WASHINGTON, May 8 /U.S. Newswire/ -- With recent attention focused on lobbying reform in Congress, two public interest groups today called for an investigation into how former Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., now head of the drug manufacturing companies' lobby in Washington, inserted language into the drug benefit bill to help big drug companies while he was negotiating to land a $2 million per year job as president of PhRMA.
Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., who served with Rep. Tauzin on the Medicare Conference Committee, joined leaders from the two groups - the Campaign for American's Future and Americans United - on a conference call with reporters today to discuss a new report of scandals surrounding the Medicare Part D prescription drug program.
The Campaign for America's Future released a report today that chronicles how Rep. Tauzin, R-La., former chair of the Congressional committee overseeing the passage of Part D, worked hard to prohibit Medicare from negotiating with drug companies to achieve lower prices for seniors.
"The Republican leaders on the committee paid more attention to the pharmaceutical and insurance companies who contributed millions of dollars to their campaigns than the needs of our seniors," said Rep. Berry. "There were even times when these leaders shut my Democratic colleagues and I out of the room during critical moments in this debate."
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