Drug Companies Scamper to Garner Members of Congress
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If you are in the US senate or house, Big Drug Companies want you! So, if you want a luxury vacation, a free executive jet ride, or a contribution, just speak up as the pharmaceutical lobbyist comes to call.
The New York Times reported that: "Drug Industry Is on Defensive as Power Shifts". Apparently, Big Drug Companies do not think that Democrats will be quite as generous with them as Republicans have been. Big Drugs is afraid the Democrats might do something to benefit constituents, such as allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prescription prices or permit cheaper Canadian drugs to be purchased by Americans. But, would even the Democrats do something so heinous as trying to help the average American. Well, that seems to be Big Drug's worry because they are recruiting lobbyists from just about everywhere.
Although the pharmaceutical companies traditionally spent $100 million dollars a year to lobby congress, they seem on the verge of throwing significantly more "influence" at this problem. They have also gone out and tried to find all the Democratic congress members' "ex" one thing or another:
Mr. Greenwood, a former Republican congressman from Pennsylvania, said he had a list of 37 Congressional Democrats whom he intended to call in the next month.
Amgen, the biotechnology company, recently disclosed that it had retained as a lobbyist George C. Crawford, a former chief of staff for Representative Nancy Pelosi of California. Ms. Pelosi, the House Democratic leader, is in line to become speaker in January and has said that the House will immediately take up legislation authorizing Medicare to negotiate prices with drug manufacturers.Amgen is also seeking strategic advice from the Glover Park Group, a consulting firm whose founders include Joe Lockhart, a former press secretary for President Bill Clinton.
Other major drug companies have been snatching up Democratic former-aides-turned-lobbyists. Merck recently has hired Peter Rubin, a former aide to Representative Jim McDermott of Washington, one of the more liberal House Democrats. Cephalon has hired Kim Zimmerman, a health policy aide to Senator Ben Nelson, a conservative Democrat of Nebraska.
The Biotechnology Industry Organization has retained Paul T. Kim, a former aide to two influential Democrats, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts and Representative Henry A. Waxman of California.
Perhaps this will be only one of the tests facing the new Congress. We may be able to see what Democrats stand for and whether they can stand up to Big Business, like the Drug Companies. Will they stand firm with Americans or will they be swayed by Big Drugs' influence? For sake of Americans who have already been taken advantage of by Big Drug for far too long, let us hope that Democrats show up with back bones and honest wills.