Sen. Bill Cassidy’s Cozy Relationship with Big Pharma Is Hurting Rural Louisiana

For conservatives in Louisiana, Bill Cassidy has been a thorn in their side for years.

He is not only the weaker of their two U.S. Senators—he is one of the most reliably disappointing Republicans RINOs in the Senate.

This from redstate.com.

And now, as the Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, he is back at it again, pushing policies that align more with Big Pharma than with the working-class Louisianans who sent him to Washington.

Big Pharma Money Talks—And Cassidy Is Listening

It is no coincidence that as Cassidy moves to undercut 340B, Big Pharma is lining his campaign coffers. Just last quarter, he pocketed $16,500 from employees at PhRMA, Eli Lilly, Sanofi, and Bristol Myers-Squibb—the same four drugmakers leading the charge against 340B. For a man who claims to represent Louisiana, only about a third of his donations last quarter actually came from Louisiana voters. The rest? Out-of-state interests, including Big Pharma.

And this is not the first time Cassidy has cozied up to the pharmaceutical giants. During the 2024 election cycle, Big Pharma ranked as his fourth-largest source of campaign donations. In 2022, they were fifth. The money keeps flowing, and Cassidy keeps pushing policies that benefit drug companies at the expense of his constituents.

Cassidy’s support for 340B “reform” is not just bad policy—it is a betrayal of the working-class voters he is supposed to represent. If he succeeds in weakening 340B, rural hospitals in Louisiana—already struggling to stay afloat—will face even tougher odds. And when those hospitals close, guess who will be asked to pick up the tab? Taxpayers.

This is the same senator who backed the Obiden infrastructure bill, voted to indict during President Trump’s impeachment trial, and opposed deploying Louisiana National Guard troops to the southern border.

Cassidy is not just out of step with his party.

He is out of step with Louisiana.

Cassidy is up for re-election in 2026, and Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming has already launched a primary challenge. A couple other very conservative candidates are also looking at running against Cassidy.

Cassidy’s record makes it clear:

He’s not fighting for us—he’s fighting for them.

And Louisiana deserves better.