Let's first look at the terms of this unholiest of marriages. In exchange for being perhaps Big Pharma's most dependable stooge (Sen. Menendez of New Jersey is also in the running), Tom Carper has received compensation from the industry commensurate with his stoogery. Big Pharma has contributed
$225,010 to Tom Carper from 2011 to the present (end of year contributions not yet reported). Of that amount,
$194,410 came from PACs as opposed to
$30,600 from individual donors.
86.4% of all dollars from the industry in PAC dollars.
Open Secrets has it all right here. If you look at
Carper's 20 Top Contributors, the following all have significant involvement in Pharma: Astra Zeneca, Ashland, Pfizer, and DuPont. In addition, the following big donors have holdings in, and/or are lobbyists for, the pharmaceutical industry (relevant links provided):
Blackstone Group,
Akin, Gump, et al,
Skadden Arps, et al, and
King and Spalding.
So, what exactly did/does Big Pharma get from Tom Carper? A lot. Carper's obstructionism on behalf of the industry paid off handsomely during
Obamacare negotiations. And, yes, people who rely on government insurance programs bore the cost.
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