Key Tenn. congressmen received more health donations

By BILL THEOBALD, Gannett Washington Bureau

House members from middle Tennessee who serve on committees with a role in health care reform legislation have received much larger donations from health-related political action committees than other members of the state's congressional delegation.

Overall, the state's 10 House members and two senators received $162,500 from health care PACs in the first six months of 2009, according to a review of campaign finance records.

Leading the way was Rep. John Tanner, D-Union City, who received $49,000 in the first half of the year from a variety of groups.

Tanner is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which passed the House version of health care reform legislation on July 17. Tanner voted against the bill in committee, saying it wouldn't do enough to reduce health care costs and would add to the federal deficit.

Tanner also is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition of conservative House Democrats, who are key players in the health care reform debate.

He received donations from a variety of company and medical association PACs, including the pharmaceutical firms SmithKline Beecham Corp. PAC ($2,500), Merck & Co. Inc. Employees PAC ($2,500), and the Bristol-Myers Squib Co. Employees PAC ($1,000).

``There are many individuals and organizations across Tennessee who choose to participate in the political process through contributions,'' Tanner's spokesman, Randy Ford, said in a written statement. ``Congressman Tanner is focused on talking to as many 8th District residents as possible for ideas on how to fix what's broken in the health care system and keep what works.''

Tanner has raised about $300,000 in campaign donations so far this year. About $250,000 of that has come from political action committees.

Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Murfreesboro, received $38,000 from health-related political action committees in the first six months of 2009, the second-highest amount received by a Tennessee House member. Gordon, also a Blue Dog, voted in favor of the House bill as a member of the House Commerce and Energy Committee, which passed the bill July 31.

Most of Gordon's donations came from groups representing medical professionals, including doctors, nurses, optometrists, and podiatrists.

"Congressman Gordon is more interested in what his constituents have to say than PACs,'' his spokesman, Kinsey Kiriakos, said. ``And, as a practical matter, most of these health care PACs have a different view on health care reform. Further, these contributions make up a small fraction of the amount contributed to the congressman's campaign,'' Kiriakos said.

Gordon raised a total $317,606 from Jan. 1 to June 30, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Brentwood, who also serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and voted against the bill, received $24,500 from health care PACs. Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Nashville, and Rep. Lincoln Davis, D-Pall Mall, each received $4,000.

Republican Sen. Bob Corker received $27,000 in donations from health-related PACs, far and Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander received $9,000. Alexander, who voted against the Senate health reform bill as a member of the Senate Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, received $241,350 from the health sector in the previous two years, according to Congressional Quarterly. Alexander won re-election last fall.

Nationwide, health-related political action committees gave $9.4 million to members of Congress in the first half of the year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Tennessee-based health care political action committees gave $279,050 during that period, lead by the HCA Inc. Good Government Fund, which made $120,500 in donations to campaigns or other health care PACs.

Included in the Nashville-based hospital company's total is $10,000 each to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the Commerce and Energy Committee.