WASHINGTON - October 27 - The Campaign for America's Future launched a wide-ranging public education campaign today with a six-figure media price tag, designed to inform the public about members of Congress who took contributions from corporate interests and then voted to protect those special interests at the cost of working families. The campaign features print ads, direct mailings, web sites and pre- recorded phone messages. The ads focus on representatives Don Sherwood, R-Pa., Curt Weldon, R-Pa., Rob Simmons, R-Conn., Heather Wilson, R-N.M., Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, Charles Taylor, R- N.C. and Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio.

The campaign focuses on how these members took campaign contributions and free TV spots from the pharmaceutical and insurance industries and then voted for the costly and confusing Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. While the Veterans Administration negotiates for lower drug prices, legislation creating Part D expressly prohibits the government from negotiating lower drug prices for seniors and the disabled. Part D also includes a large gap in coverage, known as the donut hole, for individuals who have more than $2,250 in drug costs each year.

"These members of Congress supported legislation giving handouts to big campaign contributors at the expense of everyday Americans," said Campaign for America's Future co-director Roger Hickey. "The campaign we're running highlights how these lawmakers stuck seniors with higher prescription drug prices while collecting large campaign contributions from the insurance and pharmaceutical companies who benefited from their legislation."

The print and online ads describe the members of Congress as for voting "to protect drug companies instead of seniors."

The direct mailings feature an empty bottle of medication with a warning tailored to each of the targeted members of Congress.

"Side effects of Congressman Don Sherwood's votes include higher drug pries," says the sticker on the side of the bottle. "Sherwood took $205,000 from pharmaceutical and insurance companies and voted for a prescription drug plan that stops Medicare from negotiating lower drug prices."

The campaign materials also focus on the energy record of Pryce, charging that she took oil industry money while voting to raise the profits of oil companies. A mailing to Pryce's district features a cigar-smoking oil tycoon with the message, "It's good to have a Congresswoman you can count on...Trust me."

Campaign for America's Future has also set up websites to display each representative's record. For example, at http://www.badpryce.org citizens can learn how Pryce voted on key legislation and the special interest contributions that may have influenced these votes.

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