partnership for am's health
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</div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/12/pharma-lobby-poured-millions-into-darkmoney-groups/">https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/12/pharma-lobby-poured-millions-into-darkmoney-groups/</a></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>pharmaceutical companies’ top lobbying group funneled millions of dollars to prominent “dark money” groups that pushed industry friendly messages to lawmakers and 2020 voters. </b></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/pharmaceutical-research-manufacturers-of-america/summary?all=2020&id=D000000504" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America</a> raised nearly $527 million last year and spent roughly $506 million, <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/7335117-PhRMA-990-Fiscal-Year-2019.html" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">new tax returns</a> obtained by OpenSecrets reveal. That’s a record haul for the organization, which is funded by the world’s most powerful pharmaceutical companies.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The trade association made its largest political donation of 2019 — $4.5 million — to the American Action Network, a dark money group that backs House Republicans. The conservative nonprofit and its pharmaceutical industry donor share disdain for proposals to regulate the price of prescription drugs. </font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The same year it received PhRMA’s donation, the<b> American Action Network </b>launched <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/11/big-pharma-bankrolled-conservative-groups-tax-returns-show/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">several multi-million dollar ad campaigns</a> opposing President <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race/donald-trump/candidate?id=N00023864" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Donald Trump</a>’s proposal to let Medicare negotiate drug prices. This year, the group launched multi-million dollar ad campaigns opposing <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/01/07/american-action-network-backs-limited-drug-pricing-reform/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">House Democrats’ bill</a> to lower drug prices and ads <a href="https://americanactionnetwork.org/press/aan-releases-3-new-ads-continuing-4-million-advocacy-effort-to-pass-h-r-19/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">boosting vulnerable Republicans</a> who supported an alternative bill considered <a href="https://khn.org/morning-breakout/house-republicans-to-offer-up-their-own-plan-to-combat-high-drug-prices-to-counter-dems-aggressive-bill/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">much friendlier</a> to drugmakers. </font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The alliance between drugmakers and GOP groups isn’t new. PhRMA has given $14.6 million to the American Action Network since 2016. In that time, the American Action Network became a major contributor to GOP causes.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> During the 2020 election cycle, it gave $26.4 million to the <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cycle=2020&cmte=C00504530" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Congressional Leadership Fund</a>, the House Republicans’ top super PAC that helped unseat several freshman Democrats</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In several key 2020 races, the American Action Network battled with a Democratic group that also received funding from drugmakers. PhRMA gave nearly $1.6 million to <b>Center Forward, a dark money group aligned with moderate Blue Dog Democrats,</b> last year. That nonprofit provided most of the funding for an <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/outsidespending/detail.php?cmte=C00568444&cycle=2020" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">allied super PAC</a> that spent $3.3 million supporting House Democrats. The pharma-backed GOP and Democratic groups went head-to-head in several key House races, including a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/fight-for-upstate-new-york-house-race-continues-in-court-11607299200" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">tightly contested New York race</a> that has come down to a handful of votes.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Late last year, as Congress debated drug pricing bills, Center Forward <a href="https://readsludge.com/2019/12/12/pharma-funded-dark-money-group-hosts-house-staffers-for-california-junket/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">flew House staffers</a> to San Francisco to meet with drug company executives. The nonprofit’s board members have also lobbied for pharmaceutical interests. Republicans in Congress are the most vocal opponents of efforts to have the government regulate drug prices — a measure that would damage drugmakers’ profits — but Blue Dog Democrats also <a href="https://readsludge.com/2020/10/09/blue-dog-affiliated-group-runs-ads-for-big-pharma/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">pushed back</a> on more aggressive proposals to lower drug prices.</font></p><h2 style="line-height: inherit; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Drugmakers bankroll groups pushing industry talking points to Trump</font></h2><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Prominent drugmakers have spent much of 2020 developing vaccines to fight COVID-19, and the threat of drug pricing legislation in Congress has died down amid the pandemic. But Trump has continued to push forward with executive actions on prescription drugs opposed by the pharmaceutical industry. </font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PhRMA deployed creative tactics in an attempt to persuade Trump against following through on his campaign promise to aggressively lower drug prices. During the Trump era, the trade association has bankrolled conservative groups that have access to the president. </font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The American Conservative Union, which hosts the annual <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/02/cpac-2020-gets-cozy/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Conservative Political Action Conference</a>, received $150,000 from PhRMA in 2019. Led by Trump ally and corporate lobbyist <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=33712" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Matt Schlapp</a></span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, the conservative nonprofit