Umthombo: The Intercept
I-Pfizer nabanye izinkampani ezinkulu ezenza imithi ziphokophela ukuvimba umthetho ozokwenza kube lula kubabizi ukuthi babambe izinkampani ezibophezelekile ngokukhwabanisa kwezinkampani.
Phakathi kwesimo somthetho esididayo, okugxilwe kakhulu engxoxweni ethi Build Back Better, izintshisekelo ezinkulu zezinkampani, okuhlanganisa no-Pfizer, zilwa nokubuyekezwa kwe-False Claims Act, inkathi yeMpi Yombango. umthetho eklomelisa ababi ngokuvulela osonkontileka amacala okulwa nokukhwabanisa egameni likahulumeni.
Umthetho usubuyile ngokomlando $ 67 billion kuhulumeni, ngokusiza ngokuphumelela ukudalula ububi obenziwa osonkontileka bezempi, amabhange, nezinkampani ezithaka imithi.
Umthetho ubulokhu unzima kakhulu kuPfizer. Ngo-2009, uPfizer wakhokha $ 2.3 billion ngezinhlawulo zobugebengu nezomphakathi ukuze kuxazululwe izinsolo zokuthi inkampani imakethe ngokungemthetho izidakamizwa ezimbalwa ngezinhloso ezingekho ngelebula ezingagunyazwanga ngokuqondile Ukuphathwa Kwezokudla Nezidakamizwa. Le nkampani iyalele ithimba layo lezentengiso ukuthi ikhangise i-Bextra, eyagunyazwa kuphela isifo samathambo kanye namajaqamba okuya esikhathini, ngezinkinga ezibuhlungu nezibuhlungu zokuhlinzwa. Icala, elifakwe ngaphansi koMthetho Wezimangalo Ezingamanga ngezenzo zababizi zindaba abayisithupha, laphetha ngenye yezindawo ezinkulu zokukhwabanisa zokunakekelwa kwezempilo emlandweni.
Kodwa umthetho ubeka engcupheni encane kakhulu namuhla ezinkampanini eziziphatha ngobugebengu. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi umthetho omelene nokukhwabanisa uye waphazanyiswa kakhulu uchungechunge lwezinqumo zenkantolo yombuso ezakhulisa kakhulu ububanzi balokho okwaziwa ngokuthi โizinto ezibonakalayo.โ Ngo-2016, iNkantolo Ephakeme yakhipha isinqumo ecaleni le-Universal Health Services v. United States ex rel. Escobar ukuthi icala lokukhwabanisa lingachithwa uma uhulumeni eqhubeka nokukhokhela usonkontileka.
Inkantolo yabonisa ukuthi uma uhulumeni eqhubeka nokukhokhela inkampani naphezu kokukhwabanisa, khona-ke ukukhwabanisa akukona "okubalulekile" kwinkontileka. Leso sinqumo sisebenza ngokungasebenzi soMthetho Wezimangalo Zamanga ngokumelene nezinkampani eziningi ezinkulu kangangokuthi uhulumeni akakwazi ukunqamula izinkokhelo kungazelelwe, ikakhulukazi ezinzuzweni ezinkulu zokunakekelwa kwezempilo kanye nosonkontileka bezokuvikela.
Izinqumo zenkantolo zakamuva, kuhlanganise namacala ahilela Honeywell futhi IHholoiburton, bonisa osonkontileka abawinayo ngokuchithwa kwamacala okukhwabanisa ngokumane bacaphune โizinkokhelo eziqhubekayo zikahulumeni.โ Ngonyaka odlule, inkantolo yesifunda yombuso yalichitha icala Lomthetho Wezimangalo Ezingamanga elibhekene nenkampani yobunjiniyela i-Aecom elalethwa umpetha isola ukukhwabanisa okusabalele kokukhokhiswa kwenkontileka ka-$2 billion e-Afghanistan. Abameli be-Aecom nabo babalule ezikahulumeni izinkokhelo eziqhubekayo enkampanini. Icala manje selidlulisiwe.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, uhulumeni wobumbano uthathe indima enkulu ekudumazekeni kwamacala. Ngo-2018, uMnyango Wezobulungiswa wokuphatha kuka-Trump wakhipha โi-Granston Memo,โ eyayikhuthaza ukuhoxiswa kwamacala aqalwe ngabahlebi ngaphansi koMthetho Wezimangalo Zamanga.
Ngo-Okthoba, Ummeli Jikelele uMerrick Garland wayihoxisa ngokusemthethweni imemo โebekelwe imingcele ngokweqile,โ umnyakazo. kubonakala kabanzi njengoba yakhelwe ukukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa okukhulu koMthetho Wezimangalo Zamanga.
Ukuguguleka kwe umthetho uhlanganise ukusunduzana okubili, okuholwa nguSeniyela u-Chuck Grassley, e-R-Iowa, ukuze kubuyekezwe umthetho ukuze kunikezwe ababizi isivikelo esikhulu ekuziphindiseleni okungenzeka kwemboni futhi kwenze kube nzima kakhulu ezinkampanini ezithweswe icala lokukhwabanisa ukuhoxisa amacala ngezizathu zenqubo.
