Drug Importation, Senate Votes And Money
Posted: 18 Dec 2009 05:20 AM PST
Pharmalot
The recent Senate squabbling over whether cheaper imports from Canada and elsewhere should be allowed into the US was full of intrigue. Why, for instance, did President Barack Obama flip-flop on his oft-stated campaign remarks that imports should be allowed? Was it the $80 million deal that PhRMA cut on discounts that would help pay for health care reform legislation?
Meanwhile, some questioned the sudden appearance of a letter from FDA commish Margaret Hamburg, who worried aloud that her agency couldn’t guarantee the safety of meds coming into the country. Byron Dorgan, the North Dakota Democrat who fought for the importation amendment, tells The Wall Street Journal that he thinks the White House drafted her letter. Ironically, more active pharmaceutical ingredients are coming from China, which is home to scandal after scandal (think Heparin) and where the FDA has only two inspectors (background).
Senators from states where drugmakers are headquartered reiterated this argument. For those who are wondering how each senator voted, the contributions they receive from pharma and what that might mean, here is a handy breakdown, courtesy of MapLight.org, which found that, among all Senators, those voting to block imports received an average of $85,812 each from drugmakers, which is 69 percent more than those who voted in favor of imports.
All Democrats (and Independents)
Average to Yes votes (allow imports): $41,894
Average to No votes (block imports): $73,729
All Senators
Average to Yes votes (allow imports): $50,767
Average to No votes (block imports): $85,812
Campaign Contributions to Senators from Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Interests, January 1, 2003 - August 12, 2009
Senator Party State Amount from pharma interests Vote on allowing imports:
Akaka, Daniel - Dem - HI - $4,000 - No
Alexander, Lamar Rep - TN $108,950 - Yes
Barrasso, John -Re- WY - $55,500 - No
Baucus, Max - Dem MT - $261,020 - No
Bayh, Evan - Dem - IN - $144,072 - No
Begich, Mark - Dem -AK -$7,500 - Yes
Bennet, Michael - Dem - CO - $10,750 - Yes
Bennett, Robert -Rep - UT - $124,000 - No
Bingaman, Jeff -Dem - NM - $48,500 - Yes
Bond, Christopher - Rep - MO - $99,003 - Yes
Boxer, Barbara - Dem - CA - $35,900 - Yes
Brown, Sherrod - D - OH $17,300 Yes
Brownback, Samuel - Rep - KS - $28,250 - No
Bunning, Jim - Rep - KY - $64,250 - No
Burr, Richard - Rep - NC - $301,898 - No
Burris, Roland - Dem - IL - $0 - No
Byrd, Robert - Dem - WV - $32,100 - Not voting
Cantwell, Maria - Dem - WA - $22,400 - No
Cardin, Benjamin - Dem- MD - $40,850 - No
Carper, Thomas -Dem - DE - $135,700 - No
Casey, Robert - D - PA - $34,750 - No
Chambliss, Saxby -Rep - GA - $83,949 - No
Coburn, Thomas - R - OK - $44,051 - Yes
Cochran, Thad -R - MS - $69,000 - No
Collins, Susan -R - ME - $70,500 - Yes
Conrad, Kent D - ND - $83,000 - Yes
Corker, Bob - R - TN - $65,200 - Yes
Cornyn, John -R - TX - $119,700 - Yes
Crapo, Michael - R - ID - $64,580 - Yes
DeMint, Jim - R - SC - $40,000 - Yes
Dodd, Christopher - D - CT - $174,525 - No
Dorgan, Byron - D - ND - $12,500 - Yes
Durbin, Richard - D - IL - $28,600 - No
Ensign, John - R - NV - $89,950 - No
Enzi, Michael - R - WY - $146,500 - No
Feingold, Russell - D - WI - $6,200 - Yes
Feinstein, Dianne - D - CA - $39,500 - Yes
Franken, Al - D - MN - $2,500 - Yes
Gillibrand, Kirsten - D - NY - $44,400 - No
Graham, Lindsey - R - SC - $55,250 - Yes
Grassley, Charles - R -IA - $103,700 - Yes
Gregg, Judd - R - NH - $122,500 - No
Hagan, Kay - D - NC - $4,650 - No
Harkin, Thomas - D - IA - $81,800 - Yes
Hatch, Orrin - R - UT - $262,950 - No
Hutchison, Kay - R - TX - $29,250 - Yes
Inhofe, James - R - OK - $20,250 - No
Inouye, Daniel - D - HI - $200 - No
Isakson, John - R - GA - $126,599 - No
Johanns, Mike - R - NE - $43,100 -Yes
Johnson, Tim D SD ($1,500) Yes
Kaufman, Edward D DE $1,500 No
Kerry, John D MA $21,170 No
Kirk, Paul D MA $0 No
Klobuchar, Amy D MN $2,290 Yes
Kohl, Herbert D WI $0 Yes
Kyl, Jon R AZ $117,350 No
Landrieu, Mary D LA $89,550 No
Lautenberg, Frank D NJ $97,550 No
Leahy, Patrick D VT $46,600 Yes
LeMieux, George R FL $0 Yes
Levin, Carl D MI $1,000 No
Lieberman, Joseph I CT $199,540 No
Lincoln, Blanche D AR $100,750 Yes
Lugar, Richard R IN $51,850 No
McCain, John R AZ $7,000 Yes
McCaskill, Claire D MO $6,050 Yes
McConnell, Mitch R KY $225,900 Yes
Menéndez, Robert D NJ $196,452 No
Merkley, Jeff D OR $18,500 Yes
Mikulski, Barbara D MD $70,995 No
Murkowski, Lisa R AK $63,050 Yes
Murray, Patty D WA $144,400 No
Nelson, Ben D NE $138,098 Yes
Nelson, Bill D FL $38,600 Yes
Pryor, Mark D AR $31,000 Yes
Reed, John D RI $34,100 No
Reid, Harry D NV $74,800 No
Risch, James R ID $22,100 Yes
Roberts, Pat R KS $80,650 No
Rockefeller, John D WV $44,000 No
Sanders, Bernard I VT $420 Yes
Schumer, Charles D NY $54,900 No
Sessions, Jefferson R AL $45,000 Yes
Shaheen, Jeanne D NH $2,250 Yes
Shelby, Richard R AL $25,000 Yes
Snowe, Olympia - Rep - ME - $4,000 -Yes
Specter, Arlen -Dem - PA - $353,550 - Yes
Stabenow, Debbie Ann - Dem - MI - $39,134 - Yes
Tester, Jon -Dem - MT -$14,000 - No
Thune, John - Rep - SD - $45,300 - Yes
Udall, Mark -Dem - CO - $102,275 - No
Udall, Tom - Dem - NM - $15,300 - Yes
Vitter, David - Rep - LA - $17,050 - Yes
Voinovich, George -Rep - OH - $63,750 - No
Warner, Mark -Dem - VA - $84,950 - No
Webb, Jim -Dem - VA - $8,750 - Yes
Whitehouse, Sheldon - Dem - RI - $11,800 - No
Wicker, Roger - Rep - MS - $67,600 - Yes
Wyden, Ron - Dem - OR - $27,800 - Yes
Hat tip to NPR Shots |
