Hundreds Of Former Lawmakers And Congressional Staffers Hired To Lobby On Health Care

Washington Post:

The nation's largest insurers, hospitals and medical groups have hired more than 350 former government staff members and retired members of Congress in hopes of influencing their old bosses and colleagues, according to an analysis of lobbying disclosures and other records.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[BPCentrisAmerican]

All the scumbags names should be published on the front page of every news paper. This not 1992 theres an invention called the internet.

[ThinkFL]

It's become extremely obvious that lobbying needs to be completely reformed. I have a big time lobbyist in my semi-distant family and he lives like a KING up in DC. Multi-million dollar house right near the capitol, everything that goes with it. It's absurd.

The flow of money has to be cut off altogether otherwise it's always going to be a corrupt system. In my opinion it should be switched to a volunteer-type system where no one gets any pay, gifts, kickbacks, whatever for lobbying Congress. Companies and organizations can send in their best speakers (who are regular employees) to speak before a committee of Congressmen and it should all be done publicly, broadcast all over C-SPAN so that the world can see what these companies REALLY want and care about. None of this backdoor garbage that no one ever sees. Of course people will try to get around the rules, so the penalties for receiving or giving gifts and meeting outside of the committee should be extremely stiff. If a Congressman takes a bribe, kick him/her out of Congress, throw him/her in prison for a few years, take his/her pension away and bar him/her from ever holding public office or working with Washington again... Next, fine the company involved a few million dollars and bar them from ever lobbying again. See who's got the balls to do it then.

Oh, and impose term limits for Congressmen for God's sake!

[lobear00]

Lobbyiest all need to be behind bars for life. The members of congress who are taking the "Bribes" should be locked away for life as well.

[Heavy]

The insurance companies must go

[scottowego]

Agreed. We all have stories, some horror stories about how they screwed us.... their customers.

[BizSamurai]

Must go non-profit!

[tomasedison]

The health industry and the GOP are scared sh!tless.

The American people might actually benefit from something going on in Congress.

[politicscorner]

Lobbying used to be the biffest threat to democracy. Now it is no longer a threat. There are legitimate reasons why citizens and interest groups should have access to their representatives. But smarmy DC insiders like Dick Armey and Dick Gebhardt who look for easy ways to cash in supporting corporations and industries they know little about have taken over. The revolving door of fascism. There is a reason their name is Dick.

[Saxton]

If we can not get single payer health care in this country, especially given all the rhetoric that democrats have been spouting for years, than we might as well have Palin for president. If Obama and congress can't make this happen then all it has been is a legislative game of slowly bleeding the middle and lower class dry, where as Palin and the Republicans will just shoot.

I expect some major push back on universal health care and the increasing deficit as being a reason for our representatives to not pursue single payer, but if they are so concerned about the deficit than they should have said NO to Bush/Cheney for their fake war and NO to cutting taxes for the wealthy.

[zakon]

YES WE CAN! A hollow public option is NOT WHAT WE THE PEOPLE WANT.

H.R. 676 EVERYBODY IN, NOBODY OUT: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAuwaKl3-nU

Email your House Rep & Senators (D or R): http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

Use my e-mail if you want...

Dear Honorable ______:

Thank you for your service and for representing my fellow constituents and me. National health care reform is underway and I hope you will please support a single-payer, not-for-profit system for delivering health care to all U.S. residents.

I kindly request that you advocate and vote for universal single-payer legislation that provides all individuals residing in the United States with free health care that includes all medically necessary care, such as primary care and prevention, prescription drugs, emergency care, and mental health services. Importantly, legislation needs to prohibit an institution from participating in the program unless it is a public or nonprofit institution. Legislation also needs to give patients the freedom to choose from participating physicians and institutions.

Though America has the best healthcare in the world, for those who can afford it, we also have the national shame of millions being either uninsured or underinsured. Please bring reform that will make us feel proud that America has the most humane healthcare in the world.

It is my hope that you will please consider my opinion as you continue in your honorable role of representing my fellow constituents and me.

Sincerely,

[GardenerNorCal]

So that's where the new jobs are in this economy? Why are lobbyists jobs never outsourced?

