[Dialogue] Congress and Staff Accept More Than Half a Million in Free Travel from Pharmaceutical Interests

[Harry Wainwright]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 30, 2006
3:59 PM

 

CONTACT: Center for Public Integrity 
Brad Glanzrock, (202) 481-1225 (office) 

 

Congress and Staff Accept More Than Half a Million in Free Travel from
Pharmaceutical Interests

 

WASHINGTON - August 30 - Members of Congress and their aides accepted more
than $600,000 in free travel from pharmaceutical interests and their allies
during a 5½-year period in which drug company profits climbed, in part due
to federal legislation favorable to the industry, according to a new study
by the Center for Public Integrity.

The Center's study looked at trips that ranged from one day to several days
long taken from January 2000 to June 2005. It uncovered a total of 325 trips
taken by lawmakers and staffers, with an average cost of nearly $1,900 per
trip.

Many of these trips were approved by lawmakers who had personal interests in
the pharmaceutical industry. Most of these legislatures also voted in favor
of the 2003 Medicare Prescription Drug Act, which led to profits for the
industry.

Examples of influence from pharmaceutical interests include:

*	The most influential lobbying group in the drug industry,
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), sponsored 45
trips worth at least $92,000. 

*	Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed), a trade group
representing medical device manufacturers but which counts several major
pharmaceutical companies among their members, sponsored 58 trips, worth
about $165,000. 

*	Former Sen. John Breaux participated in the negotiations in which
the 2003 Medicare prescription drug bill was drafted. He and his staff took
15 trips costing in excess of $30,000. Breaux's ties to the drug industry
continued even after he left Congress. 

The "Power Trips" database of 25,000 public documents detailing nearly
23,000 privately funded trips can be accessed at
www.publicintegrity.org/powertrips/search.aspx.

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