the new york times has an awesome story about lobbying power in washington d_c_
center of a company called amgen their pharmaceutical buddy they make drugs
uh... and they have to get this thing called section six three two insert into
the fiscal clifton
how much of that wind up costing american taxpayer all tell you in just a
little bit
but first of all of you some background on amgen
well they have seventy-four lobbyist in washington that's basically a small army
of lobbyists just for one company seventy-four lobbyists
jerry one of the try to get something out of the government
and since two thousand seven
may have spent
five million dollars lobbying our congressmen and senators
and by the way our presence as well
someone if they wanted the return for that five million dollars well
uh... they've gotten plenty in return as an example
when twenty ten the government spent one point nine billion dollars un injectable
antique anaemia drugs
but we look at that that's exactly what m chen makes
the wonderful coincidence that he just looked at it that you might say hey and
jen
makes a drug that people need and we have to be government happen to buy
through medicare et cetera
and it's understandable
but here's something that's interesting
because of the wave of the rules were set up in the senate was and set up
engine would make more money
patients were prescribed this
two different times in two different sessions by the doctors
and in two thousand eight finally governments that this is pat this is
cost posts so much money
and cost the taxpayers and the clients
they were actually in the treatment so much money and by the way it hurts them
is they get a higher
dosage
and actually is counterproductive
it hurts their house
so they finally face it in two thousand a and they said you're gonna get it in
one section
answers a simple thing about one pretty there
their treatment of their div
you know what happened
use of the that dialysis drugs dropped by nearly twenty five percent
now that goes to show you
people didn't know
need these drugs to at that
rated they were getting them
the government had helped and just set up rules
so that this would make more money if they over prescribed now that hurt the
patients
and you can tell because the minute they remove that incentive although some of
the epicenter prescribe me in a lot less
and it was actually to our great health
and wealth benefits
so it is a small example now
uh... and jen
had was not determine the fact of the government had been helping them
they decided to screw the government anyway
they just
s recently
settled uh...
suit and it's not just uh... civil suits also criminal suit
av four illegal marketing and one other drugs how much they have to pay our
record fine as seven hundred and sixty two million dollar
fine in criminal and civil penalties that anybody go to jail or snide
corporations that executives are above the law tsa criminal violation is a
record-breaking
appealing elevate
no no no you just pay a fine
well what they did pay seven sixty two million dollars
don't worry they're about to make it back
so how are they to do that well they gonna stick something into one of our
belts now
that section six three two in the first book deals i was telling you
now when people who championed that clause
well for people in particular three in the senate
one was uh... max baucus is a democrat
and then you had a warning that resume probably from utah
and then you had the trip on a one and of course president or bob
wait a minute look at these numbers it turns out it engendered sixty seven
thousand seven hundred two dollars to
max baucus
fifty nine thousand a hatch
seventy three thousand ricardo
at over a hundred more forty one thousand a president obama's campaign
one home wonderful coincidence
and also forgot someone at the link
amgen this enormous break again about to give me the size of that in a second
personable your
they're not doubt yet though just give a minor mother says it off
this is not enough they will have to give more
so when they do they also contribute to the facts
first rebecca leisure pack
who sat run by all flight when you look at that it's run by max baucus from
montana order yes
and they gave to
well you're not gonna be surprised to find pat
that's orrin hatch is packed
yes one of the four three senators we were mentioning
and you know what else they need to freedom pat
well what's freedom path
well that happened to be edge so-called independent group they just happen arron
a tremendous amount of ads in favor of orrin hatch
during his primaries
and was funded
by the pharmaceutical research in many factors of america a trade group that
includes
amgen
well the coincidences keep on roe one n
and then here's my favorite
they also gave hundreds of thousand dollars
to utah family spanish
what is that
that's orrin hatch is
charitable foundation
brownish uses image
back in utah
it's a go around saying
i am a man of great charity look at this i think it properly starvation
and jen part of my bride goes so that the nation after it
by good finca
i don't don't get me wrong it's not all republicans i took max baucus of that
represent a wild as a democrat right
they also and gentle succumb to their bases
give a decent amount of money to the congressional black caucus as well
everybody gets paid except of us of course but they're not done yet
here's how the rest of the corruption works
who are the top lobbyist for and jen
this is awesome
jeff orbs
who is the former chief of staff poorer
max baucus
and hunter bates
who's a former student staff
for mitch mcconnell
and by the way tony podesta who is probably the most influential obvious
for president
or bombers administration
he goes to lobby them and it's very powerful and by the way if that doesn't
do it engines lobbyists
news of the white house over a dozen times a use even the white house
businesslike
they are very welcome
every once in a while the president will meet with liberal groups in the mega big
deal out of a light walk it may have my not mercele i met with some levels
meanwhile he's meeting with amgen over twelve times
or is it ministrations
were not done yet one final piece the puzzle in terms of how they wind up
circling all of our legislators and legally bribing them in every imaginable
way
so who's that guy who wrote the law
well the
health
in medicare policy analyst they had working at on this fiscal for appeal
uh... and this specific provisions
was there and pop
and word and then tied of work before
well we look at them he worked as a health and policy analyst
for amgen's government affairs office from two thousand five
to two thousand and nine
don't worry yeah they sure it's that uh... dan todd is
per between neutral and would never consider all the money you got from that
same group
earlier in his career
so what are they getting return well first before i get the
section six three two
would tell you
that uh... the government-owned ability and office has found that medicare
had overpay for dialysis by up to
eight hundred and eighty million dollars
in twenty eleven alone
and mother or wonderful coincidence that happens to give
the tremendous of money amount of money back to engine remember they're fine was
seven sixty two million
but that wasn't enough
so this vessel cliff deal where we were supposed to help fix the deficit
week back into the deficit
hundred million dollars
one loophole
that helps and jen
and their products
five hundred million dollars on the pockets
for the taxpayers
and over the engine
they don't say engine what they do say is the drug that and jim produces
drug plans of getting a huge amount what
were over pay all these years world bank
and were suppose to finally fixed
and affix was supposed to come back in twenty twelve and jen sent their army of
lobbyist over and they got a two year extension
we did not fix the problem
so that we continued to over pat
so what do they do now
well that's going around i'm twenty fourteen
they got another to your xh
and when he asked orrin hatch is office in max baucus of ceaser
well you know these rules are really complicated
we need more time to make sure we're getting them right
until twenty fourteen wasn't enough time
or could be that the longer you wait the more money and generates
and a more money comes out of our pockets
this is how they knew legalized corruption in the united states of
america it is systematic
missus panic
they go and they buy these congressmen the senators and by the way the
president's as well
and then they get exactly what they want
but when max baucus is office was asked about it
they said quote
what is the best policy for montanans
and people across the country lies at the horn of every dissident charming
baucus thinks
it's as simple as that
now what do you think
using a system was down
now that perhaps all that money in all the people who work for max forms and
all the people
were for max baucus now that later will work for these companies
and all the money the fun and fun for the pacs and do it
so-called marlboros
you think that might have something to do with it
no one should ease our honorable gentleman
who only care about their voters
gee i wonder why congress has record low approval ratings can't quite figure it
out