With Biden’s Agenda in the Balance, Lobbying Kicks Into High Gear
The New York Times
Business interests are using ads and other efforts to cajole Democrats to change or kill a $3.5 trillion social policy bill.
WASHINGTON — As centrist Democrats in Congress have worked to block or strip out major provisions of President Biden’s $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate plan, a string of online ads has popped up in their states and districts, lavishing praise on them.
One calls Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, who has emerged as a leading holdout on the measure, an “independent voice” and a “bipartisan leader.” Another says Representative Kurt Schrader of Oregon is pushing for the “Biden-Schrader” agenda, though he clearly opposes key portions of the president’s package. A third praises Representative Kathleen Rice of New York for “fighting for our health care and our economy,” even as she undercuts elements of Mr. Biden’s plan.
There is one thing the ads do not say as prominently: They are paid for by groups funded by the pharmaceutical industry and business interests that are lobbying hard to kill or reshape crucial pieces of the president’s plan.
