Drug Companies And The U.S. Government example essay topic

Interest Groups and Politics As we approach the 2004 presidential election everyone is getting in line to throw their money into the Proverbial feeding trough that all politicians take from. Campaigns are made and broke depending on how much money they have to spend. Fundraising is one way for politicians to receive contributions from your typical everyday blue collar citizen, but where do the four and five figure contributions come from? They come from interest groups and lobbyists. These are the people, companies, and organizations that control our government whether they admit it or not.

Campaign are run by this money and their agendas are the ones that congress on both the state and national level. The best way to sum up how all this works is 'You " re one of 435 ants in the House, and unless you " re on the right committee a lot of these people don't even return your phone calls. ' - Rep. Joe Scarborough (R-Fla. ), on raising money from PAC directors ('Speaking Freely, 2nd Ed. ' by Larry Makins on (Center for Responsive Politics, 2003) ). Interest groups give what is called "soft money" to candidates; in return these candidates push the issues that the interest groups hold important. For instance, recently on 60 MINUTES they ran a special on the prescription drug companies and the government. It is shown that the United Sates pays double for medication what the rest of the world pays for the same thing.

The reason this is occurring is due to the fact that these drug manufacturers are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars in to these campaigns. Since 1999 certain legislators have received more then one and a half million dollars in campaign contributions from pharmaceutical companies. President Bush personally has received half a million dollars. (60 Minutes, CBS News). It is quite amazing that if you look at the top 100 overall donator's in 2002 that seven of them are the largest drug manu factors in the world, and the are all heavy republican supporters.

On the same side to this is the insurance companies. They also give large contributions to politicians. In 2002, companies such as Blue Cross / Blue Shield, AFLAC, and Cigna, were all huge contributors to the Republican Party. Since the late 80's republican have always been able to raise more soft money. In 2002 alone democrats raised 217 million dollars, while the republicans raised a whopping 442 million in soft money (open secrets. org). It is no surprise that medical prices keep going up; insurance won't cover simple necessary surgeries.

It's because the United States government has been in bed with these companies for years, and it will serve them no financial benefit to stop taking this money and looking out for the average American. It's nothing new to think that big business and government are in essence scratching each others backs. If this weren't the case then companies such as Philp Morris would have been shut down long ago. Cigarettes are the only item that the FDA has not made to have an ingredients label on it. Water has to have an ingredients label on it. It comes back to the fact that Philip Morris donated roughly four million dollars to both the Democrats and republicans in 2002. (open secrets. org) MADD or mothers against drunk driving is another interest group that uses it mass number and influence.

The legal limit drunk in the state of Florida less the ten years ago was. 10 today with the legislation and thanks to MADD, GLAD, and MADD it has been lowered to. 08 bac. Some of these special interest groups do look out for the safety and well being of most, but these are organizations. There is a major difference between MADD and financial companies such as Saban Capital Group, with gave almost 10 million dollars to the democrats in 2002 (open secrets. org).

Another issue that is making its way into Congress is the film industry. In 2002 the Shangri-La Entertainment company based out of Hawaii it donated seven million to the Democrats. Hawaii passed a deal in 2001 that Film Company that were will to do production in Hawaii would receive a tax cut. This is called Act 221. Along with Hollywood getting involved with the government, the Porn industry is also looking to grease the hands of politicians. There have been moves that make it easier to get access to porn.

Congress passed a bill making libraries put filters on their computer to block porn, or have their funding cut. ("Who Pays for Free Speech" Mary Minow American Libraries Feb 2003 Vol 34 Issue 2) The Porn industry in a billion dollar a year business, it agreed to comply with congress on the library issue, but you can bet that they will be lobbying congress when the Christian coalition comes down on the porn companies. As you can see it's fairly obvious that in order for your voice to be heard you have to be a part of a special interest group. Going back to the report on the prescription drug companies, it has even deeper roots to the government. Some people and pharmacies have even gone to lengths bring in drugs from Canada where the drugs are the same, but half the price. Now along with the FDA, drug companies are attempting to shut down the influx of prescription drugs coming in from over the border.

The United States is the only industrialized country without some form of control on the price of drugs. The United States also accounts for half of the industries profit (60 Minutes, CBS News) Congressman Dan Burton tried to place safeguards and have drugs brought in from Canada, But Burton said he ran into two brick walls, the drug companies and the U.S. government. Congressman Burton quotes" This is a perfect example, in my opinion of where a special interest, the pharmaceutical industry, has been able to manipulate the congress and government of the United States to their benefit, and to the detriment of the American taxpayer and the American people". Since 1999 the drug industry has given more then 45 million dollars in political contributions, and has spent hundreds of millions on more on an army of more then 600 lobbyists to do its work on capital hill. (60 Minutes CBS news) Its also ironic that with the half million that President Bush received personally from these companies, his new Medicare bill states that drug prices can not be negotiated. In conclusion to all of this wonderful pass the buck game that we play in Congress, its nice to know we still have the same look in our eyes at the government as a young boy does to his father, that even though we know he may not be perfect, we still love him, and believe what he tells us.

I find myself more frustrated now then I did when I started this paper. It's truly appalling how our government cheats its own people for a few extra dollars in their pockets. It's amazing these people can sleep at night with the atrocious things they do on a daily basis. I wonder if we were to go back to the original Congress and let them see how far we have come in 228 years that we have lived under this type of government, what they would have to say about this. I don't think that the framers of our country would be very happy with us. 1.

Prescriptions and Profits (60 Minutes, CBS News, March 2004) 2. Open secrets. org (all stats and graphs came from this site) 3. Ebscohost ("Who Pays for Free Speech" by Mary Minow, American Libraries Feb 2003 Vol 34 Issue 24. SPC Online Library 5. House of Congress Library.