WASHINGTON – Following a New York Times report outlining the broader role that McKinsey has played in fueling the substance misuse crisis, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is calling for federal agencies to not enter any new contracts with the consulting firm and evaluate the company’s potential conflicts of interest and actions. Senator Hassan has led efforts in Congress to hold McKinsey responsible for its potential conflicts of interest while working simultaneously for both the federal government and opioid manufacturers.

“As we continue to learn more about the unconscionable role that McKinsey played in fueling the opioid crisis, I’m calling on federal agencies to put any new contracts with the firm on hold,” Senator Hassan. “Reports have repeatedly outlined how McKinsey’s potential conflicts of interest have caused significant harm to the American people. Whether working with foreign adversaries like Russia or China or providing counsel to Big Pharma to drive up sales on opioids, McKinsey has repeatedly put profits before the interests of the American people. Even more disturbingly, we have seen how they have used their relationship and experience with federal agencies at the expense of the public good. It is clear that that we can no longer trust the choices that they make. All federal agencies should stop making new contracts with McKinsey, as the FDA has already done, in order to evaluate the company’s potential conflicts of interest and actions.”

Hassan has been working in Congress on bipartisan legislation to prevent conflicts of interest across the federal government. This month, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee advanced bipartisan measures from Senator Hassan to help prevent conflicts of interests with contractors at the FDA. Additionally, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced a bipartisan bill from Senators Hassan, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Joni Ernst (R-IA) to help prevent potential conflicts of interest between taxpayer-funded projects and government contractors’ other business opportunities.

In response to the Senator’s questioning at a Senate hearing in April, a top FDA official announced that the FDA has stopped issuing contracts to McKinsey pending ongoing investigations into the firm’s potential conflicts of interest. Prior to that, the Senator led her colleagues in calling for the Health and Human Services Inspector General to investigate the FDA’s work with McKinsey and the FDA’s contracting policies.

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