Senators who weakened drug bill got millions from industry

[babsbunny]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2007-05-10-senators-drug-bill_N.htm


WASHINGTON — Senators who raised millions of dollars in campaign donations from pharmaceutical interests secured industry-friendly changes to a landmark drug-safety bill, according to public records and interviews.
The bill, which passed 93-1, grants the Food and Drug Administration broad new authority to monitor the safety of drugs after they are approved. It addressed some shortcomings that allowed the painkiller Vioxx to stay on the market for years after initial signs that it could cause heart attacks.

However, the powers granted to the FDA in the bill's original version were pared back during private meetings. And efforts to curb conflicts of interest among FDA advisers and allow consumers to buy cheaper drugs from other countries were defeated in close votes.

[unlawflcombatnt]

1. Thanks- Great Information

It might be helpful to post some excerpts from the article here, to show the actual $$$ contributed and to whom they were given to.

" A measure that blocked an effort to allow drug importation passed, 49-40. The 49 senators who voted against drug importation received about $5 million from industry executives and political action committees since 2001

Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan....has raised $18,000 from drug interests so far this year, records show, and $66,000 since 2001.

Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H....has raised $168,500 from drug executives and PACs since 2001 and sided with them in four key votes...

Enzi took in $174,000 from drug interests since 2001; Kennedy, $78,000. Their spokesmen said the money did not influence them.

The pharmaceutical companies spend more money on lobbying than any other single industry — $855 million from 1998 to 2006, according to the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity."

Below is a list from the side bar from the article:

"
Senator 2001-07 contributions Vote

Richard Burr, R-N.C. $520,694 Yes

John Kerry, D-Mass. $304,888 Yes

Joe Lieberman, I-Conn. $281,040 Yes

Arlen Specter, R-Pa. $259,699 Yes

Orrin Hatch, R-Utah $241,850 Yes

Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa $216,599 No

Max Baucus, D-Mont. $199,000 Yes

Chris Dodd, D-Conn. $192,025 Did not vote

Tom Carper, D-Del. $183,794 Yes

Mike Enzi, R-Wyo. $174,338 Yes "

These contributions certainly help explain why so many of our representatives, even Democrats, have sold out their voters at the expense of their Big Pharma campaign contributors.

unlawflcombatnt

Economic Populist Forum

[ProSense]

2. Bogusly misleading article.

According to the article:

The pharmaceutical companies spend more money on lobbying than any other single industry — $855 million from 1998 to 2006, according to the non-partisan Center for Public Integrity.

Pharmaceutical interests and PAC monies.

Senator Kerry's campaign funds come from individual donations. He is not among the top recipients of pharmaceutical PAC money (he is most likely at the very bottom: last). From the Center for Responsive Politics:

2006: 1 Nancy L. Johnson (R-CT) $216,710

2004: 1 Richard Burr (R-NC) $184,498]

2002: 1 Nancy L. Johnson (R-CT) $189,992]

2000: 1 Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT) $153,965]

Since 1989, Senator Kerry has recieved $3,154 from Health PACs.


Look at the amounts no voters get from Health PACs:

Feinstein - $618,288

Dorgan - $266,950

Clinton - $250,350

[Jacobin]

3. What's handy about that is that

the congresscritters can all sit in a smoke filled room and figure out how to get pharma's bidding done with the least damage to vulnerable representatives. "Okay, you, you and you, can vote for it, I'll introduce an amendment to 'require that imported drugs be inspected for safety' to make it impossible, we'll muddy the water, some of you can claim you tried to get it done, but in the end, we'll take care of our sugar daddy"

See how that works? :-)

[ProSense]

5. Nonsense!

There are reasons that people do things other than money: here, here and here.

[PDittie]

4. K & R

With "SiCKO" coming out in a few weeks, we need to keep this information out in front.