Watchdogs Highlight Donations from Health Lobbyists

By: Stephanie Condon
Topics: Health Care

5150235Legislators influencing the health care debate are not only receiving significant political donations from members of the health and insurance industries but also from the numerous lobbyists that represent the industries, a report by two Washington watchdog groups shows.

After a month-long investigation, the Sunlight Foundation and the Center for Responsive Politics found that 61 members of Congress each received money from 10 or more lobbyists whose health industry clients also donated to their campaigns. Those 61 lawmakers include 39 senators and 22 House members; by party, it includes 38 Democrats and 23 Republicans.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) topped the list with the highest amount received from lobbyists who represent the health industry, but much of that money was given during the 2008 presidential campaign, according to the Sunlight Foundation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) came next, followed by Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who is currently leading deliberations over a health care bill he introduced.

From January 2007 through June 2009, Baucus collected contributions from 11 major health sector firms that each worked with at least 10 lobbyists who also gave to the senator, according to the investigation. For instance, Baucus received money from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, as well as from 37 outside lobbyists representing the trade association.

"When we saw a dozen, two dozen, even three dozen lobbyists for a single company giving to the same members as their clients, we were frankly stunned," Sunlight Senior Fellow Larry Makinson said in a statement.

The organization pointed out that there is nothing to indicate that the multiple donations were part of any organized effort to win over lawmakers' support.

Stephanie Condon
Stephanie Condon is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

5 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment


by valleywiz October 1, 2009 3:48 PM EDT: They should take the legislators insurance benefits away, and let them deal with buying their own health insurance, and having the same frustrations the rest of us have when dealing with the insurance companies, who by the way only care about PROFITS for their shareholders and not anyone's health!; Reply to this comment


by stuart-johns1 October 1, 2009 3:33 PM EDT: Member Party State Chamber # of Clients # of Lobbyists Total from Clients Total from Lobbyists
McCain, John R AZ S 22 184 $427,530 $473,400
McConnell, Mitch R KY S 14 127 $276,050 $237,722
Baucus, Max D MT S 11 109 $252,750 $200,899
Specter, Arlen D PA S 7 67 $116,750 $108,778
Dodd, Chris D CT S 6 63 $56,950 $130,808
Udall, Mark D CO S 6 62 $76,025 $79,150
Landrieu, Mary L D LA S 5 57 $35,800 $67,000
Roberts, Pat R KS S 5 61 $47,200 $83,420
Warner, Mark D VA S 5 75 $46,650 $84,450
Meek, Kendrick B D FL H 4 49 $18,900 $50,028
Cantor, Eric R VA H 3 32 $86,200 $71,300
Collins, Susan M R ME S 3 28 $28,300 $40,916
Cornyn, John R TX S 3 39 $17,850 $45,000
Grassley, Chuck R IA S 3 37 $22,500 $55,950
Maffei, Dan D NY H 3 35 $5,400 $34,450
Adler, John H D NJ H 2 20 $7,074 $12,574
Bennet, Michael F D CO S 2 27 $3,250 $35,950
Burr, Richard R NC S 2 31 $4,250 $36,548
Camp, Dave R MI H 2 40 $10,750 $72,750
Chambliss, Saxby R GA S 2 20 $14,950 $33,100
Crapo, Mike R ID S 2 21 $10,250 $36,400
Enzi, Mike R WY S 2 28 $17,000 $34,762
Granger, Kay R TX H 2 26 $20,500 $38,940
Hatch, Orrin G R UT S 2 14 $15,800 $20,000
Murray, Patty D WA S 2 44 $32,800 $59,500
Pomeroy, Earl D ND H 2 21 $16,300 $24,281
Pryor, Mark D AR S 2 26 $11,750 $33,600
Udall, Tom D NM S 2 21 $2,250 $22,700
Alexander, Lamar R TN S 1 11 $9,000 $16,900
Barrasso, John A R WY S 1 12 $5,500 $16,600
Bean, Melissa D IL H 1 13 $3,000 $18,556
Blunt, Roy R MO H 1 12 $2,000 $21,600
Boehner, John R OH H 1 20 $3,500 $55,000
Boustany, Charles W Jr R LA H 1 15 $2,750 $12,050
Boxer, Barbara D CA S 1 10 $2,000 $10,793
Clyburn, James E D SC H 1 11 $23,400 $13,400
DeLauro, Rosa L D CT H 1 10 $250 $15,750
Dorgan, Byron L D ND S 1 14 $10,250 $16,836
Franken, Al D MN S 1 11 $750 $15,150
Gillibrand, Kirsten D NY S 1 10 $1,500 $9,650
Graham, Lindsey R SC S 1 10 $9,600 $9,750
Harkin, Tom D IA S 1 25 $2,750 $27,400
Heinrich, Martin D NM H 1 11 $2,250 $9,850
Hodes, Paul W D NH H 1 12 $500 $10,570
Hoyer, Steny H D MD H 1 25 $3,500 $41,625
Kerry, John D MA S 1 10 $2,000 $17,150
Klein, Ron D FL H 1 11 $1,000 $7,150
Klobuchar, Amy D MN S 1 10 $3,550 $10,250
Lautenberg, Frank R D NJ S 1 14 $5,000 $18,350
Lincoln, Blanche D AR S 1 10 $7,000 $8,250
Pallone, Frank Jr D NJ H 1 13 $21,000 $16,599
Reed, Jack D RI S 1 18 $33,100 $18,550
Reid, Harry D NV S 1 11 $6,500 $26,589
Rockefeller, Jay D WV S 1 17 $500 $14,500
Roskam, Peter R IL H 1 20 $1,000 $15,050
Sessions, Jeff R AL S 1 11 $1,000 $11,000
Shaheen, Jeanne D NH S 1 17 $500 $19,100
Stabenow, Debbie D MI S 1 10 $18,000 $11,750
Van Hollen, Chris D MD H 1 10 $7,500 $7,230
Waxman, Henry A D CA H 1 12 $5,000 $20,500
Wicker, Roger R MS S 1 12 $7,550 $9,750; Reply to this comment


by diamruby October 1, 2009 3:27 PM EDT: They are comfirming what we already knew, the reason no good health plan will be passed is because of the greed of politicians. Anything that is passed in government depends on who has the most money lining their pockets. I hope our president does not go back on his word of a public health plan, we are depending on him to do this for us. We are all drowning in high insurance premiums, drugs, hospital & doctor costs. Most of us working for a small business do not get health insurance & there is no Cobra for employees of the small business with only a few employees.; Reply to this comment


by stuart-johns1 October 1, 2009 3:26 PM EDT: "The organization pointed out that there is nothing to indicate that the multiple donations were part of any organized effort to win over lawmakers' support."
---------------------

Really? And how did they determine that? Of course the donations were and are an attempt to influence legislation! What a crock!; Reply to this comment


by stuart-johns1 October 1, 2009 3:23 PM EDT: Well there's no surprise that republican extremists are at the top of the list. While more democrats received lobby dollars than did republicans over-all, the top three republican recipients received more contributions than all the democrats put together.

No surprise there.; Reply to this comment