The 52 fiscally conservative House Democrats known as the Blue Dogs and playing prominent roles in the nation’s health care reform debate continue to collect campaign funds from health insurers at a greater rate than their non-Blue Dog counterparts, the Center for Responsive Politics has found.

Health and accident insurers, HMOs and health services increased their contributions to Blue Dogs by at least 15 percent between the first and second quarter of this year (from $106,200 to $122,650), but by 3 percent to non-Blue Dog House Democrats. Blue Dogs’ stance on health care reform is more in line with that of health insurers and pharmaceutical companies — they oppose a public health plan unless “insurance market reforms and increased competition don’t lower costs on their own,” according to Politico.

(Note: As CRP continues to code contributions by industry, these numbers are likely to increase.)

In the first six months of the year, Blue Dogs have also brought in more, on average, from health insurers than both Republicans and non-Blue Dog Democrats in the House.

Blue Dog Democrats have collected $4,401, on average, through their leadership PACs and candidate committees this year. That compares to $3,085 to non-Blue Dog House Democrats and $3,820 to House Republicans.

Interestingly, nursing homes have also increased their contributions to the group of moderate Democrats, from $31,000 in the first quarter to $73,400 in the second. That’s a jump of 137 percent, compared to an increase of 88 percent to non-Blue Dog House Democrats and 41 percent to House Republicans.

Nursing homes also seem to prefer Blue Dogs — so far this year they’ve given $2,008, on average, to members of the coalition, compared to $1,133 to non-Blue Dog House Democrats and $533 to House Republicans.

So far, based on the total individual contributions that CRP has coded, 7 percent of all donations to the candidate committees and leadership PACs of Blue Dogs this cycle have come from employees and political action committees of the health sector. And health professionals are the second largest donating industry to members of the coalition this cycle, giving $688,250.

For an analysis of where the Blue Dog PAC has gotten its cash this year, check out the Center for Public Integrity‘s July report. And you can find our earlier report on contributions to the individual Blue Dog members here.

Here’s a list of the members of the Blue Dog Coalition and the total they’ve received to their leadership PAC and candidate committees from the employees and PACs of various health-related industries and the health sector overall since 1989:

