Health care “debate” highlights need for campaign finance reform
Sometimes the most obvious take on current events is so obvious that hardly anyone bothers to say it out loud. A classic case in point is the current national discussion over health care reform in which a small cadre of industry funded shills has managed to mobilize and outrage a goodly number of folks by telling bigger and bigger lies on a daily basis.
As Molly Beacham over at Democracy North Carolina reminded me this morning, the current debate would undoubtedly look and sound a whole lot different if so many members of Congress weren’t so dependent on health care and insurance industry cash to fund their campaigns and/or so fearful of their wrath.
In a hopeful sign that more people are beginning to take not of this “obvious” fact, here are some excerpts from a piece from a group called Americans for Campaign Reform that appeared on the Huffington Post last week:
We believe that real reform of our nation’s healthcare system is floundering for one simple reason: lawmakers in Washington cannot afford to ignore the millions of dollars in healthcare industry money that goes to fund their campaigns.
Consider the numbers. Since the start of 2009, healthcare industry groups — including health insurers, pharmaceuticals, and HMOs — have contributed nearly $20 million to federal candidates and parties, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Combined with the $150 million in 2008 industry contributions to elect our current leaders, and over $500 million in lobbying expenditures in 2008-2009, that puts the healthcare industry at the top of the special interest pyramid alongside Wall Street banks.
And their giving has been anything but haphazard. In nine of the last ten cycles, industry groups gave more to the party in power. Members serving on key congressional committees with jurisdiction over healthcare reform received the lion’s share of industry contributions, an average of $171,000 per cycle, compared with $87,000 for non-committee members. In a climate of rising campaign costs, where incumbent Members of Congress must raise a million dollars or more to keep their seat, it is little wonder that industries with the means and incentive to contribute large amounts are seated at the front of the room. And the public pays the price.
As a partial solution to this dilemma, the post goes on to promote a bill sponsored by North Carolina Republican congressman, Walter Jones: HR 1826, the so-called Fair Elections Now Act. Under the bill, members of congress would have the option of participating in a new system of publicly financed elections that would be similar to the one already in place (and working well) for some Council of State races in North Carolina.
While no one expects the campaign finance reform bill to pass before the health care debate comes to a head, the current mess ought to provide a powerful reminder to all who care as to why such reform is long overdue.
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