Lawmakers Get Contributions From Industry Groups And Associated Lobbyists

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A study by the Center for Responsive Politics and the Sunlight Foundation has found that key lawmakers have received significant contributes not only from major health industry companies - who often lead in contributions to members of Congress - but also from their lobbyists, who have contributed from their personal resources, The Washington Post reports.

"From January 2007 to June 2009, (Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., chairman of the Senate Finance Committee) collected donations from 37 outside lobbyists representing the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the top drugmaker trade group. Baucus also received money from 36 lobbyists representing a single drugmaker, Amgen Inc., the study shows" (Eggen, 10/1).

Meanwhile, in other lobbying news, the medical device industry "has launched a lobbying blitz to kill a tax on its products proposed in a health care bill moving through the Senate," USA Today reports. Members of that industry spent $6.3 million on federal campaign contributions in 2008 and have spent $773,000 this year. The industry argues that the tax is unfair, because it expects separate cuts to hospitals to trickle down to its members (Fritze, 10/2).

This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org.

© Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

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