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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2009
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Health Bill Author Baucus Reaps $1.5M From Industry

Finance chairman raked in donations while crafting measure

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(Newser) – It's no secret that Capitol Hill is awash in money from the health-care industry but the amounts involved are far larger than many realize, according to a new report from a watchdog group. The Sunlight Foundation found that many senators—especially Montana Democrat Max Baucus, chair of the Senate Finance Committee and author of the main health bill—received donations not only from health care companies, but from the private lobbyists that represent those firms. Baucus alone received $1.5 million.

"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 stunned," said a Sunlight spokesman. The health care industry has pumped close to $400 million into donations and advertising in efforts to influence legislation in recent months. The funds have killed the chances of a public option and bought a "total victory for the health insurance industry,"  a Harvard professor tells the Guardian.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., appears on Capitol Hill yesterday.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., appears on Capitol Hill yesterday.   (AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)
Why is this man smiling? Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., relaxes during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on health care reform legislation on Capitol Hill yesterday.
Why is this man smiling? Senate Finance Committee chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., relaxes during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on health care reform legislation on Capitol Hill yesterday.   (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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What the bill has done is use the coercive power of the state to force people to hand their money over to a private entity which is the private insurance industry. That is not what people were promised.
- Harvard profesor Steffie Woolhander

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20 comments
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armywife
Oct 2, 09 3:30 AM CDT
the out-of-control lobbying industry is one of the single biggest problems our country is facing right now. these mega-industry lobbies are standing between the american people and their representatives, effectively negating our voices. i dont know what the solution is, but we really need to find one. Reply
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+12
IN RESPONSE:
shonangreg
Oct 2, 09 6:31 AM CDT
We need a growing popular call to stop it, and it might be forming now. I would think the Democrats would rally together and form a *real grassroots movement* -- not the fake ones FOX "News" keeps whipping up and serializing . . . *We* need to fight against all the Democratic Senators who oppose the public option yet take money from health insurers. This needs to be a basic requirement of the people on their Democratic representatives. If the supporters of the Reps refuse to concede this point and continue serving the wrong master, the next election risks becoming a one-issue election -- similar to the way abortion was dealt with years ago. ........................................ The Republicans could even join in with something similar on their side -- when they finally get serious about governing and give up the current project of letting the crazies run the show . . . .
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+5
riffran
Oct 2, 09 3:40 AM CDT
agreed..the whole lobby thing is rife and corrupt Reply
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+9
IN RESPONSE:
proud_prude
Oct 2, 09 2:07 PM CDT
move.on and the entire climate change movement need to get behind eliminating this disgusting system. If we think obscene amounts are being thrown into the fight against health industry reform, just wait till the energy companies get serious about killing cap and trade (not that cap and trade is the ideal solution.) Publicly funded campaigns and free air time for candidates are a great place to start, but if it takes a constitutional amendment to deprive corporations of their "first amendment rights" then so be it -- maybe the electoral college can be abolished at the same time.
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0
justleaveme
Oct 2, 09 3:56 AM CDT
So much for the Congressional Health Plan, it appears their is an alarmingly epidemic rate of conscience-failure in Washington D.C. Reply
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+2

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