Call to Action: June 25, 2018

FROM THE MAIL TRIBUNE:

Walden has multiple pharmaceutical contributors

BY STAFF REPORT June 24, 2018

I just read U.S. Rep. Greg Walden’s current email newsletter about his concerns about the opioid epidemic. I was wondering if any pharmaceutical companies donate to Greg Walden’s campaign and how much each company contributes?

— Ann, Jacksonville

In answer to the first part of your question, Ann, yes. In fact, the Center for Responsive Politics reports that Walden’s campaign leads the House in contributions from health product or pharmaceutical companies, individuals or political action committees — $51,546 more this election cycle than Paul Ryan, who’s next in line in that category.

That total — $367,700 as of June 11, per Federal Election Commission data — is $187,800 more than what Walden’s campaign raised in the 2015-2016 election cycle.

We reached out to Walden’s office for comment but didn’t hear back.

Looking at PACs in general, Center for Responsive Politics reports that the lion’s share of PAC contributions to Walden’s campaign this election cycle fall in the health sector: $670,700 (again, this data was current to June 11, based on Federal Election Commission data). Among those health-sector PAC donations, those in what CRP grouped into the “pharmaceuticals/health products” industry hold the top spot: $307,200.

Pharmaceuticals and health products hold the second spot among industries that have contributed to Walden’s campaigns from 1995 until now: $1,015,595 — $132,500 from individuals, $883,095 from PACs.

But we can go even deeper than that, Ann, to see a breakdown of individual companies. PACs are limited to a $5,000 maximum contribution to a candidate campaign per election; they can give once in the general and again in the primary. That $307,200 is from 76 companies.

Some of the contributing pharmaceutical companies manufacture opioids. A number are embroiled in lawsuits claiming fraudulent marketing practices of their own opioids: They include Johnson & Johnson, which gave the $10,000 maximum to Walden, Endo Health Solutions, which incorporates the brand that manufactured Opana and gave $2,000, and Allergan, which contributed $5,000.

Walden is engaging with the opioid addiction issue in Congress. On June 14, he and three other legislators introduced bipartisan House Resolution 6, meant to expand access to opioid recovery and treatment. It would address various avenues within Medicaid, Medicare and other systems to offer more options to combat opioid addiction. One Medicaid provision, for example, is “guidance to improve care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome and their mothers.”

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