Here is a big part of the answer. An analysis by Stat News of campaign finance records shows that the pharmaceutical industry donated to more than two-thirds of Congress as well as 2,467 state lawmakers during the last campaign cycle -- to the tune of over $25 million.
“According to the findings, 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.”
Here is more from the report: “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.
While the drug industry gave money to a broad range of candidates, it focused in particular on those on key committees that oversee health care legislation.”
Running for election to Congress has become incredibly expensive and lawmakers spend a great deal of their time all year long raising money to pay for their campaigns.
The largest amounts of money come from corporate and special interest groups who want certain legislation passed or stopped.
When it comes to the big drug companies, they do not want limits on the costs of the drugs they manufacture. That is why they make so many campaign contributions.
TSCL does not make campaign contributions because we are funded by our supporters like you, and we simply don’t have the millions of dollars like drug companies do. Instead, we rely on you and your vote. Elected officials care about money, but they care even more about your vote.
Our job is to represent you to Congress and keep you informed about what is happening. We rely on you to put pressure on your Senators and Representative when it comes to the legislation we need to have passed.
Our voices and our votes collectively are how we counteract all the money the drug companies throw around to influence Congress.
