The deals Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Michael Burgess (R-Texas) are interested in were hammered out in a May 2009 White House conference with the AHA, AMA, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the Advanced Medical Technology Association, the SEIU and PhRMA, the drugmakers lobby. The six groups promised to voluntarily come up with $2 trillion in savings for healthcare reform.
Mr. Issa and Mr. Burgess said the head of PhRMA at that time, former GOP congressman Billy Tauzin, is likely to discuss his role in the deal. It has been reported that Mr. Tauzin successfully lobbied against price controls and more regulations for the drug industry in return for contributing $85 billion in fees and lower payments over 10 years.
“As far as I know, Billy is perfectly willing to talk to people now,” Mr. Issa said. Mr. Burgess added: “He’s a very transparent guy. He’s the kind of guy that’s happy to sit down and, you know, he doesn’t hide anything. If he made a deal as part of PhRMA with the White House, he’s going to tell you exactly what that deal was, who he made it with, what the terms were, et cetera.”
Read the Huffington Post report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of lobbying for the healthcare reform law:
– What Leaders of Certain Healthcare Trade Groups Delivered for Members
– Healthcare Trade Groups Shifting Support to Republicans
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