Drug industry, Pfizer lead in health lobbying

WASHINGTON — The drug industry's trade group and one of the nation's biggest pharmaceutical companies reported spending more money than other health care organizations on lobbying in the second quarter of this year.

With the fight over President Barack Obama's effort to revamp the nation's health care system escalating, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said it spent $6.2 million lobbying in April, May and June, according to reports to Congress that were due Monday. Pfizer Inc., the New York-based producer of numerous drugs, ranked second in the health care sector at $5.6 million.

In reports on file as of late morning Tuesday, 24 health-related associations and companies reported spending at least $1 million each lobbying during the quarter.

The stakes are huge for the health industry. Congressional Democrats are pushing legislation that could cost roughly $1 trillion over the coming decade, paid for in part by cuts in federal health care programs such as Medicare. Lobbyists have been flooding Capitol Hill for months, and many interest groups have already invested millions of dollars in ad campaigns favoring or opposing various portions of the emerging bills.

According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, the health sector reported spending $127 million in lobbying during the first three months of this year, more than any other area.

It can take many days for all the reports to be filed. In the second quarter of 2008, 28 health care concerns reported spending at least $1 million lobbying.

Of the thousands of reports filed so far covering lobbying on all subjects, only two organizations reported spending more during the second quarter than PhRMA, the drug industry trade group. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation's largest business association, reported spending $7.4 million, and the General Electric Co. reported $7.2 million in lobbying expenditures.

Including its latest report, PhRMA has now spent $13.1 million lobbying so far this year. Pfizer has reported $11.7 million in lobbying expenses for 2009.

Other top lobbying spenders among health-related organizations for this year's second quarter include the American Medical Association, $4 million; Eli Lilly and Co., $3.6 million; the American Hospital Association, $3.5 million, Amgen Inc., $3.4 million, and the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, $2.8 million.

Also, GlaxoSmithKline, $2.3 million; CVS Caremark Inc., $2 million; Bayer Corp. and America's Health Insurance Plans, representing the health insurance industry, $1.9 million each; Novartis and the Biotechnology Industry Organization, each $1.8 million, and Metlife Group Inc., $1.7 million.

Also, Sanofi-Aventis U.S. Inc. reported spending $1.6 million in the second quarter; Johnson & Johnson Services Inc. $1.6 million; Merck & Co. Inc. $1.5 million; F. Hoffman-La Roche Ltd. and its affiliates, $1.5 million; the American College of Radiology Association, Wellpoint Inc. and Astrazeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, each $1.2 million, and Siemens Corp., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Medtronic Inc., $1 million each.

Comments

[Sundialsvc4]

08:15 AM on 07/22/2009

Article 2, Section 4 of our Constitution does not call this ... "lobbying."

It calls it: Bribery.

And furthermore, "Bribery" sits right next to "Treason" in that same sentence.

Have citizens walk the halls of the Senate Office Building with web-cams. Use a computer to "tag" each lobbyist with a floating icon where citizens in real-time can observe who that person represents and how many dollars are probably in that man's pocket. When he is seen walking into a Senator's door, a little clock starts ticking and underneath it is a dollar-sign and a number, also counting up.

I want 306 million people to be able to SEE themselves being BETRAYED, "in f**kin' real-time." I want them to SEE that number climb, until in fifteen minutes it has exceeded the amount they'll earn in a year. I want someone who struggled to the edge of bankruptcy to keep his or her parents from dying in the poor-house, to WATCH some a**sh*le wearing $2,000 leather slippers paying their misbegotten Senator more money, in ten minutes, than they will be struggling to pay-off over the remaining course of their lives.

This is the Internet age. I want them to SEE that.

[Clayton139]

11:37 PM on 07/21/2009

FYI: Good Quality Progressive Health Care - HOLD-UP ??! - We need to find out who all is getting (PAID BY LOBBYIST)??!

The GOP-Republicans are NOT the only ones in Bed with the health & insurance interests !

The Moderate Democrat's on the Fence to Vote for the (One Payer Public Plan) and the WHY OR WHY NOT ??! They are getting Millions from the Health and Insurance Interests also ~!
How many more Democrats are getting Millions to (Put Our Health On SALE) for their own interests !

Look at the Money these Democrats receive: Senator Max Baucus Total from health & insurance interests: $3,973,485, Senator Evan Bayh: - $1,565,088, Senator Kent Conrad - $2,154,200, Senator Dianne Feinstein - $1,749,887, Senator John Kerry - $8,994,077, Senator Mary Landrieu - $1,653,943, Senator Joe Lieberman - $3,308,621, Senator Ben Nelson - $2,214,715 ~!!!

[IlooklikeGeorgeWyner]

11:25 PM on 07/21/2009

How else could the notorious “Pfizer Cartel” keep its tentacles in 47 different Congressmen.

[Clayton139]

11:24 PM on 07/21/2009

If we can get a Good Quality Progressive Health Care Bill ! - I am for it !

I am on Disability and Medicare, Medicaid and it takes care of all my Doctor Bills as good or better than any AETNA, and/or Blue Cross Blue Shield, I have ever had !
In fact Aetna and Blue Cross would DENY me on lots of claims !

If President Obama can get this Health care Bill right then, it will be the BEST thing for our Country !
Who knows maybe we will become No # 1 in the World on Health care instead of No # 37th, !
http://www.photius.com/rankings/healthranks.html

Universal health care is health care coverage for all eligible residents of a political region and often covers medical, dental and mental health care.
Universal health care is implemented in all but one of the wealthy, industrialized countries, with the exception being the United States.
It is also provided in many developing countries and is the trend worldwide.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_health_care

[Tobias Dijkstra]

06:42 PM on 07/21/2009

It would be bad for investors if Pfizer would not get the money they needed from their pharmaceuticals through not well articulated federal regulations.

[Puff H05t]

06:23 PM on 07/21/2009

1. Selected doctors are sponsored by Big Pharma.
2. Said doctors push said pharma on repeat customer (i.e. "patient").
3. Repeat customer gets strung out, pharma "band-aid" approach addresses symptom and not root cause.
4. Big Pharma hires lobbyists to secure their positions, "legally".
5. Repeat.

[spinns17]

03:31 PM on 07/21/2009

i will mke sure i dont use any of there drugs again.

[pomegrante]

11:53 AM on 07/21/2009

Jase84,the msm media and drug companies are the same people.

[Chaimirija]

11:45 AM on 07/21/2009

I have posted links to HR 3200 and the Senate HELP version in my profile...happy reading

[mcmutter]

11:29 AM on 07/21/2009

These are the same companies that buy most of the advertising in our newspapers and magazines.

[BarelyLucid]

05:12 PM on 07/21/2009

Maybe if televised pharmaceutical commercials were banned in this country the MSM would actually do more reporting on how harmful many of the common modern medications or at best ineffective and expensive . The US and New Zealand are the only countries to advertize Rx's on television.

[Puff H05t]

06:24 PM on 07/21/2009

...not to mention every soap opera.

Check out the sponsors and the ads next time you watch a soap opera.

It's creepy.

[Jase84]

10:31 AM on 07/21/2009

These stories should be front and center. If our media actually reported real news, this is what the American people would hear.

[whoknew42]

08:05 AM on 07/21/2009

All the money spend on lobbying AGAINST healthcare could be used to acutally PAY for healthcare!! This is absolutely ridiculous!!

[jasongrundy]

07:33 AM on 07/21/2009

This is A$$-son-nine...I wished everyone would read this...If all of these companies are spending money to block it...they must be scared that something good for people are coming.