How they voted: You don’t always get what you paid for

BERKELEY
November 10, 2009 12:02am

Despite massive contributions to the campaign coffers of many members of Congress, the health insurance industry failed to get a majority to oppose sweeping reforms in Saturday’s vote.

Here is how Central Valley members voted along with how much money they’ve gotten recently from the accident and health insurance industry, which opposed the bill.

The figures are compiled by the nonpartisan MAPLight organization. They include contributions from January 2003 through this past June.

• Dennis Cardoza, D-Merced, voted “yes.” He has received $2,000 in contributions from the accident and health industry.

• Jim Costa, D-Fresno, voted “yes.” He has received $3,500 from the industry.

• Daniel Lungren, R-Sacramento, voted “no.” He has received $8,000.

• Doris Matsui, D-Sacramento, voted “yes.” She has received $26,500 from the accident and health insurance industry.

• Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, voted “no.” He has received $19,869 from the accident and health insurance industry.

• Jerry McNerney, D-Pleasanton, voted “yes.” He has received $6,250 from the insurance industry.

• Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, voted “no.” He has received $22,500 from the accident and health insurance industry.

• George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, voted “no.” He has received $5,500 from the accident and health insurance industry.

The two California members who received the most money from the accident and health insurance industry -- $45,000 each – and who voted “yes” on the health insurance reform bill, were Xavier Becerra and Nancy Pelosi. Mr. Becerra is a Los Angeles Democrat who sits on what many say are the two most powerful committees in Congress, Ways and Means and the Budget committee. Ms. Pelosi is Speaker of the House.

MAPLight.org describes itself as “a nonpartisan, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization based in Berkeley, California. Its mission is to illuminate the connection between Money and Politics (MAP) using our groundbreaking database of campaign contributions and legislative votes. MAPLight.org combines data from the Federal Election Commission, the Center for Responsive Politics, GovTrack.us, the National Institute on Money in State Politics (NIMSP), the Los Angeles City Ethics Commission and other sources to better inform Americans and local and national media about the role of special-interest money in our political system.”

For more information

http://maplight.org/map/us/bill/86455/default/votes/votedetail-382018?sort=asc&order=State