out to a long-delayed liquefied natural gas export project in Alaska, per excerpts of his speech sent by the White House.
My administration is also working on a gigantic natural gas pipeline in Alaska, among the largest in the world, where Japan, South Korea, and other nations want to be our partner—with trillions of dollars being spent by them. It will truly be spectacular.
On Ukraine, Trump will say he is “working tirelessly” to end the war, per released excerpts:
I am also working tirelessly to end the savage conflict in Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainians and Russians have been needlessly killed or wounded in this horrific and brutal conflict, with no end in sight. The United States has sent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine’s defense. Meanwhile, Europe has sadly spent more money buying Russian Oil and Gas than they have spent on defending Ukraine – by far! And Biden has authorized more money in this fight than Europe has spent.
Trump plans to say that later this week, he will take action to “dramatically expand production of critical minerals and rare Earths in the US” as part of his response to improving the economy, and he’ll blame Joe Biden.
“Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families,” Trump plans to say, according to excerpts.
“As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up the cost of groceries, and drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions of Americans. We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years, but perhaps even in the history of our country. As President, I am fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again.”
When President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, he is expected to outline his policy agenda with a focus on three pressing challenges: the war in Ukraine, tariffs, and a potential government shutdown.
This will be Trump’s first address to Congress since his 2020 State of the Union address, less than two months before the pandemic upended his first administration’s priorities. Trump’s talk will mark the only time a president has given a post-inaugural address to Congress after a five-year gap.
“Tomorrow will be big,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform March 3.
“I will tell it like it is!”
The 47th president’s address will begin at 9 p.m. EST.
As Emel Akan and Travis Gilmore detail below , via The Epoch Times, the circumstances are vastly different from when he last spoke to Congress, when he was facing impeachment proceedings. During his 2020 State of the Union address, then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) sat behind the president and ripped her copy of his remarks in half in a dramatic scene at the conclusion.
After Republicans gained control of both chambers of Congress in the 2024 election, the party now holds a federal government trifecta. House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) will be seated next to Vice President JD Vance behind Trump, with the tone now markedly in favor of the president’s agenda.
Security has been ramped up ahead of Trump’s speech. Capitol police announced about two dozen road closures in effect in the area around the Capitol, and tour buses will be redirected away from the complex.
A temporary, 7-foot steel security fence–which is theoretically non-scalable– completely surrounding the grounds was installed in the days before the talk to counter protesters potentially intent on disrupting the proceedings.
The theme of the address will be “Renewal of the American Dream,” according to a White House official.
The speech will consist of four main sections, the official told The Epoch Times: his achievements since taking office, his actions to reduce inflation, the need for additional border security funding, and his plans for global peace.
President Donald Trump delivers the State of the Union address as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Vice President Mike Pence look on in the chamber of the House of Representatives on Feb. 4, 2020. Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Ukraine War, Funding Crisis, and New Tariffs
Trump is facing a trio of challenges.
His address to the joint session of Congress follows a tense meeting at the White House on Feb. 28 between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which led to the collapse of a minerals deal between the United States and Ukraine. During his speech, Trump is expected to share his plans to end the war in Ukraine.
“I think it takes two to tango, and you’re going to have to make a deal with Russia, and you’re going to have to make a deal with Ukraine,” Trump said at the White House on March 3. “I think everybody has to get into a room, so to speak, and we have to make a deal, and the deal can be made very fast.”
After his comments, the Trump administration announced that it would pause aid to Ukraine.
“The president has been clear that he is focused on peace. We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well,” a White House official said in a statement. “We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.”
Trump also faces a domestic crisis as government funding is set to expire in 10 days unless a budget agreement is reached.
Since December 2024, the government has been operating under a continuing resolution (CR), and Trump recently urged Congress to pass a temporary funding bill to cover the rest of the 2025 fiscal year.
“We are working very hard with the House and Senate to pass a clean, temporary government funding bill (CR) to the end of September. Let’s get it done!” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Feb. 27.
