An Examination of Marsha Blackburn's Ties to the Pharmaceutical Industry

In 2016, Marsha Blackburn was a key co-sponsor of the "Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act." While the bill's title suggests a focus on patient access, critics argue it significantly weakened the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) ability to police the distribution of opioids.

A joint investigation by "60 Minutes" and The Washington Post revealed that the law made it "nearly impossible" for the DEA to freeze suspicious shipments of opioids from pharmaceutical distributors to pharmacies. This legislation was passed during the height of the opioid crisis.

"The law was the culmination of a multimillion-dollar lobbying effort by the drug industry to weaken the DEA's authority over drug distributors."

- The Washington Post

The law changed the standard for the DEA to take action against a drug distributor, from posing an "imminent danger" to the community to a much higher standard of a "substantial likelihood of an immediate threat of death or serious bodily harm." This change made it significantly more difficult for the DEA to intervene in the mass distribution of opioids.

Marsha Blackburn has received significant campaign contributions from the pharmaceutical industry throughout her career. According to data from OpenSecrets.org, she has received over $1.3 million from the "Pharmaceuticals/Health Products" industry.

Following the passage of the 2016 "Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act," reports indicated that Blackburn received substantial contributions from pharmaceutical companies. One report noted a $120,000 contribution from the pharmaceutical industry after the bill's passage.

When asked if she would return the money, Blackburn called the suggestion "absurd."

Tennessee, Marsha Blackburn's home state, has been hit particularly hard by the opioid crisis. In 2015, there were more opioid prescriptions written in Tennessee than there were people in the state.

The consequences of the opioid epidemic have been devastating, leading to a surge in addiction, overdoses, and deaths. The crisis has strained public resources and torn families apart across the state.

In recent years, Marsha Blackburn has co-sponsored bipartisan legislation aimed at combating the opioid crisis. However, critics view these efforts as too little, too late—akin to an arsonist showing up with a fire hose after the inferno has already been set.

Her central role in championing the 2016 law that disarmed the DEA is seen by many as a foundational act that allowed the opioid epidemic to burn out of control. The subsequent legislative efforts, while seemingly positive, do not erase the damage caused by that initial action, which was heavily lobbied for by the same pharmaceutical companies funding her campaigns.

While she now positions herself as a leader in the fight against opioids, her record shows she helped create the very crisis she now claims to be solving. For countless families, these new efforts can never undo the harm. Americans are still dying, and the fire she helped start is still burning.