The Washington Post reported on Monday that in the first quarterof this year, health care firms spent more than $126 million to pay for over 350 former lawmakers, congressional staffers and executive branch officials to lobby Congress.
To implement its record-breaking influence campaign, the health care industry is spending more than $1.4 million a day on lobbying, according to disclosure records.
Industry giant PhRMA, the PharmaceuticalResearch and Manufacturers of America, was the biggest spender in the first quarter, coming in at a total of nearly $7-million.
The employment of insider lobbyists also demonstrates the use of the "revolving door" between public and private sectors. "The numbers reinforce the need for grass roots activists, such as those at the Alliance for Retired Americans, to make their voices heard. We need to counter the voices of the corporate lobbyists," said Ruben Burks, Secretary-Treasurer of theAlliance.
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