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Report Card Spotlights Connecticut Rep.’s Close Ties to Big Business |
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Rep. Nancy Johnson (R), in Connecticut, proudly describes herself as the “key architect” of a Medicare prescription drug bill that prevents the government from negotiating lower drug prices and opens the door to $139 billion in profits for the pharmaceutical industry. Not surprisingly, she was the top congressional recipient of campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry when the prescription drug bill was written.
Johnson, who has represented Connecticut’s 5th District for 24 years, hasn’t been nearly as generous to working families. Today, Connecticut union leaders are releasing a report card to union members on Johnson’s record. The AFL-CIO is compiling report cards on some members of Congress to highlight their votes on jobs and wages, retirement security, health care, tax fairness and education, among other issues.
The report card shows Johnson, who voted with President Bush 67.05 percent of the time, cast votes against working people 73 percent of the time during the 109th Congress. The AFL-CIO and Connecticut working families have endorsed Johnson’s opponent, state Sen. Christopher Murphy, who led the fight to expand ConnPACE, the state’s prescription drug assistance program, and who will work to fix the flawed Medicare program so that prescriptions are affordable.
In addition to her close ties to the pharmaceutical industry, Johnson also voted against cracking down on gas price gouging while accepting more than $113,000 in campaign contributions from oil companies and their lobbyists.
When it comes to Johnson’s position on the privatization of Social Security, it depends on whom she’s talking to: She told the AARP she opposes privatization but told the National Taxpayers Union that she favors private Social Security accounts.
The AFL-CIO released two report cards earlier this month on the records of Reps. Charles Taylor (R-N.C.) and Heather Wilson (R-N.M.). Taylor voted with President Bush 90.91 percent of the time—and only 15 percent with working families. Wilson voted with President Bush 86.36 percent of the time.
You can check out how often your members of Congress voted with President Bush here and check the AFL-CIO’s Congressional Voting Record site to see how your representative and senators voted on working family issues.
And don’t forget to check out the AFL-CIO Political Action Center at www.votenov7.org, where you can register to vote, learn about working family issues and download candidate comparison fliers.
If you’re not a union member, join Working America, the AFL-CIO community affiliate, and join the fight for good jobs, affordable health care, quality education and secure retirements.
This portion of this website is paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, 815 16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006, with voluntary contributions from union members and their families, and is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
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