Since August, Under the Influence has profiled the 25 top-spending groups involved in the health care debate, based on the amount of money devoted to all lobbying activities in the first half of 2009.
To find out which groups want a public option, how much money they've spent on TV advertising, where key players are going to voice concerns and much more, read all of the profiles here.
The "Health Care Players" for the first half of 2009 are:
| Group | Lobbying Spending,
First Half 2009 |
| 1. Chamber of Commerce | $17,426,000 |
| 2. PhRMA | 13,060,000 |
| 3. AARP | 9380000 |
| 4. American Medical Association | 8,220,000 |
| 5. Business Roundtable | 7,360,000 |
| 6. American Hospital Association | 7,070,000 |
| 7. Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association | 4,640,000 |
| 8. America's Health Insurance Plans | 3,900,000 |
| 9. Biotechnology Industry Organization | 3,720,000 |
| 10. American College of Radiology Association | 2,090,218 |
| 11. American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network | 2,000,000 |
| 12. Federation of American Hospitals | 1,840,000 |
| 13. National Federation of Independent Business | 1,565,402 |
| 14. American Dental Association | 1,510,000 |
| 15. American Academy of Family Physicians | 1,450,434 |
| 16. Service Employees International Union | 1,382,272 |
| 17. American College of Emergency Physicians | 1,376,138 |
| 18. AFSCME | 1,280,000 |
| 19. National Association of Children's Hospitals | 1,170000 |
| 20. American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons | 1,133,000 |
| 21. Generic Pharmaceutical Association | 1,105,926 |
| 22. Alliance for Quality Nursing Home Care | 1,092,605 |
| 23. AFL-CIO | 1,080,000 |
| 24. College of American Pathologists | 775,717 |
| 25. Academy of Managed Care Physicians | 675,478 |
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Beeker
Do you really think that I was surprised by the spending of influence by those listed? In actuality I would have expected it because all are interested in getting what they wanted never mind the consequences.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Robert Odle
I didn't see any lobbyists representing me in the list above. Of course, that is consistent, I don't feel there are any congressman representing me either.