There are six healthcare lobbyists for each member of the House and Senate, according to this report. Health-care lobbyists said their efforts are the biggest since the successful 1986 effort to overhaul the tax code. The result is a debate involving thousands of disparate voices, forcing Congress to pick winners and losers. “There’s a lot […]
Category: LDA
Big Pharma’s $80 Billion
The WSJ discusses Big Pharma lobbyist Billy Tauzin and the industry’s $80 billion in “protection money.” You’d think that might cause some concern in the K Street corridor that Mr. Tauzin inhabits. Nope. In spite of the double-cross, the drug makers say they are still planning to spend some $150 million through autumn on a […]
Grassroots Lobbying Disclosure
The Hill reports on efforts to force disclosure of grassroots lobbying activities. For the watchdogs that lost the fight two years ago for more disclosure, the lack of transparency in grassroots advocacy has been underscored anew by the difficulty in determining if the outrage over healthcare reform expressed in recent town hall meetings is genuine […]