The Democrats shepherding Pelosi’s drug pricing bill have taken plenty of campaign cash from pharma

WASHINGTON — The fate of Nancy Pelosi’s sweeping drug pricing bill rests in the hands of lawmakers who received more campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry than almost all other Democrats, according to a STAT review of campaign finance records.

Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who chairs the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, received $111,500 in contributions from pharmaceutical industry political action committees in the 2018 election cycle — fifth-most of any lawmaker, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, received $98,500, good for ninth-most.

Pallone and Neal are two of the Pelosi bill’s three co-sponsors. It is their committees that focused most heavily on health care issues and will likely consider amendments to the legislation before it is brought up for a vote on the House floor.
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