Health Insurers Owe Policyholders, But Pay Congress Instead
In total, health insurance companies’ PACs and employees have given 25 members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation $3.3 million in campaign contributions with 53 percent of that going to Democrats.
At the top of that list is committee member Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who has collected $680,200 over time for his candidate committee and leadership PAC from the companies. But the industry under scrutiny has also helped pay for the campaigns of committee chair Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who has collected $141,000,
President Obama received $1.3 million from the industry in the 2008 election cycle (and $1.4 million if you include his Senate fundraising). Among health insurers, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and AFLAC have made the greatest contributions to current members of Congress over time at $7 million and $5.7 million, respectively.
For a list of all members of the 111th Congress (plus Obama) who have received money for their candidate committees or leadership PACs from the health insurance industry’s PACs and employees*, click here:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/03/health-insurers-owe-policyhold.html
affordable health insurance
Tags: Aflac, Commerce Science, John Kerry, Obama, Senate Committee
