McNerney for Congress Exposes Pharmaceutical Industry-Backed Front Group Behind Richard Pombo’s Medicare “Part D” Information Seminars

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4/10/06

McNerney for Congress Exposes Pharmaceutical Industry-Backed Front Group Behind Richard Pombo’s Medicare “Part D” Information Seminars

Stockton, CA – During the spring recess Rep. Richard Pombo has been touring the district with a pharmaceutical industry front group, Medicare Today. The group states that they are bipartisan, yet they are hosting no information seminars with Democratic members of Congress. To maintain the appearance of bipartisanship they are hosting information sessions with a Democratic state legislator in North Carolina.

Medicare Today is funded by a pharmaceutical industry trade group, TheHealthcare Leadership Council. Among HLC’s goals are to fight against legislation that would allow the government to buy drugs in bulk and the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. The membership of the HLC is a who’s who of the pharmaceutical industry.

“Richard Pombo should be working for legislation to control our skyrocketing healthcare costs. Instead he chooses to participate with an industry-backed front organization whose goal isn’t to protect seniors, but to protect their outrageous profits through a slick PR campaign,” said Jerry McNerney.

“If you look at his official website, healthcare isn’t even listed as being an issue.
Apparently Richard Pombo has become so out of touch, he doesn’t even think we have a healthcare crisis,” concluded McNerney.

About Jerry McNerney: Jerry, a resident of Pleasanton is a nationally recognized expert in wind energy engineering and works as an energy consultant. He is also the head of an energy startup.

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Sources:
Healthcare Leadership Council
http://www.hlc.org/
Medicare Today
http://www.medicaretoday.org/
Members of Congress hosting seminars w/ Medicare Today –
Representative John Shimkus (R - IL), sits on the Commerce Committee
Representative Steven C. LaTourette (R - OH)
Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Representative Jo Ann Davis (R-VA)
Representative Richard Pombo (R-CA)
State Legislative Rep. Alice G.Underhill. (D-NC)