Democrats opposing Public Option bought off

OpenSecrets reports,  “Today was not a good day for supporters of a government-sponsored health care plan.”

Two senators, John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), offered two amendments that would add such an option to the the Senate Finance Committee‘s version of the massive health care legislation Congress has been considering for months — and the committee handily knocked each down today.

for Rockefeller and Schumer.

CEOs of insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies, who tend to oppose the public option, might sleep a little easier tonight. These industries have been implementing a variety of strategies to thwart amendments such as these, including spending big bucks on lobbying and campaign contributions. Lawmakers who sided with these industries have collected more money, on average, than those who voted for these amendments, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.

for all those Senators that voted against the public option amendments of Rockefeller and Schumer.

Here are the details:

The Rockefeller Amendment

• The 15 lawmakers to vote against Rockefeller’s version of the public option have collected $69,137 more, on average, from insurers (including HMOs and health services and health and accident insurers) through their candidate committees and leadership PACs since 1989 than the eight who voted for his amendment ($297,089 versus $227,952).
• The lawmakers who voted against Rockefeller’s amendment have brought in $167,264 more, on average, from pharmaceutical and health care product companies since 1989 than those who supported it ($467,427 versus $297,163).
• The Democrats who voted against their colleague’s proposal have collected $97,472 more, on average, from insurance companies since 1989 than the Democrats who voted for it ($325,424 versus $227,952).
• The Democrats who voted against Rockefeller’s amendment have brought in $163,876 more, on average, from pharmaceutical and health product companies since 1989 than the Democrats who supported it ($461,038 versus $297,163).

The Schumer Amendment

• The 13 lawmakers who voted against Schumer’s version of the public option have collected $93,177 more, on average, from insurers (including HMOs and health services and health and accident insurers) through their candidate committees and leadership PACs since 1989 than the 10 who voted for his amendment ($313,553 versus $220,376).
• The senators who voted against Schumer’s amendment have brought in $210,470 more, on average, from pharmaceutical and health product companies since 1989, than those who supported it ($497,757 versus $287,286).
• The Democrats who voted against their colleague’s proposal have collected $195,284 more, on average, from insurance companies since 1989, than the Democrats who voted for it ($415,660 versus $220,376).
• The Democrats who voted against Schumer’s amendment have brought in $315,923 more from pharmaceutical and health product companies since 1989, than the Democrats who supported it ($603,210 versus $287,286).

Senate Finance Committee

• At $675,350, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), the committee’s chairman, has since 1989 collected more from health insurance companies, including HMOs and health services and health and accident insurers, than all but one other member of the committee — Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.). And Kerry only collected big funds as a presidential candidate in 2004. Meanwhile, only Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) has raised more from pharmaceutical and health product companies in that time ($1.6 million versus $1.1 million). Baucus voted against both amendments.
• Insurers have contributed $265,441, on average, to individual Democrats on the committee, while pharmaceutical and health product companies have donated $360,192, on average, to individual Democrats since 1989.
• Insurers have given $282,921, on average, to individual Republicans on the committee, while pharmaceutical and health product companies have contributed $466,121 since 1989.
• For a list of contributions from health-related industries to members of this committee, visit our health care tools committees database.

I recommend you click the link to the database and see how much money has been collected from the insurance industry by members of the Nevada Congressional Coalition: Senator Harry Reid, Senator John Ensign, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (CD#!), Congressman Dean Heller (CD#2) and Congresswoman Dina Titus (CD#3). Nye county is in Congressional District #2,  Heller’s district.

So, when the next election comes up those of you in CD#2 can vote for Reid, Ensign and Heller or whomever is running against each of them.

Look at the View menu on OpenSecrets’ database page. You will see four different charts you can view: All members, Blue Dogs, Committees and Industry Cheat Chart.

You will be able to see just how much money each of the Nevada Congressional Coalition received from each segment of the health care industry.

I operate on the theory that members of congress either represent for-profit corporations or they represent us ordinary people. For-profit health care industries are opposed to the public option and have been trying to defeat reformation (and are succeeding).

Any member of the Nevada Congressional Coalition that votes for a final health care bill that does NOT have a “Medicare for all” provision I will NOT vote for in the next election.

Related posts:

1. Senator Ensign voted against public option
2. Heller opposes modernization, renovation and repair of public schools
3. Senator Harry Reid supports public option
4. Why there is no single-payer public option
5. 65% of Americans favor public option