Congresspeople Will Read Anything Lobbyists Tell Them
I watched some of the House debate on healthcare last Saturday. It was fairly boring to be honest but one thing you do notice, when you listen to these people give their speeches, is how much repetition there is. It really is all about saying the same talking points over and over. And as the NY Times reports today, that’s exactly how lobbyists want it.
In the official record of the historic House debate on overhauling health care, the speeches of many lawmakers echo with similarities. Often, that was no accident.
Statements by more than a dozen lawmakers were ghostwritten, in whole or in part, by Washington lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies.
E-mail messages obtained by The New York Times show that the lobbyists drafted one statement for Democrats and another for Republicans.
Makes you proud, doesn’t it? And, as the Times notes, this was bipartsian, 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats. At least they can agree on reading industry talking points. And if this is what happens in the House, can you imagine what its like in the Senate? Really makes you confident in our country’s leaders.
Holla at me