Dem holdouts on "Medicare For All" have received twice as much insurance industry cash as sponsors

[HarmonyRockets]

https://maplight.org/story/democratic-holdouts-on-medicare-for-all-have-received-twice-as-much-insurance-industry-cash-as-sponsors

Democratic senators who haven’t signed on to Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” proposal have received twice as much cash from the insurance industry as the bill’s sponsors, MapLight has found.

The insurance industry has donated an average of $23,600 since 2010 to senators who have co-sponsored Sanders’ bill, according to a MapLight review of campaign finance data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics. Democratic senators who have not yet supported his legislation, including Sen. Angus King, a Maine independent, have received an average of $55,500 from the industry.

The independent senator from Vermont has been pitching a government-run, single-payer health care system since 1993. But the idea became popular among progressive voters during his 2016 primary campaign against eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and is picking up support. About one-third of American adults polled in June said they now support a single-payer health care system.

Sanders, who formally proposed his “Medicare for All” plan on Wednesday, has picked up support from 16 of the Senate’s 46 Democrats. Supporters include potential 2020 presidential contenders, such as Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.; Kamala Harris, D-Calif.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. A majority of House Democrats are backing a similar proposal introduced in January by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich.

[Trust Buster]

1. I disagree. Those Senators want to fix the ACA. A more realistic approach.

[Arazi]

2. Sanders, Conyers and the other co-sponsors are also working on fixing the ACA

They repeated that yesterday. Forcefully. Many times.

That fact has also been repeated here several times. Walk and chew gum at the same time.

But carry on.... SMH

[Trust Buster]

3. That has nothing to do with the OP. But carry on.

[Honeycombe8]

19. Why not have a plan for both, run 'em up the flag pole, & see which one flies? nt

[Trust Buster]

29. Because, after repeal and replace failed, Republicans were starting to accept the idea of a fix.

Single payer is political dynamite to a Republican politician. This will send them running back to their bunkers. Common sense would indicate that you get the Republicans to participate in a legislative fix to the ACA, THEN Sanders can cry "single payer" all he wants as far as I'm concerned. With millions having ACA policies and vulnerable, the timing of this could not be worse.

[Demsrule86]

26. Really and what have they done exactly...you know the will get a score from the CBO and use it

against us...all for something that has no chance of passing.

[still_one]

4. Because some self-identified progressives refused to vote for the Democratic nominee, this issue is

essentially on hold for the next 4 years

[NurseJackie]

6. Nailed it! Pride and vanity from the political-cultists/Stein-voters/non-voters.

I have to laugh every time I hear one of those ijits refer to themselves as "progressive"... they're nothing of the sort. Having a big ego does not make one "progressive".

[uponit7771]

15. Yep

[Eliot Rosewater]

45. And if Cenk Uyger has anything to say about it, and he will, ONLY

certain Democrats will be allowed to win in 2018.

So if i were you I would assume the GOP will gain seats, not lose them, and the fallout will be deadly.

[bettyellen]

5. Looking at the dollar amounts, quite a few no votes took less money than the supporters did....

And it's really a handful who took exhorbitant amounts - 10X the average - that are skewing what "average" they cite here. It's more bullshit smears of decent Dems. I'm shocked I tell you!

[NurseJackie]

7. I figured as much. Democrats being smeared again. Lies and distortions. What a surprise.

[bettyellen]

8. It may boil down to how much symbolic gestures mean to a representative -

I saw some good people in the "no category" and sure enough they have NOT taken big donations from insurance companies. But they have been vilified and dragged through the mud by supposed progressives. Not falling for this divisive shit.

[NurseJackie]

10. "Not falling for this divisive shit." -Sadly, others will. It stokes the sparks of irrational rage

... it fans the flames of bitterness and resentment. False and misleading "statistics" and "averages" with intentionally negative characterizations only feed the egos and vanities of those who are eager to smear good Democrats.

[JI7]

31. If they were serious about this they would work on convincing voters to support it

And this includes telling them taxes may be higher but benefits outweigh.

[uponit7771]

16. Thank you, sounds like more rat fucking going on

[bettyellen]

20. Totally ratfucking. When will people take a critical eye before posting such unfounded smears

Whoever wrote this stuff is fucking around w "progressives". They should be disavowing this crap instead of spreading it.

[emulatorloo]

9. You know OpenSecrets reports INDIVIDUAL donation under the name of the company who employs them

right?

