On average, Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee who voted FOR a public option to be included in the health care overhaul took home $3 million given to them by insurance companies and other health care industry lobbyists. Those handful of Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee who voted AGAINST the public option took home more than $10 million.
Now, we're just talking about those members on the committee. Money given to the entire Senate and House of Representatives isn't included in this amount.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus alone got about $1.8 million in campaign contributions from health care lobbyists, according to a report released by The Sunlight Foundation. The foundation is a nonpartisan organization that seeks to make the workings of government more transparent.
You can use the report below to compare how much money members of the Senate Finance Committee got from unions, which favor a public option, versus the amount of money they received from insurance companies and other industry lobbyists.
Just in case you wanted to know what members are on the take - and how much money was stuffed into their pockets - see the chart below. Using campaign finance disclosure forms that members of Congress are required by law to submit, the Sunlight Foundation compiled this report. The info is straight from the horses' mouths, so to speak.
Go ahead, take a look for yourself, and make up your own mind.
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| Name | Party | Labor Contributions (2005-2010) | Health Contributions (2005-2010) | Ratio (Health:Labor) | Rockefeller Amendment | Schumer Amendment |
| Mike Crapo | R | $2,000 | $243,226 | 121.6:1 | N | N |
| Jon Kyl | R | $13,000 | $1,188,238 | 91.4:1 | N | N |
| Chuck Grassley | R | $11,500 | $651,627 | 56.7:1 | N | N |
| Jim Bunning | R | $2,500 | $112,650 | 45.1:1 | N | N |
| John Cornyn | R | $27,250 | $1,226,469 | 44.6:1 | N | N |
| John Ensign | R | $12,000 | $521,575 | 43.5:1 | N | N |
| Orrin Hatch | R | $31,100 | $1,020,334 | 32.8:1 | N | N |
| Pat Roberts | R | $12,000 | $343,849 | 28.7:1 | N | N |
| Blanche Lincoln | D | $36,100 | $641,004 | 17.8:1 | N | N |
| Mike Enzi | R | $26,500 | $423,749 | 16.0:1 | N | N |
| Maria Cantwell | D | $22,500 | $353,342 | 15.7:1 | Y | Y |
| Ron Wyden | D | $39,000 | $370,175 | 9.5:1 | Y | Y |
| Max Baucus | D | $207,925 | $1,763,799 | 8.5:1 | N | N |
| Olympia Snowe | R | $103,750 | $367,549 | 3.5:1 | N | N |
| Kent Conrad | D | $253,750 | $652,178 | 2.6:1 | N | N |
| Debbie Stabenow | D | $284,125 | $737,243 | 2.6:1 | Y | Y |
| Bill Nelson | D | $241,890 | $613,594 | 2.5:1 | N | Y |
| Jay Rockefeller | D | $240,800 | $605,400 | 2.5:1 | Y | Y |
| Chuck Schumer | D | $140,500 | $298,650 | 2.1:1 | Y | Y |
| John Kerry | D | $103,248 | $188,558 | 1.8:1 | Y | Y |
| Jeff Bingaman | D | $229,500 | $366,414 | 1.6:1 | Y | Y |
| Tom Carper | D | $180,010 | $287,406 | 1.6:1 | N | Y |
| Robert Menendez | D | $400,100 | $603,343 | 1.5:1 | Y | Y |
** Both Senators Chuck Schumer and Jay Rockefeller each introduced public option plans. Both were voted down by the U.S. Senate Finance Committee.
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