"[P]olitical officials" allege that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America gave money to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to support an advertising campaign that praises senators and House members who voted for the 2003 Medicare law, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports (Espo, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 8/25).
The $10 million campaign was launched in July and includes radio and television ads (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 7/31). According to the AP/Mercury News, "officials who described PhRMA's involvement said they did not know whether the industry had given the Chamber money to cover the entire cost of the ads and other elements of an election-year voter mobilization effort or merely a portion." The campaign ads are airing in 10 states or congressional districts and have been removed in other areas because of errors, the AP/Mercury News reports. An ad supporting Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) was removed because he voted against the 2003 Medicare law, and ads supporting Reps. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Mike Sodrel (R-Ind.) and Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) were removed after Democrats noted that the lawmakers were not in Congress when the law passed, according to the AP/Mercury News.
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