Johnson and Thune Rake in Huge Donations from Big Pharma, Tech, and Wall Street Amid Passage of Their Big, Beautiful Betrayal 

Analysis of Q2 FEC Filings Show Republican Leadership Took Big From Special Interests That Benefit from Tax Cuts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, July 23, 2025

CONTACT: Emily Hoyle, emily@accountable.us

WASHINGTON, DC –  A new report from Accountable.US revealed today that House Speaker Mike Johnson and Majority Leader John Thune collectively received over $100,000 from Big Pharma, nearly $150,000 from the financial industry, $17,500 from the oil lobby, and $57,000 from tech groups in the months they were pushing their Big, Beautiful Betrayal – the largest cuts to healthcare and other critical programs in American history. 

“With cash coming in from Big Pharma, tech, and the financial industry, it’s no wonder Thune and Johnson spent the last year pushing through  a budget written for the wealthy and large corporations – with no regard for the tens of millions of Americans who will see their healthcare gutted as a result,” said Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk. “Their FEC filings all but confirm that congressional Republicans aren’t working for their constituents and their well-being, but rather to the highest bidder who’ll flood their campaign coffers.” 

Johnson and Thune led the effort to pass President Donald Trump’s tax and budget scam — a bill that will kick 15 million Americans off of their insurance, raise energy bills across the country, and eliminate school meal access for more than 18 million kids while issuing massive tax breaks to billionaires and large corporations. 

Per the analysis first featured in the Lever, during Q2 2025: 

House Speaker Mike Johnson received: 

• At least $37,500 from the Big Pharma and healthcare industry, including $5,000 from the influential Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which won a tax giveaway and exemption in the Republicans' reconciliation package;

• $73,500 from large banks and the financial services industry;

• $26,000 from the Big Tech industry, including $6,000 from industry groups that praised the Republicans' reconciliation package for giving wins to telecommunications and internet providers;

• $7,500 from the real estate and contractor sectors, which won tax giveaways, including the permanent extension of the pass-through deduction;

• $10,000 from Energy Giant Entergy Corp.;

• And $57,500 from other industries, including insurance, large airlines, and meat packing. 

Majority Leader John Thune received: 

• At least $31,000 from large telecommunications and internet companies, including a combined $15,000 from Verizon, which was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the 2017 Trump Tax Cuts;

• $76,000 from the healthcare and Big Pharma industry, including $5,000 from Pfizer, which won a major tax right off and was exempted from more drug price negotiations with Medicare;

• $5,000 from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), the day before the Senate passed the bill containing numerous tax giveaways to the real estate industry;

• $73,000 from large banks and financial services companies, including a $5,000 contribution from The American Bankers Association, a trade group that supported many provisions of Trump's tax bill, like the permanent extension of the pass-through deduction and increasing the estate tax threshold;

• And $7,500 from Big Oil, featuring a $5,000 contribution from Conocophillips.

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 Accountable.US is a nonpartisan watchdog group that exposes corruption across all levels of government.