JustCare

Tag: Campaign contributions

  • Drug industry funnels money to Republican candidates who deny legitimacy of Biden’s election

    Drug industry funnels money to Republican candidates who deny legitimacy of Biden’s election

    Ed Silverman reports for Stat News on pharmaceutical companies’ support for Republican candidates who falsely deny the legitimacy of Biden’s election in 2020. In 2022, Pharma, the trade association representing the drug companies, donated more than $1 million to Republicans running for state offices. These campaign contributions buy Pharma political power.

    Elected officials help ensure that Pharma can continue to charge exorbitant prices for prescription drugs. So, one would expect these large campaign contributions. They’re a drop in the bucket relative to the profits pharmaceutical companies generate from having virtually free reign to set prices.

    Pfizer appears to have led the way with its campaign contributions to Republicans, donating $600,000.  GSK, Eli Lilly and Novartis contributed $235,000 or more each. Astellas Pharma, Johnson and Johnson and Merck each donated $125,000 or more.

    The pharmaceutical companies donated directly to either the Republican State Leadership Committee, the Republican Attorneys General Association, and the Republican Governors Association.

    Money from these Republican groups was directed to some individual campaigns, such as Ashley Moody’s re-election campaign for Florida attorney general.  Moody had urged the Supreme Court in 2020 to  rule on a lawsuit designed to invalidate Presidential election results in four states.

    The Republican Governors Association invested more than $5 million in an ad campaign in Arizona opposing Katie Hobbs, the Democrat running for governor against Kari Lake.  Lake claims the 2020 election was stolen, notwithstanding the lack of evidence supporting her claim. The RGA also invested $15 million in Ron DeSantis, who supports Lake. (Notwithstanding these donations, Hobbs was just elected.)

    The contributions by the pharmaceutical companies highlight their lack of concern for the integrity of our democracy and the democratic process. Perhaps their employees, along with Americans, will take note and stand together in support of Congressional action to end monopolistic drug pricing in the US and establish fair drug prices, on a par with what other wealthy countries pay.

    To be fair, the pharmaceutical companies use their campaign contributions to befriend legislators in whatever party. So, it should come as no surprise that they donated to Democratic committees as well, although at somewhat lower levels than Republican committees.

    Pharmaceutical companies claim that their donations are intended purely to support their particular policy goals related to prescription drugs and should not be seen as support for other issues.

    Here’s more from Just Care:

  • Most of Congress continues to accept campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry

    Most of Congress continues to accept campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry

    Lev Facher reports for Stat News that the pharmaceutical industry donated to the campaigns of 356 members of Congress this year. Pharmaceutical companies want to be sure their voice is strong when Congress considers prescription drug legislation. If few members of Congress support meaningful drug price regulation, their acceptance of drug company campaign monies will be one reason.

    All in, the pharmaceutical companies donated around $11 million to Congressional campaigns through their political action committees or PACs this past campaign season. More than $8.5 million went to individual candidates. These PACs wrote some 4,700 checks. This is business as usual for them.

    The pharmaceutical companies know that their campaign contributions give them sizable influence in policymaking around prescription drugs. Pfizer alone sent 548 checks to members of Congress through its PAC. Amgen sent 405 checks. Merck wrote 379 checks.

    These campaign donations are smart investments for the pharmaceutical industry. Drugmakers often see payback quickly. Already, Congress has ensured that federal health care agencies receive billions of dollars to hand out to drug companies for research.

    Not surprisingly, Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leader, took in more in campaign contributions from Big PhRMA than any other member of Congress. He received more than $197,000 in total. Republican Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Cory Gardner of Colorado, John Cornyn of Texas and Steve Daines of Montana each received at least $100,000 from the drug industry.

    On the Democratic side, the pharmaceutical industry donated the most to Senators Chris Coons and Bob Menendez. And, Senator Ron Wyden, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, took money from two drug industry groups.

    The Center for Responsive Politics explains that, through campaign contributions, drug manufacturers build a relationship with members of Congress. The relationship, in turn, gives them easy entree into discussions about government regulation of the drug industry, if not a seat at the table.

    STAT’s analysis looked at 25 pharmaceutical industry groups. Of the campaign contributions, 2600 donations, slightly more than half, went to Republicans or Republican groups; 2100 donations went to Democrats or Democratic groups.

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