What looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck…is usually a duck. And in the case of the revolving door of ex-Congressmen and congressional aides leaving to work for Big Pharma is definitely a duck! Consider the current president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PHRMA), the ex- Republican representative from Louisiana, Billy Tauzin. In 2004, Tauzin retired as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which oversees drug manufacturers and thereafter became the PHRMA president and CEO at a base salary of $2 million per year. PHRMA is the powerful trade group that includes pharmaceutical manufacturers.
In addition to their president Tauzin, PHRMA boasts 55 other former members of Congress on their payroll. In fact, 52% of PHRMA’s army of lobbyists hired to promote the interests of drug companies, health insurers, hospitals, health professionals and industry groups were former employees of Congress, the White House or federal agencies. So far over 3,300 have registered to lobby on health care issues… that amounts to six lobbyists for every congressman.
In the current health care reform debate, Pharma has spent $18 million on lobbyists and anti-reform advertising. Thus far, they have been successful in defeating legislation that would have allowed cheaper prescription drug imports from Canada and legislation that would have lowered drug reimbursement prices for Medicare. With billions in potential profits at stake, if Pharma is successful in defeating any further health care reform, their money will have been well spent, but at a tragic cost to consumers’ rights and their pocketbooks.
Public Citizen criticizes this too-cozy relationship as providing exceptional inside access to special interest groups. However, since the revolving door is one of the most effective ways of influence-peddling on Capitol Hill, it’s not likely to stop anytime soon. And a duck is still a duck.