[lvdragonlady]

No more LOBBYING allowed.
America we need to find a way to STOP all lobbying and the companies they work for. They serve NO useful purpose. WHY do they exist in the first place?

[AbbieXHoffman]

They serve a very useful purpose. They exist because it is the right of Americans to petition the government EVEN in groups. They are there to let the government know what their interests are in issues and there are lobbyists for all typse of groups including unions, the arts, the environment.

There is no way in h*ll elected officials would ever be able to know all the information they need from all sides of a issue to pass legislation without sitting down with the interested parties. It is an education process the officials just have to be aware (as they are)_ that they are getting both sides of the story.

The problem is that candidates need money to run for office and without campaign finance special interests are the easiest place to get money and votes.

If we have true public campaign financing (like they do in Britain) we wouldn't have this problem. The only solution is true campaign finance reform and a candidate taht is serious about it.

[BizSamurai]

True - it is a right of Americans to petition in groups ... but not corporations as they represent investors... which is the conflict of interest everyone is displeased with.

[Scoppertop]

It's not the Lobby, but the Money... it's the bribery that should be stopped

[arvay]

We don't live in a democratic republic, we live in an oligarchy. This is the proof.

No matter how we vote, Big Money always outvotes us and blunts or thwarts what we want.

The only way I can see around this is to ban all lobbying. Letters and e-mails to representatives, that's it. No trips, no campaign contributions -- nothing.

It's not free speech, its institutional bribery.

[AbbieXHoffman]

No.. we don't ban all lobbying--lobbying is fine and American. Its the MONEY that's passed for campaigning that's the problem. Candidates need the money to run and they get it from all lobbyists including democratic ones like unions. Take away that need and we have a true government of the people.

The only way to get rid of that need is to get a candidate in there that is serious about true campaign finance reform.

[arvay]

It would be easy to limit both the time permitted to campaign and the money spent, as is done in some other countries.

[Firbolg]

Lobbying may be American but the way it works now is not fine. There is no way ordinary people - the flesh and blood type - can compete with the resources of legal people - the corporations. If campaign finance can't be reformed then maybe lobbying finance can.
How about a Federal Ombudsman Bureau, publically funded and with assured access to Congress to compete with the lobbyists on behalf of "we the people". A representative of the FOB would be required to attend registered meetings between lobbyists and Congress members or their staff.
I know this is a function our representatives are supposed to do, but see for yourself what actually happens.

[scottowego]

Sorry but I really don't agree. Allowing groups or blocks to lobby opens the door to distorted information/opinions. There is nothing wrong with contacting your representative via email, phone or snail mail as a regular citizen. We don't need influence peddling. Hope that made sense.

[naschkatze]

We live in a plutocracy, I think. Oligarchy means rule by the few, and that certainly is correct. But plutocracy means rule by the wealthiest few.

[scottowego]

ooooh.... how do I become a plutarch?????

[boilinabag]

this is why any meaningful health care will never pass. until we stop this legalized corruption of congress make lobbyists illegal, we will have to suffer for our excesses............ Bacchus is the perfect example. he heads the committee for this health care bill, yet he has taken millions from k street into his coffers.........

[LivInLove]

Does the mafia offer a health care plans? If I'm going to deal with crooks anyway, I might as well choose a plan that's competitive.

[OkieMon]

drop in the bucket for these t*t sucke*rs.....dems need to force them to go back to insuring houses and cars....not health!!!!

[just saying]

Yeah, because we all know how well they insured houses during the CA wildfires and the Katrina...NOT!

[mountainweb]

The change we have gotten is which pocket the bribe money goes into, amazing how fast the democratic congressmen and senators latched onto the revenue stream....

[emailers2]

Imagine how much health care $1.4 million a day would buy? How much of the $1.4 million was form our health care dollars? No wonder health care is so expensive, look at how the industry sends our money.

Who will represent us, the taxpayer? Where is our place at the table? I am beginning to think that we need a quota system that mandates middle class Congressional seats as a majority of the seats in Congress.

Tired.

[Scoppertop]

"Imagine how much health care $1.4 million a day would buy? How much of the $1.4 million was form our health care dollars?" ANSWER: All of it.

There are 161 million Americans paying approximately $14,000 each per year on health insurance, including premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. The math is easy-- it's 2.25 Trillion per year.