Pharmaceutical Industry Donations About Even to Democrats, Republicans, After Years of Favoring GOP

Campaign contributions by pharmaceutical firms to Democrats and Republicans are about equal in 2008, after the industry donated about twice as many funds to the GOP over "most of the last decade," according to campaign finance reports, the New York Times reports. In the 2008 election cycle, political action committees and employees of drugmakers have contributed $20 million to federal candidates from the two parties, with 49% going to Democrats and 51% going to Republicans, according to data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. According to the Times, the breakdown has not been that even since 1990. Democrats received 31% of the drug industry's campaign contributions in 2000, 26% in 2002, 34% in 2004 and 31% in 2006. The data indicate that the largest donors to political campaigns during the current election cycle have been Pfizer, Amgen and Johnson & Johnson.

According to lobbyists and pharmaceutical executives, the change is a result of the Democrats' control over both chambers of Congress and the expectation that they will expand their majorities and potentially win the White House. Ken Johnson, senior vice president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said, "There's a new world order." Fred DuVal, treasurer of the Democratic Governors Association, said, "Parity between the parties is now the operating principle for many corporate [PACs] in the health care industry. That's a sea change."

Another potential reason for the decrease in donations to GOP campaigns is that Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has proposed allowing the federal government to negotiate directly with drugmakers for lower prices for Medicare beneficiaries, a "position that is anathema to the industry," the Times reports. The Times reports that public programs account for a growing amount of the money spent on prescription drugs: 34% in 2006, compared to 23% in 2000, according to campaign finance data. Leading Democrats have proposed to further expand public involvement in the health care sector, according to the Times.

In addition, McCain supports the reimportation of drugs from Canada and some other countries, which the industry opposes. He also has supported legislation to allow low-cost generic drugs to be approved more quickly and backed a bill to codify the patient's bill of rights, which insurers and President Bush both opposed, according to the Times (Pear, New York Times, 10/14).