launched the Coalition Against Socialized Medicine late last year to </span><a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jun/6/coalition-against-socialized-medicine-challenges-m/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">oppose efforts</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> to regulate drug prices and enact single-payer health care proposals. </span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nearly all of the coalition’s members received funding from drugmakers within the last two years. Big pharma’s trade group gave $505,000 to <b>American Commitment,</b> $78,500 to <b>Americans for a Balanced Budget and $60,000 to the Taxpayers Protection Alliance </b>last year alone, according to new tax returns. The Taxpayers Protection Alliance launched a <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/528291-group-launches-ads-opposing-bipartisan-fix-to-surprise-medical-bills" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">six-figure ad campaign</a> last month aimed at killing “surprise” medical billing legislation and calling it a “handout” to big insurance companies.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">New tax returns also show that pharmaceutical manufacturers’ trade group gave</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> $200,000 to the National Sheriffs Association</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, a nonprofit representing thousands of law enforcement officials. The group </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/07/sheriffs-target-trump-w-ads-stop-prescription-drugs/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">launched a six-figure ad campaign</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> last year warning against Trump’s proposal to import drugs from foreign countries, a measure bitterly opposed by drugmakers. Those ads specifically targeted Trump, airing in Washington, D.C., on his favorite Fox News programs.</span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump ultimately <a href="https://khn.org/news/trump-approves-final-plan-to-import-drugs-from-canada-for-a-fraction-of-the-price/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">approved a plan</a> to import drugs from Canada in September, but its scope was limited. He also <a href="https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/fiercepharmapolitics-trump-unveils-favored-nation-drug-pricing-executive-order-and-pharma" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">moved ahead with a rule</a> that would allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of drugs based on the price foreign governments pay, another measure strongly opposed by drugmakers. </font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Still, while Trump has moved ahead with industry-opposed measures, his GOP allies in Congress have not made drug pricing legislation a priority. Republican lawmakers and their aides are <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2019/11/big-pharma-bankrolled-conservative-groups-tax-returns-show/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">consistently fed</a> opinion pieces and ad campaigns from conservative groups urging them to reject “socialist price controls.”</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Republicans <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2020/09/gop-groups-attack-via-healthcare-talkingpoints/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">ran political ads</a> in 2020 that mirrored talking points from major healthcare industry players. Super PACs aligned with Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/mitch-mcconnell/summary?cid=N00003389" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Mitch McConnell</a> (R-Ky.) attacked Democrats’ over their support for a public health insurance option, a proposal that could hurt drugmakers’ profits</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. Those ads cited a study from the </span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Partnership For America’s Health Care Future</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, a conglomerate of insurers, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies that received $300,000 from PhRMA last year.</span></font></p><h2 style="line-height: inherit; margin: 1.5em 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; clear: left; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Longtime pharmaceutical ally gets seven-figure gift in retirement </font></h2><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">One of PhRMA’s largest 2019 gifts was a $2 million donation to the Orrin Hatch Foundation</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, a<b> think tank</b> and research library launched by former Sen. </span><a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/summary?cid=N00009869" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Orrin Hatch</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> (R-Utah). The trade group gave $140,000 to the foundation between 2017 and 2018. </span></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Hatch, who retired in January 2019, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/sen-orrin-hatchs-influence-us-health-care/story?id=60120082" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">was known</a> as the pharmaceutical industry’s “man on the Hill” by the end of his 42-year tenure. Hatch helped shape current laws that regulate generic drugs and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/13/us/politics/utah-senator-crucial-ally-for-the-pacific-rim-trade-deal-is-now-its-main-hurdle.html" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">opposed measures</a> to limit drugmakers’ monopoly protections. <b>As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Hatch was <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/417524-drug-industry-nervous-about-grassleys-new-role" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">considered the major roadblock</a> to drug pricing changes proposed by Democrats and Trump.</b></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 153, 0);">the pharmaceuticals and health products industry <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/summary.php?ind=H04&cycle=All&recipdetail=M&sortorder=U" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">gave $2.8 million</a> to Hatch’s campaign committee since 1998, more than any member of Congress who didn’t run for president</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.