U.S. House debate on healthcare: Many Lawmakers statements ghostwritten by Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss drug giant Roche

cchrint — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:41:26 +0000

Robert Pear
The New York Times
November 14, 2009

WASHINGTON — 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.

The lobbyists, employed by Genentech and by two Washington law firms, were remarkably successful in getting the statements printed in the Congressional Record under the names of different members of Congress.

Genentech, a subsidiary of the Swiss drug giant Roche, estimates that 42 House members picked up some of its talking points — 22 Republicans and 20 Democrats, an unusual bipartisan coup for lobbyists.

Read entire article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/us/politics/15health.html?_r=3&th&emc=th

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U.S. House debate on healthcare: Many Lawmakers statements ghostwritten by Genentech, a subsidiary of Swiss drug giant Roche

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