Pharmaceutical CEO Martin Shkreli is taking a lap as the Internet’s most vilified personality, but his rude tweets and callous business decisions are serving a useful purpose.

Sky-high drug costs are now a front-and-center political issue.

It’s been simmering on the back burner for months. Several members of Congress, including Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, have sought information about seemingly arbitrary price hikes of prescription drugs.

Shkreli’s company, Turing Pharmaceuticals, made such a move, increasing the price of a drug that treats infections from $13.50 to $750 for a single tablet.

Though Shkreli eventually said he would lower the price, his initial defiant response only turned up the heat.

On Tuesday, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton announced a multifaceted plan for lowering costs. For instance, drugmakers currently receive federal tax credits to advertise to consumers, resulting in relentless messaging and creating incentives for people to use medications they don’t need. Clinton correctly wants to eliminate the credits.

She also wants to end the ridiculous restriction that prevents the Medicare program from directly negotiating drug prices for its 40 million beneficiaries. Sanders has also presented a detailed plan.

The Democratic candidates are on point with this issue. Republican contenders who don’t like their proposals should come forward with their own.

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