"If Mr. Trump is serious about taking on Pharma, if Mr. Trump is serious about having Medicare ... negotiate prescription drug prices with the pharmaceutical industry, we are going to have very shortly very significant legislation to do just that," Sanders told reporters.

"I would hope that Mr. Trump would join us and support that legislation."

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Trump indicated throughout the campaign that he would support allowing the government to negotiate drug prices and said last week that the pharmaceutical industry is "getting away with murder" because of what it charges the government.

Sanders did not say when he would be introducing his legislation, which is also expected to allow for importing drugs from Canada and other countries.

Twelve Republicans supported Sanders's amendment, but 13 Democrats voted against it.

Sanders said last week he would be speaking with every Democrat who voted against it "to find out their concerns and look forward to them joining us in the future to help make prescription drugs more affordable."

I have a record of supporting the safe importation of drugs from Canada since 2007 & will continue to support efforts to do so — Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) January 12, 2017

concern was provisions related to wholesalers & whether they would comply w/ safety laws. important to ensure integrity of drug supply chain https://t.co/LrDLvSGRX1 — Senator Bob Casey (@SenBobCasey) January 12, 2017

Sanders has also been publicly pressing Trump to stand by his campaign pledge to avoid cutting entitlement programs, including Medicare.

He said Tuesday that he read Rep. Tom Price (R-Ga.) — Trump's pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services — a Trump tweet from the campaign bragging that he was the only GOP candidate to pledge he wouldn't meddle with entitlement programs.

"I asked Representative Price whether or not Mr. Trump was going to keep his word on that issue," he told reporters. "He said he can't speak for Mr. Trump but he expected that he will."