Big Money In Politics Harmed Healthcare Legislation

Why is the health care law so messed up, and why didn't it include at least a public option? Because big money in politics corrupted the process and nullified the wishes and interests of the public. Once again we learn that the public good is thwarted for the benefit of a very few by the influence of big money. Come to next week's Take Back the American Dream Conference [1] to help work up a plan to fix things. The conference is June 18-20 in Washington, DC.

From National Journal's Influence Alley: Exclusive: AHIP Gave More Than $100 Million to Chamber's Efforts to Derail Health Care Reform [2]. (click through for links, etc.)

The nation's leading health insurance industry group gave more than $100 million to help fuel the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's 2009 and 2010 efforts to defeat President Obama's signature health care reform law, National Journal's Influence Alley has learned.

During the final push to kill the bill before its March 2010 passage, America's Health Insurance Plans gave the chamber $16.2 million. With the $86.2 million the insurers funneled to the business lobbying powerhouse in 2009, AHIP sent the chamber a total of $102.4 million during the health care reform debate, a number that has not been reported before now.

The backchannel spending allowed insurers to publicly stake out a pro-reform position while privately funding the leading anti-reform lobbying group in Washington. The chamber spent tens of millions of dollars bankrolling efforts to kill health care reform.

Fight the influence of big money! Join us for the June 18-20 Take Back the American Dream conference in Washington, DC. [3]