Drug Industry’s Lobbying Blitz Stalls Senate, Repeal of Immunity Law for 1 Year
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday February 18, 2008
Senate inaction protects drug industry profits, puts people at risk
LANSING – Watchdog groups and victims of dangerous drugs today raised the alarm on the scale of the drug industry’s massive lobbying blitz aimed at the Senate, which has effectively stalled any action for a year in that chamber as the public calls on it to repeal Michigan’s drug industry immunity law. The repeal was approved by the House one year ago but has languished in the Senate since.
In the meantime, the drug industry has hired 89 lobbyists from 19 firms and contractors to pressure the 38-member Senate to protect Michigan’s law giving drug companies total immunity.
“The Senate should protect the people, not drug industry profits,” Michigan Citizen Action Executive Director Linda Teeter said. “For one year, the Senate has done the bidding of the drug industry’s high-powered lobbyists and allowed Michigan citizens to be treated like guinea pigs and put at risk. It’s time the Senate leadership stop listening to the drug lobby, start listening to the people and repeal Michigan’s outrageous drug immunity law.”
In February 2007, the House voted to repeal Michigan’s one-of-a-kind drug industry immunity law, which gives drug companies total immunity when they sell drugs that can harm and kill people, such as Vioxx, which has been blamed for tens of thousands of deaths and injuries since it was introduced in 1999. The Senate has refused to follow the House action and repeal the law. Sen. Majority Leader Mike Bishop has refused to bring the issue up for a vote. As chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Wayne Kuipers has refused to hold a single hearing.
The drug industry continues to be a lightning rod for scandal. A cursory review of the Michigan Secretary of State’s Web site reveals the drug industry’s aggressive strategy of trying to buy the influence of the Senate. The site shows that the drug industry has hired more than two lobbyists for every state senator in Lansing – an indication that the industry is working hard to exert undue influence on the Senate, shut out citizens and protect the drug immunity law. In Michigan, the drug lobby has employed virtually every lobbying firm in Lansing to influence senators to stall action in the Senate. Michigan’s situation is replicated nationwide: In a July 2007 CBS “60 Minutes” investigation, the drug industry was shown to deploy two lobbyists for every member of Congress while spending more than $100 million in lobbying every year to protect its profits. In fact, the drug industry spent more money on lobbying than any industry between 1998 and 2005: around $900 million.
In the year since the House passed the bills, drugmakers have been embroiled in several recent scandals:
- A whistleblower who was once a top Michigan sales manager for Merck, which made now-banned Vioxx, revealed that the company used unscrupulous marketing tactics to boost sales of the drug, including showering doctors with lavish gifts and trips.
- Merck settled a case in which it was accused of overcharging Medicaid for Vioxx and Zocor and saddling taxpayers with the bill. Merck is settling for $671 million.
- Merck and Schering-Plough hid important test results showing cholesterol-lowering drug Zetia can destroy the liver.
“The amount of lobbying by the drug industry to protect its special immunity status while our people are put at risk is simply obscene,” Progress Michigan Executive Director Dan Farough said. “The drug industry has deployed at least two lobbyists for every senator in effort to squash citizen’s right to them accountable when they sell dangerous drugs that kill. Senate Majority Leader Bishop needs to stop listening to the drug industry and stand up for people harmed or killed by dangerous drugs.”
Leslie Wiltjer, whose husband suffered from a stroke after he began taking Celebrex, said: “For one year, drug companies have treated Michigan citizens like guinea pigs. For one year, families whose lives have been destroyed by dangerous drugs like Celebrex and Vioxx have been robbed of our voice because Sen. Kuipers and the Senate leadership have refused to stand up to a corrupt industry. It is time for the Senate to stop listening to the drug lobby and start listening to Michigan citizens.”
In addition to public outcry, Gov. Jennifer Granholm has also weighed in, calling on the Senate to repeal Michigan’s drug industry immunity law in her State of the State address.
“For too long, the drug industry has protected its massive profits through an aggressive lobbying blitz, while Michigan consumers are put at risk,” said Sen. John Gleason (D-Flushing), who has strongly supported repealing Michigan’s immunity law. “The Governor is absolutely correct to call on the Senate to do the right thing because protecting people is a bipartisan goal and that’s why I urge the Senate leadership to repeal drug industry immunity now.”
“While the drug industry has two lobbyists for every senator, victims of dangerous drugs are struggling to make their voices heard in the Senate,” Rep. Mike Simpson (D-Brooklyn) said. “We were elected to fight for people, not powerful special interests. It shames the Legislature when drug profits are put ahead of our own people.”
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