John Kyl Got $800,000 from Drug Companies
Phoenix, AZ - Jon Kyl’s latest FEC report reveals that Kyl has continued to be well rewarded by pharmaceutical special interests for his consistent opposition to measures which would lower prescription drug prices. In fact, Jon Kyl has taken over $80,000 in contributions from pharmaceutical and insurance interests in just the last quarter alone and $779,884 from these interests throughout his career. "Unfortunately for the people of Arizona, pharmaceutical special interests have no better friend in DC than Jon Kyl, and that’s why they continue to fuel money into his re-election campaign," said Pederson Press Secretary Selena Shilad. "However, Jon Kyl’s record of siding with pharmaceutical interests instead of the people back home is literally costing Arizona seniors." Kyl has repeatedly voted against allowing the government to negotiate for lower drug prices, and he has voted at least six times to prohibit the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada. Kyl also voted against prohibiting drug companies from charging more for the same medications in the U.S. than they do in Canada. In addition, the new Medicare Part D program, which Kyl has touted that he helped to write, will give the pharmaceutical industry $139 billion in profits over the next 8 years. A report released in September 2005 found that seniors using Medicare drug discount cards are paying 58% more for at least half of the top 50 drugs than they would through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which is permitted to negotiate for lower drug prices.