Posts tagged Medicare

Public Campaign Action Fund and Health Care for America Now released a new report yesterday detailing all of the insurance industry campaign cash going to U.S. House members who supported Rep. Paul Ryan’s plan to privatize Medicare.

Key Facts:

• Current U.S. House Members who voted for Ryan’s budget plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program have received nearly twice as much insurance industry campaign cash this cycle as those who voted against the bill. Supporters of the bill have received at least $14 million this cycle from the industry while opponents received $7.4 million.
• On average, individual supporters of the plan received 53 percent more money in the 2012 cycle than opponents – $60,472 to $39,435.
• More broadly, supporters of Ryan’s plan have received $49.7 million in contributions from insurance interests during their time in Congress, nearly $12 million more than opponents, who have received $38 million.
• Eight of the top 10 recipients of insurance industry money this cycle are Ryan plan supporters – including every member of House Republican leadership.
• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) is the top recipient of industry cash this cycle in the House, bringing in $463,000 from the industry for the 2012 election and nearly $1.7 million over his career.
• Members of the leadership team – Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Majority Leader Cantor, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Conference Chair Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) – have received a combined $1.4 million in contributions in 2012 and $5 million over their careers.

David Donnelly: “Americans want quality and guaranteed Medicare, but when we have a Congress on the auction block, they’ll put Medicare on the chopping block. This report allows voters to connect the dots for themselves by showing the members of Congress who voted for Ryan’s plan to privatize Medicare while scooping up checks from the insurance industry that would benefit.”