Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) discusses his 'Medicare for All' legislation
on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (photo: Jim Watson/Getty)
As Sanders Prepared Medicare Bill, Health Care Lobbyists Bankrolled Senate
Democrats
By David Sirota and Lydia O'Neal, International Business Times
15 September 17
As Bernie Sanders worked to finalize his Medicare-for-All Act of 2017,
corporate lobbyists representing the traditional opponents of single-payer
health care - including the nation's major private insurers and drug
companies - poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Senate Democrats'
fundraising accounts. Now, many of those lawmakers have refused to sign on
to the Medicare bill.
Sanders has faced questions about whether or not the bill would garner solid
support among Senate Democrats. So far, 16 Senate Democrats have said they
will sponsor the legislation - which the insurance industry slammed after he
announced it. A new study from campaign finance watchdog group MapLight
found that since 2010, Democratic senators who have refused to sponsor the
bill have, during their careers, raised twice as much insurance industry
cash as those who support the legislation.
As Republicans took over the White House earlier this year, significant
campaign funding for Democratic senators has continued to come from
lobbyists. According to federal campaign finance records reviewed by
International Business Times, lobbyists, lobbying firms and one other
corporate political action committee collectively delivered nearly $2
million in bundled campaign contributions to the Democratic Senatorial
Campaign Committee during the first half of 2017. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the
DSCC's chairman, was a proponent of the law that requires lobbyists to
disclose the contributions they bundle together from donors.
With Sanders and a majority of House Democrats supporting single-payer -
and with polls showing rising support for a Medicare-for-all system -
lobbyists for major health care industry clients were among the biggest
donors to Democrats in the Senate, as they have been in years past. Among
those who delivered the most cash to the DSCC in the first half of 2017
were:
- Steve Elmendorf, the former top aide to then-House Minority Leader Dick
Gephardt. He delivered $130,400 to the DSCC while representing insurance
giant UnitedHealth Group Inc. and dialysis conglomerate DaVita Inc.
- Jonathon Jones, the former chief of staff for Sen. Tom Carper, a Finance
Committee member has not signed onto the single-payer initiative. He
delivered $97,000 to the DSCC while representing insurers Anthem Inc. and
the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, as well as the trade group
Pharmaceutical Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) and drugmakers
Amgen Inc., Astellas Pharma Inc., AstraZeneca, Merck & Co. Inc.,
Novartis, Genentech Inc. and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.
- Lisa Kontoupes, a former aide to President Bill Clinton and staffer for
Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She delivered $77,500
to the DSCC while representing drugmakers Glenmark Pharmaceuticals Inc. and
Teva Pharmaceuticals Inc..
- David Castagnetti, the former top aide to Montana Sen. Max Baucus, who was
accused of blocking a debate over single-payer during the Affordable Care
Act deliberations. Castagnetti delivered $64,000 to the DSCC while
representing insurers Humana Inc., Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and
the parent company of Oscar Health Insurance.
- Jeff Forbes, the former staff director for Democrats on the Senate Finance
Committee, which oversees the nation's healthcare system. He delivered
$20,000 to the DSCC while representing the drug industry's trade
association, PhRMA, as well as individual drug companies Abbott
Laboratories, Amgen and Genentech.
The principals of major lobbying firms also gave big to Senate Democrats.
Tony Podesta, the namesake of the Podesta Group and a top Hillary Clinton
bundler, gave $202,476 to the DSCC while representing the American
Healthcare Association and Mylan - the controversial maker of the Epipen.
Heather Podesta of Podesta + Partners delivered $226,400 to the DSCC while
representing Baxter Healthcare and insurer Cigna.
Meanwhile, two lobbying firms' corporate political action committees gave
directly to the DSCC. Brownstein Hyatt Farber's PAC, for instance, bundled
$307,000 for the DSCC while the firm represents Anthem, the Blue Cross and
Blue Shield Association and drugmaker Abbvie. Holland & Knight's Committee
For Effective Government bundled $104,650 for the DSCC while representing
BlueCross Blue Shield of Minnesota.
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