Republicans Who Let Corporate Lobbyists Write Their Speeches
“You lie,” Congressman Joe Wilson famously shouted at President Barack Obama, as Obama gave a speech about the need for health care reform. However, facts now reveal that it was Joe Wilson who was lying about his own speeches on the subject of health care reform. Representative Wilson entered a speech into the congressional record under his own name, but it turns out that the speech had been written for him by corporate lobbyists working for Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, a giant European pharmaceuticals manufacturer. Yes, Joe Wilson’s speech within the halls of the U.S. Congress written by agents of a foreign entity.
Congressman Wilson isn’t alone. According to an investigation by the New York Times, 22 Republican members of the House of Representatives gave speeches written for them by lobbyists for the foreign pharmaceuticals corporation. Not all of these Republicans were listed by name, but those who were identified include:
- Blaine Luetkemeyer
- Michael Conaway
- Lynn Jenkins
- Lee Terry
