Chapter 598 - 279: Creating a Fait Accompli

"It doesn’t need to hide secrets, because it *is* the rules."

"The pharmacy benefit management giants across the United States, those behemoths controlling trillions in assets, can’t accept this kind of naked oversight."

Roosevelt’s voice echoed in Leo’s mind.

"Because their entire business model is built on fraud and information asymmetry. The moment sunlight streams in, they will die."

"But Evelyn’s company can accept it."

"Because she’s your partner. She knows who controls the public oversight committee, and she knows who holds the switch for real-time monitoring."

"But for outsiders, this area is off-limits."

Roosevelt paused.

"Once this bill passes, you can not only use it to drive out external competitors, but you can also use it to indirectly control Penn-PBM itself."

"Any little move Evelyn makes to bypass you, any attempt to inflate profit margins, will be laid bare in the data. You can hold the knife of compliance to her throat at any time."

"Anyone who wants to sell medicine here will have to go through you first. Anyone who wants to see a doctor here will have to cycle through this system."

"This is a moat."

Leo stood up.

He picked up the thick document, feeling its substantial weight.

Leo reached out and grabbed the coat hanging on the back of his chair.

"Ethan, get ready."

Leo stuffed the thick draft of the bill into his briefcase. The abrupt motion caused the papers to scrape against each other with a harsh sound.

"We’re taking a trip to Harrisburg."

Ethan froze for a second.

"Now? To see Governor William directly?"

"No, all we need from William is a signature." Leo adjusted his collar, his tone tinged with an unconcealable annoyance. "Before he signs, I have to go meet with those big shots in the State Assembly."

"Looks like I’ll have to live in Harrisburg from now on. Might as well turn the Pittsburgh office into a storage closet."

「Less than a year remained until the presidential election.」

Right now, Pennsylvania wasn’t just a Swing State.

It was the eye of the storm, the focal point for every political power play.

Although William Saint Cloud sat in the Governor’s seat, he was merely a rubber stamp in a custom-tailored suit.

To make that stamp carry any weight, Leo had to ensure the paper beneath it—the State Assembly’s legislative process—was clear.

"Should we put out some feelers in the committee?" Ethan asked, following behind with a notebook in hand.

"No need."

"We’re going to ride the momentum from the Luigi case and force this through."

Leo picked up the bill, his eyes burning with determination.

"Put it down."

A cold voice suddenly exploded in the depths of Leo’s mind.

"Mr. President?"

Leo asked inwardly, a hint of confusion in his tone.

’Now is the perfect time. Luigi’s trial just ended, public anger is at its peak. We should press our advantage.’

"Foolish."

There wasn’t a trace of courtesy in Roosevelt’s voice, only the harshness of bitter disappointment.

"Do you think you’re turning in a college paper? You think the professor will give you a perfect score just because you wrote it well enough?"

Roosevelt scoffed.

"Look at what you’re holding."

"That is a declaration of war. Yes, it’s beautifully written, but where are you sending it?"

"To Harrisburg."

"Nominally, William is in charge there now, but don’t you forget, that building is packed with lobbyists from Lobbying Groups."

"If you submit this bill now, you’re sending it to its death."

"You need to understand, Leo." Roosevelt’s voice softened slightly. "Legislating at the State Government level is a completely different animal from pushing through a road repair plan in Pittsburgh City Hall."

"In Pittsburgh, you’re the chief executive. You’re only up against a few council members haggling over community interests. All you have to do is offer them a little something sweet, or maybe scare them a bit, and they’ll fall in line."

"But in Harrisburg, on the battlefield of Pennsylvania, with the eyes of All of America upon it, the complexity of the game increases exponentially."

"This is where national interest groups converge, where the sharpest operators from both parties gather. Every single change to a clause could rattle nerves in Washington, or even on Wall Street."

"You think you have the momentum now. You think public opinion is on your side."

"But that’s just what *you* think."

"Public opinion is water. It’s fluid."

"Today they cheer for you. Tomorrow, because of one detail in the bill that causes drug prices to rise instead of fall, or because an opponent twists the interpretation of a certain clause, they’ll turn around and call you a fraud."

"Legislation is a delicate art, and it is also a brutal war."

Roosevelt’s thoughts began to drift.

"Think back to when I was pushing the New Deal. I had absolute popular support. I had a majority in Congress."

"But even so, to pass the Social Security Act, to pass the Wagner Act, I still had to walk a careful balance between all the different factions, like a tightrope-walking acrobat."

"I had to appease the Southern Democrats, win over the progressive Republicans from the west, negotiate with Union leaders, and cut deals with the heads of major corporations."

"I had to leave enough ambiguity in the bill for everyone to find an interpretation that benefited them. And when the moment was right, I had to strike as fast as lightning, giving my opponents no chance to react."