<b> When Hatch faced a primary challenge in 2012, PhRMA </b></span><b><a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/drug-lobby-gave-750000-to-pro-hatch-nonprofit-in-utahs-u-s-senate-race/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">gave $750,000</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> to a super PAC boosting his reelection campaign. </span></b></font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">During Hatch’s final years in office, his allies reportedly <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/orrin-hatch-foundation-230555" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">asked pharmaceutical companies and K Street lobbyists for donations</a> to fund the Orrin Hatch Foundation. In 2018, the foundation <a href="https://publicintegrity.org/politics/companies-court-lawmakers-with-charitable-giving-but-dont-always-disclose-the-funds/" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">invited major corporations</a>, including pharmaceutical giant <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/merck-co/summary?id=D000000275" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">Merck</a>, to a luxury mountain resort for a fundraiser.</font></p><p style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While the foundation will serve as a library to catalogue Hatch’s government service and provide civic education, it has also put out policy reports on pressing issues. Its <a href="https://www.flipsnack.com/six40/biosimilars-report-final/full-view.html" style="line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; touch-action: manipulation; background-color: transparent; transition: background-color 150ms ease-in-out 0s, border 150ms ease-in-out 0s, color 150ms ease-in-out 0s; text-decoration-line: none; display: inline; max-height: 1e+06px;">most recent report</a> delves into how lawmakers can craft “sensible solutions to both foster innovative biologics and curb skyrocketing drug prices.”</font></p></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</div><div>an 220<div>
</div><div><div>no lnx</div><div>
</div><div>Health care for corporate profits — not people</div><div>
</div><div>Written by Jim Hightower / Creators.Com February 13, 2020</div><div>When grassroots groups rise up against the corporate establishment trying to win some specific progressive change for the common good, the odds against them can seem daunting. As an old saying puts it: Where there’s a will … there are 1,000 won’ts.</div><div>
</div><div>Those won’ts tend to be moneyed powers making a killing from the status quo, so they’re dead set against any change. Such has certainly been the case in the decadeslong political struggle to ensure that every man, woman and child in our country gets decent health care as a human right. Today, even though we Americans pay by far the highest price for health care, most people are denied that right by our country’s profiteering, corporate-run medical industry, which treats care as a privileged commodity.</div><div>
</div><div>So many families are left out and maltreated by this dysfunctional system that more than 70% of Americans (including a majority of Republicans) now support replacing it with a “Medicare for All” publicly financed system that provides full health coverage for everyone, even as it saves us money.</div><div>
</div><div>So here come 1,000 screaming won’ts, rushing out to crush the people’s will. Such usual clusters of far-right plutocratic power as the Koch brothers’ billionaire club, Karl Rove’s political monkey wrenchers and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce clique of giant corporations have deployed their forces. But the present system is so bad, and public support for Medicare for All has grown so large so fast, that the usual corporate dismissal of such ideas wasn’t working, spooking the profiteers.</div><div>
</div><div>Time for a powerhouse front group! Two years ago, the corporate won’ts met secretly in downtown Washington to set up an industrywide PR/lobbying juggernaut, giving it the stealth name of Partnership for America’s Health Care Future. Of course, what they care about is the future of their rip-off profits, and they’ve committed hundreds of millions of dollars and hired an army of more than 200 lobbyists to pound the public and Congress with a nuclear level of propaganda and raw political deceit.</div><div>
</div><div>This Partnership of Profiteers is Washington politics at its worst — a handful of cynical self-interests using cloaks, dark money and lies to rig the system for corporate profits at the expense of human health and political morality.</div><div>
</div><div>As former President Lyndon Johnson used to say about special interests trying to get his support to pass some blatantly self-serving legislation: “I may not know much, but I do know the difference between chicken s— and chicken salad.”</div><div>
</div><div>Yet, chicken manure is all that the corporate health complex has to work with as it frantically tries to defend its current system of mass malpractice. After all, as most Americans have learned the hard way, the corporatized “care” of profiteering insurance giants, Big Pharma and hospital chains grossly overcharge us while constantly trying to shortchange or outright deny care to millions of our families.</div><div>
</div><div>So, unable to win public support on their own merit, the corporatists and their hired political hacks are going all out to continue their profit gouging and keep control of America’s dysfunctional system. They’re running a multimillion-dollar PR and lobbying campaign of lies to trash and kill all reforms that would deliver quality, comprehensive care to (SET ITAL) everyone (END ITAL), at far less cost than they can deliver.</div><div>
</div><div>The profiteers masquerading as a Partnership for America’s Health Care Future warn ominously that such reforms as Medicare for All and a public option for health insurance would take away people’s “choice” and their “control” over health care.</div><div>
</div><div>Hello … we presently have no choice or control. Our “care” is managed by a handful of drug and hospital monopolists whose primary objective is not improving our health but fattening their profits. And the undeniable, ugly truth is that the “Partnership” fattens its profits by shortchanging our care.</div><div>
</div><div>That’s one reason the American Medical Association and others are dropping out of the “Partnership’s” political front. Honest health care practitioners don’t want to be part of its fraud and its chicken manure PR campaign.</div><div>
</div><div>Populist author, public speaker and radio commentator Jim Hightower writes “The Hightower Lowdown,” a monthly newsletter chronicling the ongoing fights by America’s ordinary people against rule by plutocratic elites. Sign up at HightowerLowdown.org.</div></div></div></div>