New reporting from The American Independent explores Tim Scott’s cozy relationship with the pharmaceutical industry and the hypocrisy within his presidential campaign.
Despite his platitudes and false promises when it comes to prescription drugs, Scott has always been a friend to Big Pharma. According to reporting from the Post and Courier, Scott was the top recipient of campaign money from the pharmaceutical industry of any member of congress during the second half of 2021.
While Scott raked in campaign cash from Big Pharma, he repeatedly did their bidding in the U.S. Senate. Notably, Scott voted against legislation to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for raising prices at outrageous rates and Scott effectively voted against allowing the importation of pharmaceuticals from Canada.
By Josh Israel – May 31, 2023
Key quotes:
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“In the Senate, he has been a loyal supporter of the pharmaceutical industry, and he opposed legislation that would increase competition in the industry and curb price gouging.”
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“In August 2022, Scott voted against an amendment that would have capped the out-of-pocket cost of insulin at $35 a month for all Americans covered by insurance. He then voted against the Inflation Reduction Act, which capped out-of-pocket costs of prescription drugs and insulin for Medicare beneficiaries. President Joe Biden signed the act into law that month.”
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“According to OpenSecrets, he has received at least $1,019,195 from the pharmaceutical and health products industries since 2009. About $350,000 of that came during his 2022 reelection campaign.”
Published: May 31, 2023 | Last Modified: Jun 7, 2023