CPB and MOTM: Big Pharma in Politics
Aug 13, 2026
Who writes health law
On the MOTM podcast, Chris Brandlin discusses pharmaceutical lobbying and the distance between the people who draft health legislation and the people it ultimately affects.
The case he makes is about access rather than any single transaction: that sustained lobbying presence shapes which proposals advance and which quietly stall, regardless of whether anything improper ever occurs. Disclosed federal lobbying registrations are searchable through the Senate Office of Public Records, and campaign contributions through the Federal Election Commission.
Stated plainly: this is his reading of how influence works in aggregate, not an allegation of illegality against any company, legislator, or official.
The local version of the same question is the AD-42 donor transparency report, published alongside the voting record.
Related: the longer take and the conversation with Rebelo. More at healthcare reform and podcasts.