Hospitals, as well as the private health insurance and pharmaceutical industry, have been represented by Partnership for America’s Health Care Future (PAHCF), a lobbying group that opposes Medicare For All, as well as other reforms to the health care system, such as a public option. An ad paid for by PAHCF refers to them as "the same thing: higher taxes or higher premiums." According to HuffPost, they have "spent at least $1 million in television advertisements blasting the policy in Iowa alone."
In addition to the large amount of money spent on ads opposing Medicare For All, PAHCF lobbyists -- namely Cindy S. Brown, Jay Driscoll, Kristina Dunklin, Jeff Forbes, Libby Greer, Francesca McCrary, Jeff Strunk, and Kelley Williams -- have also contributed tens of thousands of dollars to members of Congress, as well as PACs supporting congressional candidates. The largest recipient of these lobbyists' money this election cycle has been Gov. Steve Bullock (D-MT), a former candidate for president who has received $8,107 from them, both through his campaign and the PAC that supported it, Big Sky Values, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, and, unsurprisingly, campaigned against Medicare For All. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL) follows close behind Bullock on this list, receiving $7,700 from PAHCF lobbyists. Forbes has also donated $2,700 to Theresa Greenfield, a real estate broker running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Iowa, where, as aforementioned, PAHCF has spent $1 million. In addition, the campaigns Greenfield and former Gov. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), a Democratic Senate candidate in Colorado, have received funding from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), which, in turn, has taken $1,000 from Brown.
PAHCF lobbyists have also donated to other PACs that, in turn, donate to several anti-Medicare For All Democrats, including the Blue Dog PAC -- to which they have given $2,500 -- the Congressional Black Caucus PAC -- which received a $1,000 donation from Greer -- as well as Elect Democratic Women -- to which Greer contributed $1,500. To clarify, not all candidates receiving financial support from these PACs are necessarily against Medicare for All. In fact, several of them have cosponsored H.R.1384, Rep. Pramila Jayapal's (D-WA) Medicare For All bill. However, the money they have either directly or indirectly received from these lobbyists certainly puts into question their commitment to the policy.
In conclusion, while PAHCF has already spent millions running ads against Medicare For All, its lobbyists have taken it a step further by giving to candidates, both directly and indirectly, who do not support it. While public support for Medicare For All is high among the American public, as long as lobbyists and money have an influence in our political system, they can buy congressional opposition to even the most popular issues.
Comments