Yet Democratic votes will be necessary to pass any funding bill to avert a government shutdown on March 14. Republicans, who have 53 members in the Senate, will need the support of at least seven Democratic senators to pass the funding, which could prove challenging.
Democrats want to insert language in the funding bill to ensure that the money will be spent and not withheld, a reaction to Elon Musk’s effort to shrink the government.
Trump’s speech will also occur against the backdrop of ongoing tariff disputes, as the president is set to announce tariffs on Mexico and Canada the same day.
The president already doubled the additional 10 percent tariff on Chinese imports on March 3.
Trump revealed his plans last week, stating that fentanyl, supplied by China, continues to be smuggled into the United States through the northern and southern borders at “unacceptable levels.”
During his speech, Trump is expected to make the case for high tariffs, referring to them as “the most beautiful word,” a phrase he has been using frequently in recent speeches.
He is also expected to talk about his plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on all nations on April 2.
Many Democrats have argued that the proposed tariffs will drive up inflation, putting additional strain on household budgets.
President Donald Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meet in the Oval Office on Feb. 28, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
Trump to Tout Accomplishments
The president is also expected to tout his achievements after a whirlwind first six weeks of his second term, which included 75 executive orders signed as of March 3.
After prioritizing border security during his campaign, Trump signed 10 orders clamping down on illegal immigration and instructing federal law enforcement agencies to immediately begin rounding up and deporting criminal illegal aliens, first focusing on those with violent backgrounds.
Since initiating the change, illegal border crossings have plummeted 94 percent, according to Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks.
In his address, the president will urge Congress to approve additional funding for border security, including funds for deportations and the ongoing construction of the wall along the southern border, according to the White House.
Much fanfare has been made about Trump’s establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), overseen by special government employee Elon Musk, tasked with cutting what the president has repeatedly described as illegitimate expenditures.
As part of a process to streamline government, DOGE has eliminated contracts and leases worth about $105 billion so far, with a stated goal of cutting $2 trillion worth of federal spending.
While some critics are decrying Musk as an “unelected bureaucrat” and questioning his role, the president has persistently defended the tech leader. During his speech, Trump is expected to continue defending DOGE’s efforts and Musk’s leadership.
Trump is focused on taming inflation and bringing down prices to alleviate financial burdens on millions of Americans after four years of rapidly increasing consumer goods costs. In his address, he is expected to outline his plans to reduce inflation, revitalize U.S. manufacturing, and boost economic growth.
Another priority for the president is to extend and perhaps expand the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which became law during his first term and is set to expire at the end of this year. He has also proposed eliminating taxes on tips and Social Security benefits.
The president is looking to secure passage of bills advancing his agenda, but Republicans hold only a slim three-seat majority in the House and Democrats have been staunch opponents.
Across the nation, Democratic attorneys general are challenging Trump’s executive orders, with at least 80 lawsuits already filed targeting the president’s move to end birthright citizenship, among other things.
Dems Plot Disruptions
Meanwhile, Axios reports that Democratic lawmakers are planning to protest during Trump's speech - "including through outright disruption" (because they've obviously accepted the results of the election?).
"The part that we all agree on is that this is not business as usual and we would like to find a way — productively — to express our outrage," one House Democrat told the outlet.
More via Axios:
What we're hearing: Some members have told colleagues they may walk out of the chamber when Trump says specific lines they find objectionable, lawmakers told Axios.
Criticism of transgender kids was brought up as a line in the sand that could trigger members to storm out, according to a House Democrat.
A wide array of props — including noisemakers — has also been floated:
Signs with anti-Trump or anti-DOGE messages — just as Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) held up a sign during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech last year that said "war criminal."
Hand clappers, red cards and various other props have also been discussed, multiple sources said.
The intrigue: In closed-door meetings and on the House floor Monday night, lawmakers were specifically discouraged from using props, two House Democrats told Axios.
