Billy the Goat

Ever wonder if your elected Congressman/woman is actually building his or her resume (and not so coincidentally, his/her voting record) as a giant audition (yeah, like an acting gig) for the next big job? Lobbyist? Take for example the nice, very well-compensated job that retiring Congressman (Democrat turned Republican from Louisiana, who was first elected in 1980) Billy Tauzin got in December of 2004 as president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the lobbying organization for the pharmaceutical industry. Good job too… $2 million a year… a whole lot better than that lousy (whew) $165,200 that most Congressmen and women get paid, and offices, and the perks are a bit on the super-plush side.

By the way, Congressman Tauzin was principal author of a Medicare drug law, which implemented supplying prescription drugs to seniors through private health care plans, effecting narrowing the number of available drugs… more profits for the private sector, and so what if a few seniors got screwed along the way. Got to admit that this doesn’t look too good. And yet, we don’t have any restrictions on this kind of job transition. ”Sure, the law keeps him from direct lobbying for a year, but he can still interact with his former colleagues “socially.” When he accepted the PhRMA job that year, just months after passage of the Medicare drug benefit, Democrats accused him of trading favorable legislation for his lucrative job. The House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, said at the time, ‘If you want to know the price of selling seniors down the river, it’s approximately about $2 million a year, if you want to hire the manager of the bill on the floor of the House of Representatives.’” February 12^th New York Times

Billy had a habit of making deals, even while he was in office, to cover his lifestyle. Billy’s a hunter, and according to the, the New Times noted: “[I]n 2003 Mr. Tauzin, then chairman of the powerful energy and commerce committee, made a deal. Though still on a modest Congressional salary, he paid more than $1 million for a 1,500-acre ranch there. And he invited a dozen friends — mostly executives and lobbyists with interests before his committee — to cover its mortgage by paying him dues as members of a new hunting club. It did business as Cajun Creek L.L.C., based in the Baton Rouge office of a lobbyist who was a member.”

Billy was the darling of the healthcare industry. He understood politics and knew the folks on Capitol Hill who made a difference. He knew when legislation was “inevitable,” and when his pharmaceutical “good old boys” should make a deal. When President Obama was certain to jam healthcare reform through Congress, Billy told the leaders in his industry to make a deal… fast… with President Obama. Billy negotiated the pharmaceutical industry’s pledge to reduce their costs by $80 over the next decade. Funny thing though, that healthcare package is stalled in the Congress, and whatever does get passed probably will bear little resemblance to the sweeping changes that seem all-but-certain to Tauzin.

Enter lobbyist number two – U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas J Donohue – “who had fought the health care proposals from the start and complained to the drug makers that Mr. Tauzin had gone along too easily… Mr. Tauzin’s supporters in the drug industry trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA, say that he was essentially undefeated in his five years representing the industry on Capitol Hill — beating back a phalanx of proposals to cut drug costs, including allowing foreign imports or government price negotiations… But in private drug company executives have long rolled their eyes at the ‘Cajun in the Capitol’ routine that Mr. Tauzin, an aspiring actor in his youth, had honed during his years in politics.” The Times.

Did I mention that 66-year-old Billy Tauzin is about to retire? Tough and high pressure job, that lobbying. Not pretty out there… Billy had his run. Bye Bye Billy; I’d like to say we’ll miss you, but…. Hey, which elected representative out there is auditioning for which cool, overpaid lobbying job? Scary, huh!

I’m Peter Dekom, and we have a system… it just needs a big repair job!