Schweikert, a Big Money 20 member, has taken $100,000 from pharma corporate PACs over the course of his career
According to AARP, 26% of Arizonans stopped taking prescribed medication due to cost in 2017
At a Ways and Means Committee hearing yesterday, Congressman David Schweikert took aim at the Lower Drug Costs Now Act (H.R.3), a bill passed by House Democrats to lower the crippling cost of prescription drugs. Schweikert, who voted against H.R.3, has taken over $100,000 from pharmaceutical corporate PACs over his career. According to AARP, 26% of Arizonans stopped taking prescribed medication due to cost in 2017.
“Congressman Schweikert continues to spew lies about H.R.3 because he’s trying to protect his Big Pharma donors,” said Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United. “Congressman Schweikert’s corrupt relationship with pharma is exactly why Arizonans are struggling to afford their prescriptions. In his vote against the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, David Schweikert sided with Big Pharma over his constituents and they won’t forget about it in November.”
On top of voting against H.R.3, Schweikert helped pass the disastrous 2017 GOP tax bill. Big Pharma received $76 Billion in tax cuts on offshore profits alone from the tax bill. Those savings are primarily going towards stock buybacks and executive bonuses instead of lowering drug costs. Schweikert has also routinely blurred the lines between his official duties and re-election campaigns, making him the subject of multiple ethics investigations regarding the misuse of taxpayer funds for personal activities and other violations of the law.
From 1998-2017, the drug industry spent $3.7 billion on lobbying, which is $1 billion more than any other industry. In 2018 alone, the pharmaceutical industry hired nearly 1,470 lobbyists, nearly three lobbyists for every single member of Congress. As their lobbying efforts grew, Big Pharma continued to raise prescription drug prices, increasing the price of 3,400 prescription drugs in the first half of 2019 at an average rate of five times that of inflation.
In July 2019, Schweikert was named to ECU’s Big Money 20, the group’s list of most corrupt politicians. For more on Schweikert and additional background on the Big Money 20, click here.
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