Pharma-Funded 'Dark Money' Group Hosts House Staffers for California Junket

[TexasTowelie]

In early November, as Congress jostled over proposals on drug pricing, a pharmaceutical industry-funded nonprofit flew House policy staffers to San Francisco to meet with executives of drug companies Genentech and Merck.

The two-day trip was sponsored by Center Forward, a “dark money” group that says its mission to “give centrist allies the information they need to craft common sense bipartisan solutions.”

Center Forward, which called itself Blue Dog Research Forum until 2012, does not disclose its donors. However, a review of tax documents from other organizations shows that in 2018 it received more than $1.4 million from The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the drug industry’s top lobbying group. In 2017 it received $1.3 million from PhRMA. Merck and Genentech are both members of PhRMA.

The nonprofit also received $519,000 in 2018 from the Partnership for America’s Health Care Future (PAHCF), a coalition of pharmaceutical, health insurance, hospital groups formed to fight single-payer and public-option health care proposals. PAHCF members include PhRMA and another drug industry trade group, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO).

Read more: https://prospect.org/power/pharma-funded-dark-money-group-hosts-house-staffers-california/

[Firestorm49]

1. If you are looking for issues to resolve, start with this kind of thing.

I recall Obama saying either shortly before or shortly after he was elected, that he would crack down on lobbying, which of course never happened. The same goes for stopping congressional stock and investment deals, AKA insider trading, which has always been quite illegal for individuals and corporations. That didn’t happen either. Politicians of both parties are allowed these indiscretions, illegal for you and I. Why? Who the hell knows. Do as I say, not as I do seems to be tattooed on their foreheads.

When the fox is guarding the hen house, not much will ever get done. Theses practices are plain old wrong. As the old worn out adage goes, politicians are supposed to be elected to represent the people - you know, that old worn out line; of the people, by the people, for the people, which must have sounded good when it was first written. It seems that the premise was lost as time marched on.

Our problems seem insurmountable. Where on Earth do you start? Our government, led by both parties, have brought our values down. They do not represent us. They are owned. If they did, we’d have clean water and air, high levels of educated populace, and universal healthcare..............

It will take a massive movement to restore the principles of our founding fathers who may have been the last ones to have our best interest in mind, and it won’t be cute, given the sordid condition of politics today. Or, perhaps, as we are witnessing these days, the good old days are lost and gone.

In the meantime, I’m going to have a beer or three, some leftover pizza, and hopefully watch the Packers cream the Bears. Have a good day.

[TexasTowelie]

2. Congrats, I see the Packers won the game.

I'm just waking up and saw the Texans beat the Titans 24-21 to stay in the lead of the AFC South. Now it will be interesting which Cowboys team shows up to play against the Rams. Yea, the Cowboys just scored to take the leave--nice one-handed catch by Witten.

I think you gave a great synopsis of what is occurring with the legislators and their motivations along with the industry groups.