The three-person HouseDemocratic leadership team has collected more than $2.3 milliontotal in campaign contributions from drugmakers since the 2007-08election cycle. (Photo: Shutterstock)

Three of the lawmakers who will lead the House next year asCongress focuses on skyrocketing drug costs are among the biggestrecipients of campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry, a new KHN analysisshows.

On Wednesday, House Democrats selected Rep. Steny Hoyer ofMaryland to serve as the next majority leader and Rep. JamesClyburn of South Carolina as majority whip, making them the No. 2and No. 3 most powerful Democrats as their party regains control of the House in January.

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Both lawmakers have received more than $1 million frompharmaceutical company political action committees in the pastdecade. Just four members of Congress hold that distinction,including Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, whom Republicans choseas the next House minority leader earlier this month.

Adding Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat expected to bethe next speaker, the three-person House Democratic leadership teamhas collected more than $2.3 million total in campaigncontributions from drugmakers since the 2007-08 election cycle,according to KHN's database.

High drug prices surfaced as a major campaign issue in 2018.With almost half of Americans saying they were worried about prescription drug costs lastsummer, many Democrats told voters they'd tackle the issue in thenext Congress. But the large amount of money going to keyDemocrats, and Republicans, raises questions about whether Congresswill take on the pharmaceutical industry.

In the past decade, members of Congress from both parties havereceived about $81 million from 68 pharma PACs run by employees ofcompanies that make drugs and industry trade groups.

Brendan Fischer, who directs federal reform programs at thenonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, said drugmakers, like otherwealthy industries, “shower money” on congressional leaders who aremulling legislation that could affect the pharmaceuticalindustry.

“Both Democrats and Republicans have discussed taking action onprescription drug prices, and drug companies likely expect that bigcontributions will help them maintain access to, and influenceover, powerful lawmakers,” he said.

McCarthy, who has close ties to President Donald Trump, hasreceived more than $1.08 million from drugmaker PACs since 2007.According to the latest data, which runs through September, hereceived about $250,000 this election cycle.

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The fourth lawmaker to top $1 million is Sen. Richard Burr, aNorth Carolina Republican who serves on both the Senate Committeeon Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the Senate Committeeon Finance. North Carolina is also home to a number of researchuniversities and drugmakers' headquarters.

While campaign contributions may seem tantalizing as a metricfor influence, industries are not necessarily buying votes withtheir cash. More likely, they are buying access — a sizabledonation from a drugmaker's PAC may increase the chances itslobbyists get a meeting with an influential lawmaker, forexample.

Clyburn, who like Hoyer has served as a top Democratic leadersince 2007, has received more from drugmaker PACs over the pastdecade than any other member of Congress — more than $1.09 million.During the 2018 election cycle, he received at least $170,000,despite trouncing his Republican opponent in his safely Democraticdistrict.

A party leader and the highest-ranking African-American inCongress, Clyburn has had ties to the pharmaceutical industry overthe years. In 2013, he was a featured speaker at a conference hosted by PhRMA, theindustry's leading trade group. The conference was held at the James E. Clyburn Research Center at the Medical Universityof South Carolina, a hub for biopharmaceutical research.

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This fall, Hoyer topped the million-dollar mark in drugmaker PACcontributions over the past decade, collecting more than $1.02million since 2007 and more than $128,000 this election cycle.

“Mr. Hoyer's positions on legislation are based on what is inthe best interest of his constituents and the American people, andhe has made it clear the new Congress will tackle rising healthcare and prescription drug costs,” said Mariel Saez, a Hoyerspokeswoman.

Clyburn, McCarthy and Pelosi's offices did not respond torequests for comment.

Pelosi, in contrast to her deputies, has received nearly$193,000 total from drugmaker PACs the past decade. In the monthbefore the midterm elections, she intensified her calls for actionto control drug prices, saying on Election Day that she believedDemocrats could find “common ground” with Trump on addressing the problem.

Senior committee members also tend to draw huge sums from theindustries they oversee. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey, the Democrat who is expected to chair the House Committee on Energyand Commerce, received nearly $169,000 this election cycle fromdrugmaker PACs, according to KHN's database. Since 2007, he hascollected more than $840,000.

Similarly, Rep. Greg Walden, the Oregon Republican who isfinishing his term as chair of the committee, received $302,300,the most of any member this election cycle in contributions fromdrugmaker PACs.

By contrast, Rep. Elijah Cummings — the Maryland Democrat who isexpected to head the House Committee on Oversight and GovernmentReform — has attracted minimal drugmaker cash, receiving just$18,500 since the 2007-08 election cycle. He has made it clear that he intends to target pharmaceuticalcompanies next year as he investigates climbing drug costs.