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FACT BRIEF

Did Ron Johnson say that he has 'always been a supporter of big pharma?'

By Jacob Alabab-Moser
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YES

Wisconsin U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said, "I've always been a big supporter of big pharma ... I'm all for the profit motive, the development of new drugs." The statement made on the Vicki McKenna show in October 2021 was in the context of Johnson's ongoing support of major pharmaceutical corporations — despite his critique of manufacturers of COVID-19 vaccines.

Johnson has said he supports "big pharma" on several occasions. On another radio show, he mentioned his reluctance to allow Medicare to negotiate the cost of certain prescription drugs included in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. Johnson said the measure would "start punishing the pharmaceutical industry" and discourage "life-saving drugs."

So far in the 2021–22 election cycle, the health sector, which includes pharmaceutical and health product companies, health care professionals and hospitals, contributed $627,451 to Johnson and $822,594 to his Democratic challenger Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
iHeart Ron Johnson on the Vicki McKenna Show, October 22, 2021 — 1:41:36
WisPolitics List of quotes from Ron Johnson discussing his support of pharmaceutical corporations
SoundCloud Ron Johnson worries about 'punishing' big pharma on the Brian Kilmeade Show
Open Secrets Wisconsin Senate 2022 race: Sector totals
Open Secrets Health lobbying profile
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Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
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Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.