Congressman offered lucrative company job

Breeze Reader's View

Representative W.J. (Billy) Tauzin of Louisiana was instrumental in negotiating the recent Medicare reform bill with lawmakers and other interests and in bringing it through Congress in early December.

The intention of the Medicare Prescription Drug Modernization Act was to provide easier access to prescription drugs for seniors, and President George W. Bush duly signed it into law.

The bill offers a lower cost for prescription drug insurance for senior citizens while providing subsidies to drug companies. The bill has been criticized by some for giving too much money to the pharmaceutical companies without providing any way to control rising drug prices.

Tauzin helped guide the formation of this bill by frequently speaking not only to lawmakers, but to representatives from the drug companies.

Now, a month and a half later, Tauzin has been offered the position of leading the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America — the pharmaceutical industry's largest advocacy group — with a salary of $1 million a year. He is considering the offer now, and a representative said it could take weeks for him to reach a decision.

PhRMA is not the only interest group that has courted Tauzin the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — the committee responsible for the media, entertainment and telecommunications industries. He recently turned down an offer to become the top lobbyist for the Hollywood movie industry.

Tauzin would not be the first politician to leave office to take a job in the private sector — resigning if he accepted the offer. The author of the same Medicare bill, Representative Tomas Scully, resigned his position in the Department of Health and Human services to take a job with a law firm that represents drug manufacturers.

Neither these offers nor their acceptance are illegal — both are entirely within the bounds of the law. They and their implications are, however, insulting to both the American people and the American government.

PhRMA's offer is a direct attempt to purchase a congressman. It is not after his vote — rather, it wants him to bring his experience and influence to its organization. If Tauzin were to accept, he would be discarding the responsibility and trust his constituents placed in him by voting him into office — a trust that is supposed to be held sacred by elected officials.

For 13 consecutive terms, Tauzin has been elected to represent the people of Louisiana. If he took the job, it would send the irresponsible message that it is acceptable for elected officials to serve themselves rather than the people who elected them, and trade the trust of the voters for an increase in salary.

While the offer came after the Medicare bill was passed, it is not difficult to conclude that the two are related. Not only is the bill considered favorable to the industry that Tauzin has been asked to represent, but Tauzin and other lawmakers met with representatives of PhRMA during the creation of the bill.

While both sides claim the offer was not on the table during the negotiations, it followed closely on the heels of the bill's passage — a mere month and a half later. The pharmaceutical industry appears to be rewarding Tauzin for his advocacy in the formation of the bill.

The situation would be much different if Tauzin were to stay true to his responsibilities as a representative and stay in office until the end of his term. After he leaves office, he no longer would be turning his back on his constituents by accepting a position with PhRMA. Although the influence that such an offer could have on his voting would cast a shadow over his political career.

Not only are PhRMA's offer and Tauzin's serious consideration of it morally deplorable in and of themselves, but they also are potentially damaging to the Republican party in this election year. Tauzin, a Republican, unwittingly may draw the attention of the public to the intimate relationships the current administration maintains with big business.

The last thing a presidency marked by corporate scandal and poor economic conditions needs is something to remind voters of these issues.

The Republican is concerned with the potential political fallout, and Tauzin is expected to consult with party representatives before he decides whether or not to accept the job offer.

What party representatives have failed to mention is the potential moral repercussions that Tauzin's acceptance would have, and the message it would send to constituents — that their representatives can, without qualm, abandon their positions in favor of their own mercenary pursuits. The message it would send to big business — that everything is for sale and all you need to have your own representative is an open checkbook.

Alex Sirney is a freshman Anthropology/pre-SMAD major.