[[link removed]] July 25, 2024
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Kamala Harris drives record fundraising after Biden exit
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President Joe Biden’s decision on Sunday to withdraw from the presidential race and endorse Vice President Kamala Harris galvanized Democratic donors, injecting tens of millions of dollars into a campaign that was rapidly burning through cash.
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Private prison giant GEO Group ramps up lobbying on immigrant surveillance
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GEO Group, one of the world’s largest private prison companies, is ramping up its lobbying operation as lawmakers in Washington eye budget cuts to “alternatives to detention” programs.
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Novo Nordisk's high Ozempic price and multi-million-dollar lobbying efforts draw criticism
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Novo Nordisk currently charges around $1,000 for a month’s supply of Ozempic injections. The high cost of this medicine has been criticized for squeezing low-income patients with diabetes out of the market for life-changing drugs.
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Chart of the Week
Dive deeper into the data behind the headlines
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What to Know
Novo Nordisk — the pharmaceutical giant behind popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — spent a record $3.2 million on lobbying in the first six months of 2024 as the Denmark-based company expanded its footprint in the U.S.
By the Numbers
Novo Nordisk currently charges around $1,000 for a month’s supply of Ozempic injections. The high cost of this medicine has been criticized for squeezing low-income patients with diabetes out of the market for life-changing drugs.
In 2023, Novo Nordisk and its U.S. subsidiary, Novozymes North America, spent over $5 million on lobbying, hiring a whopping 77 lobbyists across 13 firms. This marked a 51% increase from the number of lobbyists hired in 2022. Of those, 54 previously held government jobs, bringing insider knowledge and industry connections to each role.
Dig Deeper
Novo Nordisk hired a law firm, Arnold & Porter, to lobby for Ozempic to be covered by Medicare as more and more Americans became customers in 2023. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) argues that the high price of these weight-loss drugs has the power to bankrupt the Medicaid system.
In June, Sen. Sanders threatened to subpoena Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, criticizing Novo Nordisk’s high American price tag on Ozempic when it is significantly lower in other countries.
CEO Jorgensen voluntarily agreed to testify in a Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing in September. The name of the hearing: “Why Is Novo Nordisk Charging Americans with Diabetes and Obesity Outrageously High Prices for Ozempic and Wegovy?”
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OpenSecrets in the News
See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
Donald Trump's Previous Donation to Kamala Harris Goes Viral (Newsweek) [[link removed]]
Former President Donald Trump is going viral on social media for donating twice to the campaigns of his potential presidential opponent, Kamala Harris. It was not unusual for Trump to donate to Democrats at the time. In 2001, he gave then-senator Joe Biden's campaign $1,000. The following year, he gave the New York State Democratic Party $5,000, according to OpenSecrets.
Silicon shift? Major tech titans throw financial, political support to Trump (CBS News) [[link removed]]
"This isn't about Big Tech players who have traditionally leaned Democratic switching sides," said Anna Massoglia of OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan watchdog group that keeps tabs on political donations. "Instead, we're seeing an anti-establishment conservative faction starting to become more politically active," Massoglia added, cautioning that there is not enough data yet to know whether this represents a sea change or just a temporary shift.
Historic flood of cash pours into Harris campaign and allied groups (Washington Post) [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
Democrats reported raising more than $250 million since Biden announced he was leaving the presidential race and endorsed Harris. FF PAC, also known as Future Forward, the largest outside group supporting Biden, announced $150 million in commitments in the first 24 hours after Biden’s Sunday afternoon announcement. A quarter-billion-dollar windfall over two days is enormous by almost any historical measure. In comparison, a smaller 2000 predecessor to FF PAC, called Future Forward USA Action, raised $142 million in that entire cycle, according to OpenSecrets, a group that tracks money in politics.
Donald Trump Once Donated $6,000 To Kamala Harris' Campaign (NDTV World) [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] Trump will ‘give Netanyahu a blank check’: Youngest Jewish Congresswoman on Israel, Gaza and the election (The Independent) [[link removed]]
Nikki Haley tells Super PAC group: Stop using my name to court votes for Harris (The Herald) [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] [[link removed]'s%20close%20ties%20to,planet%2C%20environmental%20advocates%20have%20warned.] [[link removed]] How JD Vance Went From Green Tech Investor to Climate Change Doubter (Rolling Stone) [[link removed]]
[[link removed]] [[link removed]] Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker backs VP Kamala Harris for president. What does shift in race mean for his own future? (CBS News) [[link removed]]
Why tech bros are turning to Trump? (BBC) [[link removed]] [[link removed]'s%20close%20ties%20to,planet%2C%20environmental%20advocates%20have%20warned.]
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