Ngasekuqaleni kwalo nyaka, njengoba ethula umthetho, u-Grassley waya esitebeleni seSenethi ukuze abonise izithombe zezinkontileka zeMpi yase-Afghanistan ezilahliwe ezigidigidi nezibonelo zamacala okukhwabanisa aphunyule ekuziphenduleleni ngenxa yezingqinamba zokwahlulela ezibekwe kuMthetho Wezimangalo Zamanga.
"Abamangalelwa babalekela ukugxeka abakhokhi bentela ngoba ezinye izikhulu zikahulumeni zehlulekile ukwenza umsebenzi wazo," laduma uSenator. โEminyakeni eminingi yami yokuphenya uMnyango Wezokuvikela, kungifundise ukuthi isikhulu sePentagon asivamile ukugqugquzelwa ukubona ukukhwabanisa. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi imali ayiphumi ephaketheni labo.โ
โIsikhulu se-Pentagon asivamile ukukhuthazwa ukubona ukukhwabanisa. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi imali ayiphumi ephaketheni labo.โ
Umthetho, uMthetho Wokuchibiyela Izimangalo Zamanga wango-2021, ulungisa izinga lezinto ezibonakalayo ukuze lifake nezimo lapho uhulumeni enze izinkokhelo ngaphandle kolwazi lokukhwabanisa โuma zikhona ezinye izizathuโ zokuqhubeka nenkontileka. Lo mthethosivivinywa futhi unweba izivikelo zomthetho ezimelene nokuziphindiselela, okwamanje ohlanganisa kuphela izisebenzi zamanje zenkampani. Umthethosivivinywa uhlose ukuvimbela imboni ekufakweni ohlwini lwababengababi abafuna umsebenzi.
Lokho kuphusha sekuqubule umsindo wokuphikiswa kwezinkampani, okunye kwakudalula kanti okunye kufihlekile emphakathini. I-Pfizer kuqashiwe U-Hazen Marshall, owayengumqondisi wenqubomgomo ye-Senate Minority Leader u-Mitch McConnell, u-R-Ky., ukuze abambe iqhaza kulolu daba, kanye no umthetho oqinile UWilliams & Jensen, isikhungo esinamandla esisebenzisa inqwaba yabasebenzi bangaphambili bekhongolose.
I-Pfizer, ezenze iqhawe ekulweni ne-Covid-19 kanye ne-a uthembekile isakhamuzi senkampani, asizange siphendule esicelweni sokuphawula.
Evotini lokuqala lokuhlola, umthethosivivinywa uvinjiwe. Ngo-August, u-Grassley uhlongoze uMthetho wakhe Wokuchitshiyelwa Kwezimangalo Zamanga njengesichibiyelo sesivumelwano sengqalasizinda esinezinhlangothi ezimbili eSigeleni. Umthethosivivinywa, nokho, awukaze ufinyelele phansi ukuze uvotelwe ngenxa yesiphikiso esifakwe egameni leSenate Democrats.
Ngo-Okthoba, umthetho uphinde wathola ukulalelwa. USen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., uzame ukusula iningi lomthethosivivinywa emhlanganweni weKomidi Lezobulungiswa. Isichibiyelo sikakotini ehlongozwayo ifune ukushaya yonke imigqa ebambekayo yomthethosivivinywa ngaphandle kwesihloko sokuqala, esimane siyincazelo yomthetho. Phakathi nenkulumompikiswano yekomidi, uCotton waphikisa ngokuthi iNkantolo Ephakeme โyenza isinqumo esifaneleโ ecaleni lika-Escobar kanye nezinga โlokukhokha okuqhubekayoโ kwezinto ezibonakalayo. Umthetho "okungenzeka unyuse izindleko zokunakekelwa kwezempilo," kusho ummeli, enanela izimangalo zemboni zokuthi ukumangalelwa okuvela kuMthetho Wezimangalo Zamanga kuzophoqa izintshisekelo zokunakekelwa kwezempilo ukuthi zinyuse amanani.
I-American Hospital Association kubikiwe wanxusa ukuba kubambezeleke ivoti, kodwa umthethosivivinywa wagcina uphumelele ngo-15-7 eKomidini Lezobulungiswa leSenate, ngokwesekwa uGrassley kanye nomxhasi oyinhloko wakhe, uSeni. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
"Lona wumzamo obumbene wokunxenxa abalandeli bethu eCapitol Hill bamangala."
"Lona wumzamo obumbene wokunxenxa abalandeli bethu eCapitol Hill bamangala," kusho uStephen Kohn, ummeli onondweba enkampanini yabameli i-Kohn, Kohn & Colapinto.
