Why It Matters

Amgen’s, the biotech giant, is hiring former Congressional Budget Office director Dan L. Crippen for his expertise in federal budget scoring and legislative procedure.
Crippen’s CBO tenure (1999-2003) and Reagan-era White House experience provide specialized expertise in the technical terrain where drug pricing legislation succeeds or fails.

This signals a strategic shift from traditional lobbying to technical-legal defense of profit margins.

Amgen faces unprecedented threats to its drug pricing power from three fronts: Medicare’s direct drug price negotiations with a third round targeting 20 additional drugs underway, Trump administration "Most Favored Nation" pricing demands, and bipartisan congressional legislation on patent reform and price controls.

By the Numbers

Amgen Inc. paid $100,000 to Crippen in fourth quarter 2025, totaling $136,000 since the engagement began in May 2025. This represents a new strategic addition to Amgen’s broader lobbying operation, which has spent over $216 million through its in-house team over two decades.

Amgen typically relies on firms like Forbes Tate Partners LLC ($4.99 million), McManus Group ($5.42 million), and Alpine Group Partners LLC ($3.96 million) for general pharmaceutical policy work.

The Agenda

Amgen is lobbying on pharmacy pricing, R&D policy, chronic disease matters, pharmacy rebates, and congressional procedures. Congress is advancing multiple drug pricing bills, including the Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act targeting "pay-for-delay" settlements, the PBM Reform Act of 2025, and the Prescription Drug Price Relief Act empowering government price controls. The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee has held hearings examining the prescription drug supply chain, while Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley champions six bipartisan bills curbing anti-competitive tactics.

Broader Context

The Inflation Reduction Act’s Medicare drug price negotiation program launched with negotiated prices taking effect January 2026. Trump’s "Most-Favored-Nation" pricing adds executive pressure, while landmark PBM reform passed in February 2026’s spending bill.

The industry is on pace for record lobbying spending in 2025, but Amgen faces specific vulnerabilities as biosimilar savings nearly doubled to $20.2 billion in 2024.

Competitive Landscape

Industry lobbying activity is heavy. Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb lobby heavily on 340B Program and PBM reform, while PhRMA spent $12.9 million on lobbying. The Association for Accessible Medicines represents generic manufacturers with opposing patent positions.

The Bottom Line

Amgen’s hire of former CBO Director Crippen signals recognition that traditional relationship lobbying won’t suffice in this environment. With Congress advancing bipartisan reform on Medicare negotiations, PBM practices, and patent abuse, Crippen’s budget scoring expertise provides specialized capability to contest fiscal arguments underlying drug pricing legislation.

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