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Lobbying on Medicare for All Skyrockets VOL. 39, NO. 5 SEPTEMBER/ OCTOBER 2019 NEWS Lobbying On Medicare for All Skyrockets BY MIKE STANKIEWICZ 2018 and the first quarter of opponents are trying to leverage and front groups.” s Medicare marked its 54th 2019, according to a June report their political power to beat back Nine of the 10 entities with Aanniversary in July, the move- by Public Citizen. Major oppo- Medicare for All, not on the mer- the most lobbyists working on ment to improve and expand the nents, including Big Pharma and its, but through insider lobbying see Medicare, page 4 popular program and provide for-profit insurers, now view universal health care to everyone Medicare for All as a legitimate continued to grow. threat. But as Medicare for All gains “Insurance corporations, Big traction, industry forces that Pharma and the for-profit hospi- profit from the current broken tal industry are running scared,” and costly health care system said Eagan Kemp, health care are pouring money into blocking policy advocate for Public Citizen. progress. “They know the public is lining up In September, Public Citizen put up two billboards in Houston, Texas, to make the case Lobbying against Medicare behind Medicare for All — which for Medicare for All and counter misinformation being spread by Big Pharma and the for All increased dramatically would improve coverage for insurance industry. The messages reminded passersby that under Medicare for All, all doctors and hospitals would be in network, so people could keep their doctor. Graphic between the first quarter of every American. Now, big money courtesy of Zach Stone. Momentum Grows Against Alabama Pharma Monopolies in NAFTA 2.0 Detention BY MELANIE FOLEY Because that deal included some to extend the duration of their ecent news reports have of Public Citizen’s demands, monopoly patents. It guarantees Rdescribed President Donald including largely eliminating the drug companies 10 years of extra Center: House Trump as “apoplectic” that drug Investor-State Dispute Settlement exclusivity to sell new cutting- prices continue to rise under his (ISDS) regime, Public Citizen is edge cancer and other medi- presidency. He has been lashing trying to fix it rather than stop it. cines called biologics. This would of Horrors out at members of his adminis- A major focus of Public Citizen’s undermine the changes Congress BY MIKE STANKIEWICZ tration for failing to deliver on his campaign is the elimination of the is discussing to bring down drug ne detainee called key campaign promise to lower provisions that would lock in the prices. It would lock the United WIN! Oit “the worst facil- medicine costs. policies that make U.S. medicine States into bad policies that keep ity I’ve ever been at.” He Despite his crocodile tears, the prices unaffordable. lifesaving medicines out of reach was describing Etowah County reality is that Trump allowed Big Trump’s deal, which can’t for millions of people and export Detention Center in Gadsden, Pharma to rig his revised North take effect without congressio- our failed system to Mexico and Ala. During his time there, Awot American Free Trade Agreement nal approval, requires signatory Canada. Negash “stayed in a urine scented, (NAFTA) deal with monopoly countries to guarantee monop- According to the Association for eight-person cell, where we all rights so drug companies can oly powers for big pharmaceuti- Affordable Medicines, under the shared one toilet.” continue to charge people more cal companies. That means that NAFTA 2.0 terms, some medicines Now, as the result of litigation money for the medicine they the giant corporations can avoid could get even more expensive, that Public Citizen led, the public need. generic competition and keep including diabetes treatments knows a lot more about the condi- The Global Trade Watch divi- medicine prices high. Glucagon, Ozempic, Saxenda and tions at the immigrant detention sion of Public Citizen has been Among other dangerous terms, Victoza; osteoporosis treatment center and can push for changes. building a coalition of progres- NAFTA 2.0 requires that the three Forteo; heart failure treatment The lawsuit was settled in July sive groups to demand critical NAFTA governments — Canada, Natrecor; and short bowel syn- after the government released changes to the revised NAFTA Mexico and the United States drome treatment Gattex. These additional information about text that Trump signed last year. — provide ways for drug firms see NAFTA, page 8 see Detention Center, page 11 INSIDE ACTIVISTS RALLY NATIONWIDE FOR VOTING ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED RIGHTS REFORMS, page 4 LEGISLATION WOULD PROTECT WORKERS FROM HEAT, page 5 IN THIS ISSUE GET TO KNOW PUBLIC CITIZEN VOL. 39, NO. 5 • SEPT./OCT. 2019 JAREL CLAY GLOBALIZATION & TRADE An ongoing series profiling Public Citizen leaders and staffers 1 Momentum grows against pharma monopolies in NAFTA 2.0 rom found- for social media, assisting our field team with HEALTH & SAFETY Fing his own action alerts and managing five websites and