The Obama Administration has been widely criticized for being captured by the pharmaceutical industry, which has gotten the White House to block efforts to guarantee lower cost drugs and increase profits for these companies. Pharmaceutical lobbyists have in turn given huge amounts of campaign money to President Obama and Democratic members as well as jobs to former members. Even with this record, however, many are shocked by the White House pushing of a trade agreement that would undermine international efforts to reduce the cost of drugs and extend the patents for these companies to further increase their profits. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) allows for techniques like “evergreening” to extend patents for the industry, which in turn has continued its own evergreen record of high-paying jobs for political allies and massive campaign contributions for the White House and Congress. Everyone wins . . . except the tens of millions who cannot afford medicine. While these companies have valid interests in recouping their investment and making profits on new drugs (which are expensive to develop), the secrecy and sweeping impact of the TPP deserves far greater attention in the media.
The Obama Administration is in Salt Lake City to push 11 other countries to agree to the changes on intellectual property rules. Of course, Obama’s self-described “most transparent” administration has kept the public out of the proceedings and much of the work has been in secret. Cloaked from the public eye, the Obama Administration has carried out the demands of the industry over the international need for lower priced drugs.
While the public is barred, companies like Walmart and Monsanto are allowed to participate. The former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson joined protests of the Administration’s “horrible betrayal of the American promise of liberty, of equality.” The Administration and its partners clearly picked Salt Lake City in winter as the least likely to generate protests, but still faced protesters in the street outside of the hotel.
In the meantime, the White House is touting the agreement to extend patent rights (and prices) for companies as “a model for future trade agreements.” It includes extending drug patent terms from 20 years to at least 25 years and would allow companies to patent new formulations of existing medicines. This is called “evergreening,” which involves small changes like a shift from a gel to a tablet to continue to control the sale and prices of a drug. It also has provisions to make it more difficult to market lower cost generic drugs until the long patent periods have run. It is a bonanza for drug companies and lobbyists. Public interest groups have denounced the effort but few people in Congress are willing to oppose the drug lobby.
Lobbying remains one of the most profitable areas for former members. Ironically, the pharmaceutical industry has been repeatedly denounced for the hiring of former members and staffers in what some view as a award for the passage of windfall legislation.
The hold of these companies on the White House and Congress is remarkable . . . as is the open revolving door of influence. For example, former Congressman Billy Tauzin, R-La., pushed the bill through the House over objections from members and public interest organizations. He then accepted a $2 million a year job as president of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), the main industry lobbying group. Medicare head Thomas Scully, who was accused of coercing employees to hide the true costs of the program, was given a job as a pharmaceutical lobbyist as were 14 congressional aides who worked on the passage of the bill. Twenty-five former members and high-ranking staffers returned to lobby for the industry with huge salaries — an example to others how to profiteer at the public expense.
With our current duopoly of power, there is little threat to this lobby which has deep hold of both parties. When confronted, the two parties simply return to the same blue state/red state rhetoric and portray the other side as worse. In fact, they are on the same side and the only people made worse are millions of Americans who are being bled financially to get access to needed drugs.
Ed Schultz Exposes the Secret Trans Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement
Elaine,
Interesting clip. Thanks. As you know, I’ve basically sworn off TV news shows, but maybe I’ll have to give Ed another shot.
Thanks Elaine!
Obama is working the Bush IV administration. TPP began under Bush the lesser and has continued under Obama the oppressor. The supposedly most transparent administration ever has become the most secretive administration. TPP is a bad deal for all. It gives corporations more power than nations. It threatens free speech, as is seen on this blog. It harms competition. Public Citizen mentions a few of the reasons the corptocracy likes this deal:
-easy to offshore millions of American jobs,
-free the banksters from oversight,
-ban Buy America policies needed to create green jobs and rebuild our economy, (also, it would ban any buy local campaigns)
-decrease access to medicine,
-flood the U.S. with unsafe food and products,
-empower corporations to attack our environmental and health safeguards.
Obama is a corporate hack and if this damaging bill passes, he will not be remembered in high regard in years to come….This bill replaces sovereign and citizens rights with the rights of the corporation.
Oh, god. I am such a bad person. I just KNEW Nick would wear Ray-Bans!
Gene,
Here’s one of Ed Schultz’s segments on TPP:
Trans-Pacific Partnership Needs to Protect American Jobs
Gene, it was on Oct. 15th and another date. I’m away from my desktop now or I’d link.
Annie, There are over 35 countries in the Americas. To call yourself “America,” when you are but one of those countries is pompous and provincial.
It’s interesting that only Dredd has picked up on the main point of this post, that being this is classic duopoly hypocrisy. When there are only 2 parties it’s a piece o’ cake to buy both of them.
I find it strange that many times the worst offenders of civility are the first to be offended.
Annie,
Thanks for the tip. I might have to check that out online.
Ed Shultz has spoken out against the TPP a few times on his show.
The changing of the rules on filibuster is of which I speak. And, it’s amusing to see how people feel this almost visceral need to label people. I have always been a strong defender of Israel. I was when it was Dems who supported Israel, and I am now that Republicans do. I’ve also worn Ray Ban sunglasses when they were dorky and now that they’re cool. I will be happy to attack Newt Gingrich, Liz Cheney, Larry Craig, Nixon, and many more. But I’m not going to jump through a hoop for you or anyone. Mr. Turley has been instrumental in restoring civility to this forum. Let’s keep it civil sir or madam.
OS,
There is no public good to be furthered by the TPP and the silence of the MSM on the matter is staggering.
Pdm, you got his number methinks.
Anonymous weighs in on TPP. This is their latest post on TPP.
Oops.
And the filibuster, Nick….
Was that the Rand Paul filibuster or the Ted Cruz filibuster?
P.S. You need to keep better count, Nick. You know – how you attack Republicans just as much as Democrats. You need to do some re-balancing. I just want to help you protect your hard won reputation.
Oh yeah, Nick. Once again you’re right on target. The nuclear deal is a “distraction”. Reading the Daily Caller again, aren’t you.
Nice to know you approve of Bibi and bomb, bomb, bomb Iran. But you sure aren’t sounding like our ole’ nice friendly welcome everyone Libertarian Nick. You sound an awful lot like a neo-conservative. Have you been fooling us all this time?
The nuclear deal is a distraction from the train wreck of Obamacare as was the filibuster “nuclear deal” w/ the devil. At least now Israel will have no reason to call our prez when they take out the Iranian centrifuges as the must.
Now he is really going too far! He’s fighting the RCC Archbishops in saying that all women can chose to use contraception.