Biotech Lobbyists Provided Grist for Lawmakers' Health Care Statements

Statements put into the Congressional Record by more than a dozen House members were ghostwritten in whole or part by lobbyists working for Genentech, one of the world's largest biotechnology firms, the New York Times reports.

An example: two separate statements entered into the record by Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri and Joe Wilson of South Carolina used this language suggested by the lobbyists read: "One of the reasons I have long supported the U.S. biotechnology industry is that it is a homegrown success story that has been an engine of job creation in this country. Unfortunately, many of the largest companies that would seek to enter the biosimilar market have made their money by outsourcing their research to foreign countries like India."

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey said he regretted using the language from the lobbyists that duplicated other lawmakers' statement, and added that he got the statement from his staff and hadn't known where it came from. A lobbyist familiar with Genentech who was quoted by the Times saying, "This happens all the time. There was nothing nefarious about it."