CREW today released data analyzing health care special interests’ donations [1] since 2005 to the 21 House and Senate leaders, chairs and ranking members of committees with primary control over the health bills – all of whom will attend tomorrow’s health reform summit at the White House.
Since 2005, the health lobby has given nearly $28 million to these members. The amount of money being funneled from big-business health interests to members of Congress is staggering, but not surprising:
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Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), has received over $2.5 million in contributions, $777,113 from the pharmaceutical/health products sector alone;
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Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), has received over $2.2 million, $802,500 of which came from doctors, other medical professionals and their trade associations;
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Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA), has received nearly $2 million, $483,750 of which came from the insurance, HMO and health services industries;
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Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY), has received almost $1.9 million, $572,237 of which was contributed by hospitals and nursing homes; and
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Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), has received over $1.8 million, and like Sen. McConnell, received a large portion of that -- $709,261 -- from health professionals.
Other members of Congress attending the White House summit rely overwhelmingly on the health sector for their fundraising. More than one-fifth of the money raised by Sens. Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY), and Reps. Dave Camp (R-MI), Henry Waxman (D-CA) and John Dingell (D-MI) came from the health care sector.
Members of Congress must put the needs of their constituents above the desires of their big-business funders. CREW’s executive director Melanie Sloan said,
The health care industry has paid millions to insure its views are represented at tomorrow’s health care summit. The question is, who will be there representing the rest of us?
Click here for CREW’s list [2] of the health care sector’s campaign contributions to the 21 House and Senate members initially invited to the summit.