In light of Purdue Pharma pleading GUILTY for its role in creating America’s opioid epidemic, I present to you another thread of “following the money.”
Sit back and see what harmful opioid companies your #CA34 Congressman associates with behind closed doors. 👇
💰 $6.5k, Abbott Laboratories
They are one of the original masterminds behind the opioid crisis. They collaborated with Purdue Pharma, and literally delivered donuts to doctors spelling out “OXYCONTIN.” Below is an article on their marketing tactics. statnews.com/2016/09/22/abb…
💰 $14,000, Pfizer
This major drug corporation continues to sell an extended-release oxycodone pill. It is known to have potential for abuse and misuse. reuters.com/article/us-pfi…
💰 $11,400, AstraZeneca
Publicly criticized for its role in fueling the opioid epidemic, this corporation also funds Rep. Gomez’s campaign. You may remember when they capitalized on Super Bowl viewership to promote their opioid-induced constipation drug. money.cnn.com/2016/02/11/new…
💰 $13,000, Amgen
While they are not directly one of the key architects of the opioid crisis, Amgen was at the center of a massive illegal kickback scheme. They ultimately paid $125M in fines as a consequence of their actions. justice.gov/opa/pr/two-pha…
💰 $5.5k, Merck
They helped Purue Pharma prevent insurers from limiting OxyContin prescriptions. This allowed for more over-prescribing to occur, which highly problematic because this is precisely what fueled so much of the crisis. statnews.com/2016/10/26/oxy…
💰 $1k, AmerisourceBergen
A major distributor of OxyContin, they’ve been under fire for shipping big quantities of opioids. Drug distributors are paid by how much they ship, and they’ve been criticized for not monitoring opioid distribution sufficiently. nytimes.com/2019/04/22/hea…
💰 $9k, Walgreen Co.
Among key pharmacies facing lawsuits for distributing OxyContin and other addictive opioids, Walgreens has donated to Rep. Gomez five times. Despite employees flagging concerning quantities of prescriptions, the company failed to act. vox.com/the-goods/2019…
The list goes on.
Rep. Gomez takes more corporate/PAC money than the majority of GOP House and Senate members. He rakes in six figures from the pharmaceutical and health industry alone.
Bluntly, he is no friend of the people. He is an enabler of harmful corporations.
Today’s Purdue developments are a win, but not enough.
The harm has already been done. All of these other opioid manufacturers/distributors continue to exist, and their money influences our elected officials’ decisions EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Follow the money, then vote them out.
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My opponent claims he’s “progressive,” but his marijuana stances and record tell an entirely different story.
We did the research he hopes his constituents won’t do.
⬇️ A thread ⬇️
First, Rep. Gomez hasn’t cosponsored the STATES Act, which would:
•Decriminalize cannabis federally in states that legalized
•Unlock growth for cannabis industry by making these businesses eligible to deduct ordinary expenses
•Uphold states’ rights under the Tenth Amendment
Second, he hasn’t cosponsored the MORE Act, which would:
•Fully decriminalize and legalize cannabis
•Expunge marijuana arrests and convictions
•Save us billions of $ currently spent on policing/incarcerating low level offenses, and reallocating funds for community resources
Our elected officials in DC are disconnected from their communities, like balloons lost in the air; they're unable to connect w or understand the economic distress, & deep suffering that our people go through daily. Yet, they're proud to say they're fully fighting for the people.
They legislate among themselves in DC first, & then report back to their constituents, all excited, about the crumbs they've secured for them, when it should be the other way around, where they talk w their constituents first about the relief they need, before legislating in DC.
They take corporate/PAC money & claim that this doesn't affect their allegiance to the people, when their votes for corporate bailouts show otherwise. With the death of the pension and birth of the 401K in 1978, where big corporations lobbied Congress to pass the risk of