More than two-thirds of Congress cashed a pharma campaign check in 2020, new STAT analysis shows
June 9, 2024 By Lev Facher
WASHINGTON — Seventy-two senators and 302 members of the House of Representatives cashed a check from the pharmaceutical industry ahead of the 2020 election — representing more than two-thirds of Congress, according to a new STAT analysis of records for the full election cycle.
Pfizer’s political action committee alone contributed to 228 lawmakers. Amgen’s PAC donated to 218, meaning that each company helped to fund the campaigns of nearly half the lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Overall, the sector donated $14 million.
The breadth of the spending highlights the drug industry’s continued clout in Washington. Even after years of criticism from Congress and the White House over high prices, it remains routine for the elected officials who regulate the health care industry to accept six-figure sums.
The findings, published in a new STAT examination of the drug industry’s political giving, also come on the heels of an extraordinary year for the pharmaceutical industry. In 2020, the federal government leaned heavily on drug makers to develop Covid-19 vaccines at lightning speed — helping to rehabilitate the industry’s reputation and political credibility in the process.
STAT’s analysis includes an interactive map that allows readers to visualize contributions between individual drug industry PACs and states, lawmakers, and congressional districts. It builds upon a previous analysis STAT published before the election, and now includes complete records for the 2020 election cycle.
Donations from companies like Pfizer and Amgen are among the most visibly widespread.
Pfizer, which played arguably the biggest role in 2020’s vaccine race, also had a frenzied year politically. In addition to giving roughly $1 million to members of Congress, Pfizer also wrote checks to 1,048 individual candidates in state legislative races.
Thanks to Evelyn Kober for sharing this article re the omnibus bill that is filled with an incredible amount of pork, money to protect Ukraine’s border but not our border and more money for the FBI just to name a few of the more obscene money that is being spent in this bill. If your blood isn’t boiling already, just wait until you read this article. We will remember which Republican senators vote for this monstrosity. Please share with your contacts. Nancy
$1.7T spending bill stuffed with giveaways for favored groups from lobster industry to LGBTQIA+
GOP Rep. Dan Bishop identified $575 million in the bill for “family planning/reproductive health” in areas where population growth “threatens biodiversity.”
The $1.7 trillion, 4,155-page omnibus bill that congressional negotiators have unveiled is stuffed with pork and shouldn’t be passed, according to a group of conservative GOP lawmakers and the Heritage Foundation.
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, are rushing to move the bill to passage before the Christmas break. A floor vote in the Senate could come as soon as Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a group of 13 House GOP members have pledged to block “any legislative priority” of GOP senators who vote for the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
North Carolina GOP Rep. Dan Bishop worked with his staff to comb through the massive bill and identified $575 million for “family planning/reproductive health” in areas where population growth “threatens biodiversity.” Bishop and his staff also identified nearly $1.5 billion for “membership in global multilateral organizations,” such as the United Nations.
The legislation includes $2.3 million for informing the public that President Biden is taking action to cancel up to $20,000 of student loan debt for qualified borrowers. Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, which he implemented without congressional authority, is currently on hold pending Supreme Court review.
Harriet Hageman passionately tells fellow patriots in Wyoming, all across America, and across the world, what we patriots are ALL feeling at this point; “WE’RE FED UP!”
Harriet Hageman is Liz Cheney’s opponent as candidate for U.S. Congress from Wyoming, tells the crowd at President Trump’s “SAVE AMERICA” rally in Casper, Wyoming on Saturday, May 28, 2022.
The so-called infrastructure bill that 19 miserable, loathsome Republican senators just helped to pass shows the utter worthlessness of a corporatist Republican Party out of touch with its constituents. Most of these senators are from red states, and many of them are people Trump bailed out in 2016 and 2020 (including McTurtle) and helped to get reelected. They just gave their voters, and the American people, the middle finger. One can’t help but think they’re either incredibly stupid or incredibly corrupt; probably both if we’re being honest.
Not only does this bill add anywhere from $256 to $400 billion to our roughly $30 trillion national debt, it has very little to do with anything accurately labeled “infrastructure.” Only $110 billion of the $1.2 trillion is for highways, roads, bridges and major projects. If you throw in the monies for airports, ports, and assorted other items, you might get to 23 percent of this monstrosity designated for actual infrastructure.
The other 77 percent of the bill’s funding reads like a far left wish list that paves the way for the Green New Deal. That’s why this bill should be dubbed the Gateway to the Green New Deal Bill and not infrastructure. Take for example that nearly 20 percent of the entire bill, $213 billion, is allocated for retrofitting two million homes and buildings to make them more sustainable, whatever that means. Or the $20 billion for racial equity and environmental justice. Or the mileage tax, as in yes, they want to explore taxing you for every mile you drive in your car.
‘Complicit’: Meet the 18 Republicans Who Sold Out on Radical Democrat ‘Infrastructure’ Plan Without Reading Bill
by Sean Moran July 28, 2021
Eighteen Senate Republicans sold out to Senate Democrats, with 17 of them voting Wednesday night to advance a $1.2 trillion Democrat “infrastructure” bill and another signaling he would.
The Senate voted to invoke cloture, or advance, H.R. 3684, the legislative vehicle for the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill. The vote featured Republican and Democrat support for the bill. The Senate voted 67-32 to invoke cloture on the bill, with seventeen Republicans in favor of invoking cloture on the bill.
All of them voted for this procedural vote without reading the bill—because it would have been impossible for them to read a bill that does not yet exist. The bill has still not been written despite months of negotiations.
The Senate Republicans who voted for the Democrat $1.2 trillion bill include:
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Mike Crapo (R-ID)
Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Rob Portman (R-OH)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
Mitt Romney (R-UT)
Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Todd Young (R-IN)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
John Hoeven (R-ND)
Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
Susan Collins (R-ME)
Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) was absent but signaled that he would have voted yes to advance the legislation.
These Senate Republicans voted to advance the bill even though lawmakers have not yet drafted a physical bill.
The first link to a Federalist article explains why it is so important to let your elected officials know you oppose the appointment of David Chipman for ATF Director because of his attacks on the Second Amendment. After reading the article, please scroll down to read the message from Cathy Wright on how to easily contact your senators to voice your opposition to his appointment. Please share with your contacts. Nancy P.S. In my humble opinion, if we don’t have the second amendment to defend ourselves against the tyranny of government, all the other amendments to the U.S. Constitution will be weakened.
To Democrats, David Chipman’s qualifications aren’t his achievements in law enforcement. They’re his zeal for attacking the Second Amendment and ridiculing gun-owning Americans.
Thanks to Cathy Wright for sharing this information. Scroll down and click on the link to send your message to your senators . Nancy
Urgent message: Oppose David Chipman, nominee for ATF Director.
Please urge your Senators to oppose David Chipman for ATF Director! Joe Biden nominated gun control activist and lobbyist David Chipman for Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). Chipman’s hostility towards the Second Amendment and his work for a National gun control organization disqualifies him from serving as the Director of the ATF.
Make no mistake, David Chipman is a gun control extremist and cannot be trusted. For years, Chipman has been a shill for the gun control lobby and has called for bans on America’s most popular firearms. It is clear that if he is confirmed as the next ATF Director, Chipman would use every tool at his disposal to attack the rights of law-abiding American gun owners.
Please contact your Senators TODAY and urge them to oppose David Chipman’s nomination! Click this Link:
If you feel strongly that our country needs a secure border and that the border wall should be funded and built, call your senators and representatives in congress and let them know. You will be able to locate the contact information for your individual officials on the following link. President Trump needs our support on this critical issue. Nancy
