80% Of Dems Want Lower Drug Prices-- So How Can PhRMA Pawns Like Case & Schrader Be Reelected?

On Wednesday, Andrew Perez and Julia Rock wrote about how a gaggle of corrupt corporate Dems rushed to the rescue of Big PhRMA, while destroying the hopes of the overwhelming majority of Americans who were counting on the Democrats-- who they gave the Senate, House and White House-- to deliver on lower drug costs, among other reforms the Democrats campaigned on and failed to deliver on. Who were the Democrats who rat-fucked the American people? In the Senate: Joe Manchin (WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (AZ). In the House: Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR), Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ), Scott Peters (New Dem-CA), Ed Case (Blue Dog-HI), Kathleen Rice (New Dem-NY), Lou Correa (Blue Dog-CA), Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX), Stephanie Murphy (Blue Dog-FL), Jim Costa (Blue Dog-CA).

Blue America is backing progressive candidates running against Schrader, Cuellar, Case and Correa. If you can, please consider contributing to their campaigns here. You might wonder how any of these scumbags could get reelected. In fact, new polling by Data For Progress, released yesterday, indicates that if their constituents knew what they were up to, all would be defeated next year. We'll get their in a second, but first notice how they're still finding the components of Build Back Back quite popular.

Oregon progressive Democrat, Jamie McLeod-Skinner told me yesterday that "Working families trusted Democrats to help us recover from the COVID economy and to, literally, Build Back Better. A few fringe-Democrats, including Kurt Schrader, have broken that trust. Instead, they obstruct our recovery and propose timid Republican pseudo-recovery programs. Whether Kurt has indeed forgotten where he came from, or he simply doesn’t care, voters are done with him."

Honolulu progressive Sergio Alcubilla is in this same battle against corruption in Congress. "If our elected officials sell us out," he told melas night, "we have to vote them out. I cannot believe that we need to hold rallies in front of Rep. Ed Case's office pleading with him to sign on to the Build Back Better Act. So many working families, seniors, and our environment here in Hawai‘i and across the country are counting on this bill. Why our incumbent has been pushing against it with requests for CBO scores and other obstructionist efforts still leaves me in disbelief. We should not have to beg our elected leaders to do the right thing and actually fight for the needs of their constituents."

Overall, the framework is supported by 87% of Democrats, 63% of independents and 42% of Republicans. This alone should put rotgut conservative Dems who have worked to destroy the bill-- Case, Schrader, Correa and Cuellar (all of whom have viable primary challengers)-- unlikely to win their primaries. Respondents also liked the payfors when they were told that "The Build Back Better framework will be paid for by raising taxes on multi-millionaires and billionaires, making sure large corporations pay at least 15% in taxes, taxing corporations that purchase their own stock, and funding tax enforcement to make sure the wealthy and corporations pay all the taxes that they owe." 85% of Democrats, 66% of independents and 39% of Republicans back that.

Voters were also asked this: "Some lawmakers are considering allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of certain prescription drugs for all Americans as part of the Build Back Better framework. Would you be more or less likely to support the Build Back Better framework if it included allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of certain prescription drugs for all Americans?" Here's the breakdown of favorability by party:

Democrats

• much more likely- 43%

• somewhat more likely- 37%

• somewhat less likely- 7%

• much less likely- 2%

• wouldn't affect my choice- 11%

Independents

• much more likely- 28%

• somewhat more likely- 38%

• somewhat less likely- 7%

• much less likely- 7%

• wouldn't affect my choice- 20%

Republicans

• much more likely- 14%

• somewhat more likely-32 %

• somewhat less likely- 15%

• much less likely- 16%

• wouldn't affect my choice- 23%

In other words, 64% of those polled say they are more likely to support the Build Back Better Act if it includes a means to lower drug prices, exactly what Republicans and corrupt conservative Democrats are preventing. That favorability includes 80% of Dems, 66% of independents and even 46% of Republicans.

As for paying for it, 67% say they want the IRS enforcement beefed up to ensure the wealthiest 2% of Americans and large corporations pay all taxes that they owe." 70% back a 15% tax on profits that U.S. corporations make overseas. 65% support a tax on large corporations when they buy back their own stock. 68% back a minimum 15% tax for large corporations that earn over $1 billion in profit. 69% support raising income taxes for those who make over $10 million a year. and 70% support raising taxes on the wealthiest 1% of business owners by limiting what expenses they can deduct from their taxes."

Last night Orange County progressive Mike Ortega, the Democrat running against corrupt conservative Lou Correa, told me that "What we see today with the ad spending aimed at tricking Americans to support legislation contrary to their needs, and lobbying in Washington akin to horse trading (but with our material welfare) is certainly repulsive. Our campaign is running against Lou Correa here in California, whose campaigns are fueled by business interests (61% of his funding) and messaging propped up by massive ad spends by Big Pharma."

"On the brighter side," he continued, "I see clearly that things have changed in this country. Even 5-6 years ago, it was much harder to frame a battle against an establishment Democrat without getting viewed as naïve or myopic (at least in circles that are plugged into legacy media coverage). Today, with a handful of congresspeople grounded in the fight for human rights, we see a different picture. We have the OG left to thank for that-- for never stopping the fight against corporate power, and getting money out of politics. We also have to thank the brave campaigns (and the powerhouse of grassroots donors and volunteers) of Omar, Ocasio-Cortez, etc. Thanks to them, we can stand straight up and say: our opponent’s biggest funders are Big Pharma and Insurance. This year, he helped kill comprehensive Medicare and drug pricing reform so that pharmaceutical and insurance industries can profit-- and our campaign doesn’t take a dime of corporate PAC money, so we’re going to fight for an expanded and strengthened Medicare For All alongside other congresspeople that fight for people, not profit."

South Texas progressive activist Tannya Benavides is running for a seat long occupied by DINO Henry Cuellar. Last night she told me that "The roller coaster that Henry Cuellar has had his constituents on with his stance on the Build Back Better Act is only the latest demonstration of his little regard for the well-being of his community and its working-class people. Cuellar has proven time and again that he goes to Washington to work for the big pharma and oil & gas executives that handily provide him with thousands of dollars in campaign contributions so long as he continues to sell the people of his district out. The true marker of whatever consequences he might face-- aside from voters at the polls-- will be whether Nancy Pelosi will again go out of her way to campaign for his re-election instead of finally acknowledging that he is only a Democrat in name."