There is an old saying, “Why become a politician when you can own one?” And it appears politicians in the United States may be for sale on both sides of the aisle and down the middle.
OpenSecrets, the website for the Center for Responsive Politics, “a non-partisan, non-profit U.S. research group which tracks money in politics and its effect on elections and public policy,” reported that in 2020, Big Pharma spent $32,242,540 on Democrats, $17,169,748 on Republicans, and $1,576,871 on “others.” So far in 2022, Big Pharma has “invested” $4,407,770 on Democrats, $2,894,717 on Republicans, and $9,079 on others – and it’s only February.
In 2021-2022, the top recipients of Pharma money were:
Sen Chuck Schumer (Dem - NY) - $264,283
Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R – WA) - $146,160
Sen Kyrsten Sinema (Dem – AZ) - $139,530
Sen Tim Scott (R- SC) - $137,062
Rep Brett H Guthrie (R- KY) - $129,250
Contributions to campaigns are not the only way Big Pharma invests in our federal government. The top lobbying clients in 2021 were:
Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America - $30,377,000
Biotechnology Innovation Organization - $13,290,000
Roche Holdings - $11,180,000
Pfizer, Inc - $10,250,000
Amgen, Inc - $9,750,000
Campaign donations and lobbying goodies aren’t the only way our politician benefit from Big Pharma. According to OpenSecrets, “lawmakers reported holding tens of millions of dollars in tech and pharmaceutical stocks.” Over 50 lawmakers invested upwards of six figures in the pharmaceutical and health products industry. Disclosures show that Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass), someone who claims to be a fighter who takes on big pharma, owns up to $2.1 million in health products and pharmaceutical stocks in a family trust, “including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Abbott Laboratories, Eli Lilly & Co, and Pfizer.”
The most recent financial disclosures show that over 50 lawmakers reported “investing upwards of six figures in the pharmaceutical and health products industry.” Pfizer is one of the most popular stocks in Congress, with forty-eight lawmakers owning its stock. According to disclosures, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), holds between $1 million and $5 million in Pfizer. An additional forty-seven lawmakers hold stock in Johnson & Johnson. No wonder the pharmaceutical lobby has defeated bill after bill aimed at limiting the rising price of drugs.
Do these personal investments in and by politicians have anything to do with the mandating of gene therapy “vaccines” and the banning of inexpensive repurposed drugs? Are they working for the people or the drug companies?
Our media plays a role in this drama. It is doubtful that you will hear much about price gouging or medical mishaps by big pharma on any major news network. According to a 2009 study by Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, “with the exception of CBS every major media outlet in the United States shares at least one board member with at least one drug company.”
In a recent interview with author Martha Rosenberg, Mike Papantonio (a lawyer who has successfully taken on both Tobacco and Big Pharma) stated, “Drug companies spend about $5 billion a year on advertising with these corporate media outlets, so when Pfizer or Merck or Eli Lilly, or any of the drug companies, kill or cripple Americans with defective drugs, do you really think these board members are going to allow their story to be told on the air?”
These investments have paid off for Big Pharma.
According to Forbes nearly 500 people became billionaires during the Pandemic. Sixty-one of them are from the healthcare field, and “at least 40 joined the ranks thanks to their involvement in the global fight against Covid-19.” This international list includes Sergio Stevanato (1.9 billion) whose family owns Stevanto Group which produces many of the glass vials used for the vaccines, Prathap Reddy (1.5 billion) an Indian doctor “whose hospital chain has seen a doubling of its stock price amid a shift to focusing on treating and diagnosing Covid-19,” Ugur Sahin (4 billion) co-founder of BioNTech, and Stephane Bancel (4.3 billion) CEO of Moderna.
There is only one way we can combat the dismantling of our rights. We are up against massive funding from both political parties and international donors interested in destroying America. We must unite and rise up in a peaceful grassroots movement to take back control of the federal government. That movement is Convention of States and we’re ready to roll.
We must impose term limits and return power to the people. No longer can we allow big corporations to purchase our politicians. Please join us today in this fight against federal government overreach.
