Lawmakers Reveal Health-Care Investments- Key Players Have Stakes in Industry

Lawmakers Reveal Health-Care Investments
Key Players Have Stakes in Industry

June 13, 2009
By Paul Kane

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061204075.html

Almost 30 key lawmakers helping draft landmark health-care legislation have financial holdings in the industry, totaling nearly $11 million worth of personal investments in a sector that could be dramatically reshaped by this summer's debate.

The list of members who have personal investments in the corporations that will be affected by the legislation -- which President Obama has called this year's highest domestic priority -- includes Congress's most powerful leaders and a bipartisan collection of lawmakers in key committee posts. Their total health-care holdings could be worth $27 million, because congressional financial disclosure forms released yesterday require reporting of only broad ranges of holdings rather than precise values of assets.

Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), for instance, has at least $50,000 invested in a health-care index, and Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), a senior member of the health committee, has between $254,000 and $560,000 worth of stock holdings in major health-care companies, including Bristol-Myers Squibb and Merck.

The family of Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee drafting that chamber's legislation, held at least $3.2 million in more than 20 health-care companies at the end of last year.

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lobbyists because of campaign contributions. I wonder if there is any way to force them to recuse themselves for conflict of interest to get them out of the way? Then maybe the less corrupted by the industry lawmakers can take over.

is pouring into campaigns, smacks of quid pro quo. If the insurance industry didn't want concessions from the lawmakers, you can bet your patootie that they wouldn't donate a dime to any campaigns. All the persons who have had money plopped into campaigns and have holdings in the insurance industry should have to recuse themselves on the process of composing the bill and of voting on the finished product. Anything less smacks of complicity in stacking the deck in favor of their donors and against all the John Does of this nation who have 1. no coverage, 2. minimum coverage and 3. expensive coverage with a huge gigantic deductible as well as restrictions on the hospitals and doctors they can use.

:silly:

Please, someone try to defend this, I am in need of easy sport.

Utterly, unbelievably indefensible.