digital media eight social media accounts across Facebook, 1 Lobbying on Medicare for All company to tear- Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. skyrockets 5 Legislation would protect ing up the tenor workers from heat saxophone at a How did you first become interested in the pub- 7 Time to end physician sexual local reggae bar, lic relations field? abuse of patients JaRel Clay is a Clay: My interest in the public relations field 12 Public Citizen calls out medical busy man. In stemmed from witnessing the power of social malpractice payments addition to his influence and the “court of public opinion” at a 16 Breaking the HIV prevention varied interests, he juggles multiple responsi- very early age. My father was a victim of police monopoly bilities in his role as digital director of Public brutality in 2004, and his journey through physi- Citizen’s Global Trade Watch, where he leads the cal recovery and redemption made me realize LITIGATION division’s digital organizing and online strategy that beyond the mandates of the court, what 1 Alabama detention center: to fight trade deals that benefit corporations at and how you say things matter. My father ran a house of horrors the expense of people. A Pittsburgh, Pa., native, stop sign, and a policeman followed him home, 5 Public Citizen goes to court to Clay experienced inequality at all levels growing threw him to the sidewalk, beat him and took defend Clean Water Act up, and had a close family experience with police him to jail. We sued the police department for DEMOCRACY brutality that jump-started his interest in public misconduct, and for two years, our family was advocacy. contacted by the media, politicians and civil 4 Activists rally nationwide for voting rights reforms In 2008, Clay founded Clay and Group (C+G), rights organizations who urged us to “own our a digital media strategy company to provide narrative” outside of the court. At the age of 12, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT media services for small businesses set up to I realized that if we wanted our family to get serve local communities. Following his gradu- justice, we needed to present our father to the 6 Public should know which utilities violate cybersecurity ation from Kent State University with a bach- public with intention and strategy. laws elor’s degree in applied communication studies 10 Call it a climate crisis; cover it in 2011, Clay came to Washington, D.C., to pursue What advice do you have for young profession- like one a master’s degree in professional studies, pub- als hoping to be successful in the communica- lic relations and corporate communications at tions or PR fields? GOVERNMENT & FINANCIAL Georgetown University. After graduate school, Clay: The best advice I can give to young profes- REFORM Clay landed a job with Edelman, a global PR sionals is to never stop learning. As you move 6 States are uneven in slowing firm, but soon realized he was better suited for along in your PR career, you learn that what revolving door a career in the nonprofit world. He worked as a worked just two years ago may be outdated digital content manager for the Center for a New today. I have witnessed the most success from PUBLIC CITIZEN RECOMMENDS American Security before joining Public Citizen practitioners who continue exploring new trends in 2017. and fully embrace new approaches to commu- 10 'How the Rats Re-Formed the Congress' nity and online engagement. What does your daily work involve? OTHER Clay: As a digital director at Public Citizen, I cre- What do you do in your free time? ate and implement the social media and web Clay: I enjoy creating new experiences with my 2 Get to Know Public Citizen strategies for our Global Trade Watch program. son around the Washington, D.C., metro area, 3 President’s View That includes working with Public Citizen’s allies playing tenor saxophone at a reggae piano bar 10 In Memoriam: G. Marcus Blackwell on Capitol Hill, in labor unions and consumer on U Street every third Saturday and having 12 Public Citizen in Your State groups to amplify our message and mission. It near-death experiences with my personal trainer 14 In the Spotlight also includes creating videos, designing graphics twice a week. — Compiled by Brianna Ford 15 Public Citizen Crossword 1600 20TH ST. NW, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20009 • (202) 588-1000 • [email protected] • WWW.CITIZEN.ORG Public Citizen is a national non- PRESIDENT ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS profit membership organization Robert Weissman based in Washington, D.C. Since Angela Bradbery, communications director EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT its founding by Ralph Nader in Margrete Strand Rangnes Rick Claypool, research director 1971, Public Citizen has fought VICE PRESIDENT OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS for corporate and government Michael Coleman, Texas press officer Lisa Gilbert accountability to guarantee the Rhoda Feng, editor individual’s right to safe prod- PUBLIC CITIZEN INC.
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