Health Industry Lobbying Tops $1.4 Million Daily

[SHRED]

This is what we are up against!

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Wednesday, June 24, 2009 1:24 PM
Health Industry Lobbying Tops $1.4 Million Daily

By Eliza Krigman

In a new report released today, the government watchdog group Common Cause found that major health care interests have spent upwards of $1.4 million a day to lobby Capitol Hill so far this year.

According to the report, entitled 'legislating under the influence,' political spending by the health industries has increased 73 percent since 2000. Health interests contributed $94 million to candidates in Congress during the 2008 election cycle, a $40 million jump from the 2000 election cycle figure.

The top recipients of health industry campaign contributions from 2000 to 2008 are new Democrat Sen. Arlen Specter, Pa., and Sen. Blanche Lincoln, D-Ark., at $7.3 million and $6.3 million respectively. All of the campaign finance data used in the report came from the Center for Responsive Politics.

With the health industry's tremendous financial clout in Washington, Common Cause is concerned that chances for meaningful reform will be stymied. The report concludes that members of Congress face a disheartening conflict of interest: side with their large campaign donors or back reform measures that have support from the public, like the public plan option which would create a publicly-funded health insurance entity to compete with private insurers.

http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/health-industry-lobbying-tops-1.php

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[global1]

1. Isn't That A Clue That They Are Making Entirely Too Much Money If They Can Throw That .....

kind of money around on Capitol Hill?

[crickets]

4. Exactly my thought.

Also, if they have that much money to throw, what kind of twisted soulless creeps are they to think nothing of using gobs of money to get their way politically when a crowbar often can't get it out of them when it comes to paying medical claims? It's disgusting. It's equally disgusting that so many of 'our representatives' are lapping up what are essentially bribes to ignore their constituents.

[Beartracks]

2. You'd kinda think that the gratefulness of the voters...

... would more than offset any anticipated lack of funding from corporate healthcare interests. I would bet that if the people know you threw yourself against the tide for THEM, then unexpected NEW sources of funding -- and hundreds of thousands of votes -- would replace any such loss, keeping you in office to continue the good work.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. We voters DON'T matter, one WHIT!

x(

[babylonsister]

3. No way! That explains the confusion! nt

[notesdev]

5. Works out to >$450,000 per legislator

You don't dump that kind of money unless you are getting payback. This is open bribery.

[dmr]

6. Ed's Show, Wednesday night said there were 6 lobbyists for each

member of Congress.

All this money, and I'm sure many hidden perks is WRONG!

I call it shamefully criminal.

[Wilms]

7. $1,400,000.00 n/t

[Winterblues]

10. Chump change compared to Exxon's daily Net Profit of OVER one hundred million a Day

For six straight years.. NET PROFIT after every single expense had been paid Over One Hundred Million Dollars a Day Day in and day out week after week, month after month, year after year....One Hundred Million Dollars a Day and gas prices are still going up up and away..

[Auggie]

8. Kick

[crickets]

9. Kick

[Auggie]

11. K

[caffefwee]

12. Health Kare Kick!

(so it's not all Michael Jackson)

[KharmaTrain]

14. The Golden Rule In Action...

Ye who has the gold, make the rules.

Of course insurance companies and others who stand to loose billions are gonna spend...if it was your profit, wouldn't you? And if it isn't 1.4 million, then it'll be 2 million or 5 million...the money is no object when it means keeping the regressive system where it is.

It's imperative that Democrats stay in the face of every House and Senate Democrat...counteract their 1.4 million dollars with 1.4 million faces and voices to drown out all the money and pressure they're getting inside the beltway. You're not gonna make the insurance companies run away or go away...the battle here is to outshout and outlast.