VOL. 41, NO. 2 MARCH/APRIL 2021 NEWS Passing Sweeping Democracy Reform BY CHRISTINE WOOD rebuilding American democracy t’s been hailed as the most and restoring faith in our system.” Itransformational reform legisla- Only by prioritizing deal- tion since Watergate. The ground- ing with big money in politics, breaking democracy reform bill, cleaning up the ethics quagmire or the For the People Act (H.R. 1), of Washington, and improving was passed by the U.S. House of access to voting can we restore Representatives on March 3. trust in our system. The months “With the passage of the For leading up to the passage of H.R. the People Act, the House has 1 saw a groundswell of support demonstrated a deep commit- as activists across the country ment to taking on dark money and mobilized for democracy-themed corporate influence on elections, actions in their communities. racially motivated voter suppres- Throughout the week of Jan. sion, and the spread of viral dis- 11, local and state voting rights and information,” said Lisa Gilbert, advocacy organizations hosted executive vice president of Public virtual rallies and other events Citizen. “With trust in govern- in over a dozen states. Titled ment at a historic low, the For the “Democracy Week,” the eventful A mobile billboard circles the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., during "Democracy Week" to underscore the importance of the For the People Act to ensure a robust People Act is a critical next step to see Democracy, page 8 democracy. Photo courtesy of the Declaration for American Democracy Coalition. What it Costs to Vaccinate the World Black and Latino BY RHODA FENG Workers Impacted wenty-five billion dollars. TThat is the amount that Public by Failed Trade Citizen estimated the U.S. gov- ernment would need to invest Policies in COVID-19 vaccine production BY MARIANA LOPEZ AND SARAH SPURGIN to produce enough vaccine for n his 2016 presidential cam- developing countries, potentially Ipaign, Donald Trump hijacked shaving years from the global progressives’ critique of corporate pandemic. globalization and job offshoring, In a recent analysis, Public but reframed it into a narrative Citizen found that producing of resentment with racialized eight billion doses of the National appeals to target white working Institutes of Health (NIH)- class voters. Contrary to the mes- Moderna vaccine can be done sage Trump advanced — that the for just over $3 per dose. Public white working class suffered the Citizen calls on Congress to swiftly most from “trade” policies such approve the urgently needed as the North American Free Trade funds and for President Joe Biden Agreement (NAFTA) and the to instruct his administration to World Trade Organization (WTO) quickly implement a scaled-up, — research conducted by Public worldwide vaccine manufactur- Citizen’s Global Trade Watch see Vaccine, page 4 Graphic courtesy of Zach Stone. see Trade Policies, page 7 INSIDE CORPORATIONS FUNDED THE GOP SEDITION ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED CAUCUS, page 10 MEATPACKING INDUSTRY FOUGHT PANDEMIC SAFETY MEASURES, page 11 IN THIS ISSUE GET TO KNOW PUBLIC CITIZEN VOL. 41, NO. 2 • MARCH/APRIL 2021 AZZA ABUDAGGA An ongoing series profiling Public Citizen leaders and staffers DEMOCRACY 1 Passing sweeping democracy reform riginally from this issue since a 1998 HRG peer-reviewed study. 10 National Highway Traffic Palestine, Azza This issue became — and will continue to be – Safety Administration can be O neglected no longer AbuDagga has been a major focus of our work until U.S. regulators 16 Fossil fuel industry funds a health services and the medical community embrace a zero- sedition caucus, Biden researcher with the tolerance standard against it. As with all Public opposition Health Research Group Citizen’s work, we use a research-based advo- (HRG) at Public Citizen cacy approach to bring greater public awareness GLOBALIZATION & TRADE for seven years. A to this problem and prompt implementation of 1 Black and Latino workers Fulbright Scholar, AbuDagga’s master’s degree solutions to it. impacted by failed trade policies in health administration from the Ohio State University laid the foundation for her interest What does your work look like as a contribu- GOVERNMENT & FINANCIAL in health services research. tor to Worst Pills, Best Pills News and Health REFORM AbuDagga then received a doctorate in health Letter? 10 Corporations funded the GOP policy and administration from Pennsylvania AbuDagga: I do some initial research to figure sedition caucus State University and has worked in health out what topics to write about based on the research ever since. Using her strong back- recent literature and websites of regulatory orga- HEALTH & SAFETY ground in data analytics, AbuDagga is an expert nizations, focusing mainly on potentially inef- 1 What it costs to vaccinate the at analyzing both the U.S. Food and Drug fective or unsafe oral medications and dietary world Administration Adverse Event Reporting System supplements. Once the topics are finalized, I 4 Drugmaker’s collaboration and the National Practitioner Data Bank for her start extensive research on each topic and draft with FDA is dangerous for research. In her free time, she enjoys taking long my articles. The process is a really a team effort Americans walks, cooking Mediterranean food, trying new because my colleagues and I all work together fruits and vegetables, and growing indoor herbs. to ensure that each newsletter issue is well- LITIGATION researched and clearly presented. 5 FOIA lawsuit a victory for What led you to join Public Citizen’s Health immigrants, open government Research Group? What has been the biggest change to your work 6 Challenging a dangerous rule AbuDagga: After working in the for-profit con- since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic? for truck drivers AbuDagga: 11 Meatpacking industry fought sulting sector, I realized the influence of industry I am grateful to have a job at this dif- pandemic safety measures funding on the research evidence that ends up ficult time. I admit that working from home full- being disseminated in the medical literature. I time is hard and isolating. However, I have the PUBLIC CITIZEN RECOMMENDS looked in the nonprofit sector for a research posi- support I need from my supervisor and team to tion that would not be driven by industry fund- get things done. 15 "Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds" ing. When I interviewed for my current position, OTHER I knew that this was the place I wanted to spend How did your experience as a Fulbright Scholar the next phase of my career! I have enjoyed every influence your career path? 2 Get to Know Public Citizen day of my work since then because it makes a AbuDagga: It is hard to believe that was over 3 President’s View difference. 20 years ago! I am appreciative of the Fulbright 12 Public Citizen in Your State scholarship: It brought me from my beloved vil- 14 In the Spotlight How did you become interested in health care lage in the Gaza Strip to the U.S., laid the founda- 15 Public Citizen Crossword professional accountability? tion for my graduate studies, and set my path in AbuDagga: My first assignment when I joined the the world of health services research — “using ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS Health Research Group was to analyze national- good data to answer good questions,” as one of Michael Coleman, Texas press officer level data about physician sexual misconduct of my professors used to say. — Compiled by Eva Gonzalez Rhoda Feng, editor patients because there were not any studies on Eva Gonzalez, communications intern Mariana Lopez, Global Trade Watch legislative assistant 1600 20TH ST. 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