Izinkampani eziningi ezihileleke empini yokunxenxa zikhethe ukufihla imizamo yazo ngamaqembu ezinkampani zangaphandle ezingadalulwanga njenge-U.S. Chamber of Commerce, eyenze umthethosivivinywa wase-Grassley waba ngenye yezinhloso zawo eziyinhloko zokunqotshwa. I-chamba ayibudaluli ubulungu bayo noma izinkampani eziqondisa ukumela kwayo, kodwa ukubika kwangaphambilini kuphakamisa izinkampani ezifana ne-Halliburton, i-Lockheed Martin, ne-JPMorgan Chase, phakathi kwezinye eziye zabhekana nokwephulwa kwe-False Claims Act esikhathini esidlule.
Amanye amaqembu ohwebo โ okuhlanganisa i-American Hospital Association, Healthcare Leadership Council, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, kanye ne-American Bankers Association โ babe i-lobbied ngokumelene umthethosivivinywa ngaphandle kokudalula izinkampani eziqondisa izenzo zazo.
Izintshisekelo zebhizinisi ezaziwayo ezinxenxa umthethosivivinywa we-Grassley zifaka i-Pfizer, i-Amgen, i-AstraZeneca, i-Merck, ne-Genentech. Lezi zinkampani zifake kuhlu umthetho wokunxenxa ukudalulwa. Bobahlanu bakhokhile izindawo zokuhlala eziyisishiyagalolunye mayelana nokukhwabanisa kwezempilo okulethwa obala ngoMthetho Wezimangalo Ezingamanga.
โIzinkampani zezidakamizwa zidume kabi ngokukhokha imali eningi, zinikeza imihlomulo ukuze zithole ithuba lokuncintisana. Izinkampani zezidakamizwa nezinkampani zokunakekelwa kwezempilo zingamaphesenti angaba ngu-80 okutholwa kwe-False Claim[s] Act ngesizathu,โ kusho u-Kohn.
Endabeni yokukhokhwa kwerekhodi likaPfizer, abaphikisi bamangalele ukuthi inkampani ikhuthaze i-Bextra ukuze isetshenziswe okungagunyaziwe yi-FDA, ibeka iziguli engozini yokuhlaselwa yinhliziyo nokushaywa unhlangothi. Le nkampani kusolakala ukuthi yakhokhela odokotela izinxephezelo zokusebenzisa ngaphandle kwelebula. Umthetho Wezimangalo Zamanga, njengezinye โnxa tamโ imithetho, imiklomelo yababizi zimali ingxenye yemali uhulumeni ayibuyisela emacaleni.
"Izinkampani zezidakamizwa zidume kabi ngokukhokha imali, zinikeza izinzuzo ukuze zizuze ukuncintisana."
"Lonke isiko le-Pfizer liqhutshwa ukuthengisa, futhi uma ungazange uthengise izidakamizwa ngokungemthetho, awuzange ubonwe njengomdlali weqembu," kusho uJohn Kopchinski, omunye wabamemezeli be-Pfizer, ngemuva kokuxazulula.
Isinyathelo sika-Grassley sigqugquzelwa ngu-a uhlu oluhlukahlukene yamaqembu aqapha udoti kahulumeni. Abakhokhi Bentela Abamelene Nokukhwabanisa, iNational Whistleblower Centre, iProject on Government Oversight, kanye ne-Government Accountability Project ziphakathi kwamaqembu asekela ngokusemthethweni ukubuyekezwa komthetho wokulwa nokukhwabanisa.
Kodwa abameli bazwakalise ukudideka ngokubandakanyeka kwezinye izinhlangano ezimbalwa okuthiwa zivikela abakhokhi bentela. Izakhamizi Ezimelene Nokumoshwa Kukahulumeni kanye nama-Americans for Tax Reform, amaqembu amabili aqinile angaludaluli ulwazi lwabaxhasi, abhalele abenzi bomthetho incwadi ebanxusa ukuthi bavotele phansi isilinganiso sikaGrassley.
Ngaphandle kokuthi iCitizens Against Government Waste igxile ngokusemthethweni ekulweni nemfucuza kahulumeni, yona kanye inhloso yoMthetho Wezimangalo Ezingamanga, uphiko olugqugquzela iqembu lwaphikisa encwadini ukuthi umthethosivivinywa akulungile ukuze ifakwe kuphakheji yengqalasizinda ngoba "ayihlobene nengqalasizinda yendabuko" futhi umthethosivivinywa awuqondwa ngokugcwele "ngamasenenja angama-95 angazange axhase" umthetho. AmaMelika for Tax Reform ngokufanayo waphikisana ukuthi umthetho โawukayitholi inkulumo-mpikiswano efanele.โ
Izakhamizi Ezimelene Nokumosheka Kukahulumeni noma ama-American for Tax Reform abaphendulile esicelweni sokuphawula esichaza ukuthi kungani benxenxele umthetho wokuvikela abakhokhi bentela ngamandla kangaka nokuthi ngabe kukhona yini okuthakaselwayo kwabanikelayo.
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