Name Health Sector Health Insurance Pharmaceutical Health Pros Hospitals Nursing Homes Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) $1,446,549 $620,804 $130,999 $806,060 $163,716 $140,500 Rep. Bart Gordon (D-Tenn) $1,192,646 $96,210 $168,728 $711,718 $113,350 $157,250 Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark) $979,520 $38,000 $113,300 $660,298 $47,900 $102,250 Rep. John Tanner (D-Tenn) $970,149 $246,450 $306,470 $280,118 $215,436 $25,750 Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn) $900,664 $159,175 $104,650 $237,532 $240,030 $40,923 Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah) $789,429 $92,500 $227,951 $409,535 $54,650 $10,000 Rep. Allen Boyd (D-Fla) $731,992 $77,750 $166,461 $423,394 $86,281 $18,956 Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif) $669,532 $59,820 $133,500 $375,382 $49,635 $63,100 Rep. David Scott (D-Ga) $616,779 $94,831 $64,000 $501,128 $24,401 $3,250 Rep. Marion Berry (D-Ark) $571,667 $22,250 $40,050 $404,517 $43,800 $60,600 Rep. Dennis Moore (D-Kan) $467,355 $138,200 $47,750 $311,505 $74,100 $3,000 Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga) $462,425 $56,000 $20,150 $330,574 $53,501 $27,700 Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa) $449,802 $43,550 $88,067 $171,450 $115,735 $18,500 Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) $427,948 $26,250 $44,998 $274,650 $57,050 $12,500 Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-Calif) $415,839 $62,300 $62,700 $229,584 $39,330 $1,000 Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) $396,994 $12,750 $36,550 $305,694 $28,850 $500 Rep. Baron Hill (D-Ind) $393,299 $80,500 $142,597 $154,027 $50,975 $16,000 Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif) $392,308 $24,750 $23,650 $306,586 $43,192 $4,000 Rep. Tim Holden (D-Pa) $388,278 $20,673 $7,300 $305,042 $51,288 $13,250 Rep. Sanford D Bishop Jr (D-Ga) $362,296 $181,890 $28,500 $210,596 $52,800 $4,450 Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga) $359,251 $49,100 $64,750 $241,475 $15,625 $12,500 Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif) $359,006 $20,350 $11,000 $254,406 $56,700 $25,000 Rep. Patrick J Murphy (D-Pa) $341,703 $33,300 $117,936 $132,611 $48,424 $6,300 Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) $330,924 $46,600 $15,600 $215,430 $58,549 $18,200 Rep. Leonard L Boswell (D-Iowa) $311,930 $63,350 $6,550 $230,580 $41,750 $15,850 Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif) $308,194 $39,000 $43,950 $213,319 $21,925 $3,000 Rep. Charles J Melancon (D-La) $276,452 $34,600 $62,149 $118,649 $39,800 $3,000 Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz) $269,270 $42,900 $18,500 $173,150 $34,275 $12,000 Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla) $267,710 $26,500 $27,000 $196,760 $29,400 $6,050 Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss) $265,153 $12,600 $5,750 $243,253 $8,500 $500 Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine) $249,750 $32,350 $12,750 $179,850 $23,550 $14,000 Rep. Parker Griffith (D-Ala) $248,700 $14,000 $19,000 $185,500 $13,350 $21,100 Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn) $242,825 $29,750 $43,550 $128,975 $30,350 $24,800 Rep. Collin C Peterson (D-Minn) $235,870 $45,250 $29,500 $167,300 $16,520 $4,050 Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky) $232,600 $30,500 $2,300 $160,750 $29,500 $1,500 Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC) $195,262 $13,750 $74,800 $77,062 $27,900 $10,500 Rep. John Salazar (D-Colo) $190,508 $19,500 $9,750 $120,458 $31,950 $8,250 Rep. Chris Carney (D-Pa) $182,237 $6,400 $24,223 $109,939 $26,025 $8,000 Rep. Zachary T Space (D-Ohio) $175,544 $15,650 $39,019 $92,550 $18,525 $19,950 Rep. Joe Baca (D-Calif) $169,050 $7,500 $13,300 $135,550 $6,300 $3,500 Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-Ind) $160,503 $13,800 $29,500 $110,253 $12,000 $0 Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-Ohio) $154,374 $16,500 $16,004 $99,800 $9,820 $5,000 Rep. Walter Clifford Minnick (D-Idaho) $142,164 $15,950 $4,200 $106,894 $10,870 $7,000 Rep. Glenn Nye (D-Va) $123,150 $2,500 $2,800 $102,200 $3,000 $6,500 Rep. Harry E Mitchell (D-Ariz) $123,075 $40,100 $10,000 $58,000 $16,975 $19,000 Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) $123,047 $15,750 $1,000 $81,047 $12,150 $22,800 Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif) $114,675 $6,500 $12,700 $69,150 $21,225 $3,000 Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind) $109,998 $17,400 $4,450 $74,293 $17,105 $7,500 Rep. Frank M Kratovil Jr (D-Md) $105,706 $15,500 $18,400 $41,706 $13,050 $16,250 Rep. Travis W Childers (D-Miss) $80,900 $7,500 $7,500 $46,700 $8,000 $14,900 Rep. Bobby Bright (D-Ala) $77,250 $14,500 $9,000 $29,200 $6,700 $11,350 Rep. Kathleen Dahlkemper (D-Pa) $61,250 $0 $4,750 $49,100 $5,400 $0

Download a spreadsheet of this data here:

(Note: If you do use this data, please be sure to credit CRP.)



For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: [email protected]

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