[TheMercenary]

WASHINGTON — Drugmaker Merck's political action committee donated more than $572,000 to federal candidates in the 2008 election and racked up $4.6 million in expenses to lobby Congress and the executive branch last year, federal records show.

What federal records don't show is that Merck also spent millions on payments to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and several others that are lobbying intensely on a massive bill to revamp the nation's health care system. In all, Merck spent $6.8 million in 2008 to help underwrite the political activity of eight associations and trade groups, according to the company's website.

To date, 50 companies have voluntarily agreed to disclose payments to trade groups, and 24 have started doing so on the Internet, said Maureen O'Brien, the center's research director.

They include health-insurance firm Aetna, which reported $190,000 in political-related payments last year to America's Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry's trade group, and Bristol-Myers Squibb, which reported $128,000 in such dues to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

The drugmakers' trade group has backed the Democratic efforts to revamp the nation's health care system and has successfully lobbied the Senate and House to give brand-name drug companies 12 years of exclusive rights to sell pricey biotech drugs before they face competition from cheaper generic versions. Ken Johnson, senior vice president for the trade group, would not say whether it has imposed higher dues on drug companies in 2009 to fund this year's lobbying battle on health care, but said "activity has been ratcheted up."

The group has pumped nearly $19.9 million into lobbying during the first nine months of 2009, up from $14.1 million during the same period last year, federal records show.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washing...ompanies_N.htm