A lot of these articles and meme makers have trouble reading OpenSecrets, even though the site is clear on what they are actually reporting

So an fictional example:

I am Joe Johnson, a Democrat.

I work at Apple.

I gave Bernie a 100.00.

OpenSecrets lists my contribution under Apple Computer.

However it is MY DAMN MONEY, it isn't Apple's money.

Apple the industry by is not allowed to donate large amts of money

Those numbers you see on OpenSecrets represent individual donations.

A real life example:

My cousin used to work at an insurance company, she talked to patients on the phone to help them

She gave money to Democrats

It was her money. Personal money. She is not "the insurance industry"

But OpenSecrets reports individual donations under the name of the company the individual works at.

Another example:

Is Bernie in the pocket of Apple, Microsoft, The US Navy, The University of California?

No, people who worked there gave him their own hard earned cash.

[NurseJackie]

11. Thank you! Thank you very much!

[area51]

22. OT, but I love Essie Davis. n/t

[bettyellen]

12. I tried to explain that to so many people last year- they were brainwashed to think it was all

"Corporate" contributions, not individuals who worked for them. People did not take my word for it, either.

[peggysue2]

14. Excellent information

And this is how we defuse these contentious headlines. With facts, not hair-on-fire accusations.

Thank you for that.

[The Wielding Truth]

30. If it was an individual donation, why was your company even mentioned?

[tammywammy]

35. Employer is part of the FEC form you fill out when you make a donation. n/t

[The Wielding Truth]

37. So non one can make a donation without it being tied to your employer?

[tammywammy]

39. I guess you've never made a donation. You're required to list your occupation and employer.

https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/keeping-records/records-receipts/

[The Wielding Truth]

40. Yes I have but I am not employed by company. I am self employed.

My point is that our employer should not be considered as the donor when we send an individual contribution.

[tammywammy]

43. It's asked for a reason.

What the Federal Election Commission is trying to do is make sure that you are the one donating money to a political campaign--and only because you wanted to--rather than your employer, who might just be using you (or your personal information) to contribute more money to a political campaign in excess of the contribution limits established under law for individuals and private corporations. This has actually happened before, wherein employers either hire employees for the sole purposes of supporting a political campaign, or try to exert undue pressure on existing employees to coerce them into voting for (or donating money to) political campaigns and candidates that the employer supports, but to which the employee is actually ambivalent or even hostile. In fact, according to the The New York Times and other news agencies, there is a lot of evidence to suggest that this type of coercion is still ongoing:

https://www.quora.com/U-S-Presidential-Campaign-Donations-why-must-we-include-employer-and-occupation-information

[The Wielding Truth]

44. I see. Thanks. Their should be a way to tell the government that this is your donation and has

nothing to do with your employer. Don't you think?

[tammywammy]

36. Exactly. I work in an industry and company widely disliked by many on here.

I donate to democrats.

[George II]

13. You should read up on FEC campaign finance law and details of what's contained in candidates'...

...financial reports.

Of course, no details are required for contributions under $50. That's interesting, isn't it?

[NurseJackie]

17. That *is* interesting. It certainly explains a lot.

[Honeycombe8]

18. Well, well, well. We should start a list. nt

[OilemFirchen]

23. "I have in my hand..."

Go for it. You can start with my Senator, Sherrod Brown.

[Demsrule86]

25. Sherrod Brown is a great Senator. He is also my Senator.

[JI7]

27. had sherrod Brown cosponsered it ?

[OilemFirchen]

32. No. (n/t)

[JI7]

34. And brown is a true progressive

Anyone who targets him for defeat will show what they are really about. And it certainly isn't supporting progressive causes.

[Honeycombe8]

28. You mean he's on the "no" list & has big donations from ins? nt

[OilemFirchen]

33. No. (n/t)

[Honeycombe8]

42. You really need to cut your posts down and stop being so verbose.

Glad to hear that about Sherrod Brown. I like him.

[Demsrule86]

24. Fixing the ACA is more important. To introduce single payer now was foolish and could cost us the

coming elections and the ACA.

[lapucelle]

38. "The independent senator from Vermont has been pitching a government-run,

single-payer health care since 1993".

So has Jim McDermott the actual author and sponsor of the 1993 bill and the 89 other congressmen who were co-sponsors along with BS.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1200/cosponsors

[clu]

41. stop criticizing the party

we'll get killed in the midterms!@