2018 NJ Senate race: on Health Care


Bob Hugin: Lobbied to block cheaper generic alternatives

Q: Corruption: Scandals being discussed for both candidates.

Robert Hugin (R): The pharmaceutical company that Hugin led, Celgene, spent $2.8 million lobbying to block cheaper generic alternatives to a key drug. Celgene also paid $280 million to settle claims that its drug marketing defrauded state & federal health programs.

Robert Menendez (D): Charged for allegedly doing political favors for a donor. Prosecutor dropped charges; Senate committee then "severely admonished" him.

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Bob Hugin: Repeal ObamaCare but keep preexisting conditions

Q: Support or Repeal Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as ObamaCare?

Robert Hugin (R): Said Republican repeal effort would be "great for the country." Keep good aspects of ObamaCare like protecting people with preexisting conditions.

Robert Menendez (D): Supports. Repeal would have "hiked premiums and disproportionately hurt women & the disabled."

Q: Require people to work to receive Medicaid?

Hugin: No stand found.

Menendez: No. "Some Medicaid recipients physically cannot work."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Robert Menendez: Repealing ObamaCare would hike premiums & hurt the disabled

Q: Support or Repeal Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as ObamaCare?

Robert Hugin (R): Said Republican repeal effort would be "great for the country." Keep good aspects of ObamaCare.

Robert Menendez (D): Supports. Repeal would have "hiked premiums. gutted the guarantee of essential benefits, disproportionately hurt women & the disabled.to pay for a massive tax cut for the richest."

Q: Require people to work to receive Medicaid?

Menendez: No. "Some Medicaid recipients physically cannot work."

Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on New Jersey Senate race Oct 9, 2018

Bob Hugin: AdWatch: Raised drug prices in US while lowering them abroad

Senator Bob Menendez announced his second campaign commercial, attacking Hugin for raising the price of Revlimid in the U.S. while lowering it in Russia. Menendez was indicted in April 2015 on federal corruption charges; he has sought to turn the ethics issue back on Celgene Corp. executive Bob Hugin. Celgene under Hugin paid $280 million to settle charges that it pushed drugs for uses not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and that it submitted false claims to Medicare.

The company spent more money than ever before as it lobbied against legislation that could speed up a generic alternative to its Revlimid cancer drug.

"Bob Hugin is the guy who got rich ripping off cancer patients and defrauding Medicare, the guy who's spent millions supporting Donald Trump and right-wing candidates and causes, and is now trying to buy a Senate seat," a Menendez supporter said.

Source: NJ Advance Media AdWatch on 2018 New Jersey Senate race Aug 22, 2018

Bob Hugin: As CEO, paid $280M drug settlement

A whistleblower lawsuit in 2014 accusing Celgene of putting cancer patients in danger by hiding information about potentially fatal side effects of 2 Celgene anti-cancer drugs. Celgene denies it all, but the company didn't fight the accusations in court. It˙settled the lawsuit for $280 million in July of 2017, while Hugin served as CEO and chairman. I asked Hugin about it Friday morning. A trial would have spooked investors, he said, leading to a drop in the company's value.
Source: Newark Star Ledger on 2018 New Jersey Senate race Feb 18, 2018

Bob Hugin: Will use his 20 years in healthcare to craft new reforms

"I'm going to go to Washington and I'm going to craft specific proposals to reform health care," he added. The former pharmaceutical executive has pledged to bring a sense of affordability and responsibility back. In an op-ed this week, Hugin reflected on his nearly 20 years working in the sector and declared that the U.S. is failing to adequately address the increasing inequality of health care.
Source: CNBC's coverage of 2018 New Jersey Senate race Feb 14, 2018

Rich Pezzullo: Repeal ObamaCare; it's a dangerous proposal

Rich Pezzullo sees firsthand the effect of˙ Federal meddling in health care industry and has vowed to fight it. As a technology manager, he sees how regulations regarding data collection and reporting are affecting the daily contact between doctors and patients.˙ Rich supports full ObamaCare Repeal and will use his power as a U. S. Senator to block funding and implementation of this dangerous proposal. ˙
Source: 2018 New Jersey Senate campaign website pezzullo.com Jan 1, 2018

  • The above quotations are from 2018 New Jersey Senate race: debates and news coverage.
  • Click here for definitions & background information on Health Care.
  • Click here for other issues (main summary page).
  • Click here for more quotes by Bob Menendez on Health Care.
Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:

Democrats running for President:
Sen.Michael Bennet (D-CO)
V.P.Joe Biden (D-DE)
Mayor Mike Bloomberg (I-NYC)
Gov.Steve Bullock (D-MT)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-IN)
Sen.Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Secy.Julian Castro (D-TX)
Rep.John Delaney (D-MD)
Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI)
Sen.Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Mayor Wayne Messam (D-FL)
Gov.Deval Patrick (D-MA)
Sen.Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
CEO Tom Steyer (D-CA)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Marianne Williamson (D-CA)
CEO Andrew Yang (D-NY)

2020 Third Party Candidates:
Rep.Justin Amash (L-MI)
CEO Don Blankenship (C-WV)
Howie Hawkins (G-NY)
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Howard Schultz(I-WA)
Gov.Jesse Ventura (I-MN) 		Republicans running for President:
Sen.Ted Cruz(R-TX)
Gov.Larry Hogan (R-MD)
Gov.John Kasich(R-OH)
V.P.Mike Pence(R-IN)
Gov.Mark Sanford (R-SC)
Pres.Donald Trump(R-NY)
Rep.Joe Walsh (R-IL)
Gov.Bill Weld(R-MA & L-NY)

2020 Withdrawn Democratic Candidates:
Sen.Stacey Abrams (D-GA)
Mayor Bill de Blasio (D-NYC)
Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Sen.Mike Gravel (D-AK)
Sen.Kamala Harris (D-CA)
Gov.John Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Gov.Jay Inslee (D-WA)
Rep.Seth Moulton (D-MA)
Rep.Beto O`Rourke (D-TX)
Rep.Tim Ryan (D-CA)
Adm.Joe Sestak (D-PA)
Rep.Eric Swalwell (D-CA) 		Retired House as of Jan. 2015:
AL-6:Spencer Bachus(R)
AR-2:Tim Griffin(R)
CA-11:George Miller(D)
CA-25:Howard McKeon(R)
CA-33:Henry Waxman(D)
CA-45:John Campbell(R)
IA-3:Tom Latham(R)
MN-6:Michele Bachmann(R)
NC-6:Howard Coble(R)
NC-7:Mike McIntyre(D)
NJ-3:Jon Runyan(R)
NY-4:Carolyn McCarthy(D)
NY-21:Bill Owens(D)
PA-6:Jim Gerlach(R)
UT-4:Jim Matheson(D)
VA-8:Jim Moran(D)
VA-10:Frank Wolf(R)
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Page last updated: Jan 03, 2020