Statement from Margarida Jorge, campaign director for Lower Drug Prices Now, on news that PhRMA and individual corporations are temporarily suspending political donations to some Members of Congress:

Big Pharma has jumped on the bandwagon of industries hoping to get a PR boost out of the attack on the Capitol. For the good of the American people, their temporary end to political contributions should be made permanent. 

For too long drug corporations have been buying politicians – on both sides of the aisle – in order to protect their monopoly control over prescription drug pricing in this country. The result is that drug corporations have become the most profitable industry in the United States while millions of patients have suffered without affordable medicine.  

Last week’s events are evidence that buying politicians takes a toll on the health of our democracy, too. We need to end the grip Big Pharma has over too many Members of Congress, which has enabled pharmaceutical corporations’ to keep putting profits over people.