Category: Congress
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The cash-rich pharmaceutical lobby and the rising cost of drugs for Medicare seniors
By Stuart Silverstein
FairWarning.org
When the Republican-controlled Congress approved a landmark program in 2003 to help seniors buy prescription drugs, it slapped on an unusual restriction: The federal government was barred from negotiating cheaper prices for those medicines. Instead, the job of holding down costs was outsourced to the insurance companies delivering the subsidized new coverage, known as Medicare Part D. -
U.S. Rep. Graham asks Gov. Scott to call special session on Lake O crisis
By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
In a sharply worded rebuke of Rick Scott, U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham (D-FL) urged the governor to call a special legislative session to deal with the toxic algae bloom discharges from Lake Okeechobee threatening the state’s ecosystem as well as the tourism and fishing industries. -
Study: New members of Congress rely on special interest money once in Washington
By Francisco Alvarado
FloridaBulldog.org
Nearly five-dozen newly elected members of Congress collectively raised $17.3 million in special interest money during their first year in office – increasing their reliance on contributions from single-issue political action committees, according to a new government watchdog report. -
Rep. Lois Frankel’s endorsement of security guard firm may breach House ethics rules
By Dan Christensen
FloridaBulldog.org
Rep. Lois Frankel’s endorsement of a private security guard firm whose owner poured $11,000 into her campaign after her support helped him land a sweet, no-bid government contract appears to have run afoul of House ethics rules prohibiting business endorsements. -
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Heavy-spending trucking industry pushes Congress to relax safety rules
By Brian Joseph
FairWarning.org
Big rig crashes kill nearly 4,000 Americans each year and injure more than 85,000. Fatalities involving large trucks are up 17 percent since 2009; injuries up 28 percent. Given these numbers, you might expect Congress to be agitating for tighter controls on big rigs. In fact, many members are pushing for the opposite – looser restrictions on the trucking industry and its drivers. -
Rep. Alcee Hastings and 10 other House members implicated in alleged bribery scheme
By Dan Christensen
FloridaBulldog.org
Congressional ethics investigators will review allegations that South Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings and 10 other House members took bribes by accepting campaign contributions from the payday lending industry shortly before or after taking official actions in support of the industry.
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