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Amgen, AstraZeneca and Their Lobbyists Were Lead Givers to Baucus' Warchest

By Jim Edwards

Updated on: October 2, 2009 / 2:08 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Amgen, PhRMA and their lobbyists gave more money to congressmen than any other drug companies, according to an investigation by the Center for Responsive Politics.

The CRP found a new pattern, in which lobbyists make the same donations to politicians' campaign warchests that their clients do, thus enhancing their influence:

61 members of Congress -- 39 in the Senate, 22 in the House -- got money from 10 or more outside lobbyists whose clients also contributed to their campaigns.

Leading the pack was Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., who is the author of the healthcare reform bill and chair of the committee that controls it. The CRP:

From January 2007 through June 2009, Baucus collected contributions from 37 outside lobbyists representing PhRMA, the pharmaceutical industry's chief trade association, and 36 lobbyists who listed drug maker Amgen Inc. as their client.
PhRMA and Amgen were the organizations with the most outside lobbyists chipping in with extra contributions. Some 32 members of Congress got money from 10 or more PhRMA lobbyists over the last two-and-a-half years. Amgen's lobbyists did the same for 24 members.
... Behind them were Roche Holdings, with 16 members, Pfizer Inc. with 13, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield with 11.

The CRP has produced a highly amusing "Wheel of Healthcare Contributions" (above, click to enlarge).

Among the givers to Baucus's re-election campaign are:
Amgen: $111,049
PhRMA: $88,899
AstraZeneca: $56,799
Pfizer: $41,700
Merck: $61,400
J&J: $32,250

Previous coverage of lobbying by the pharma industry: