PAs for Health Freedom

Sources:
1) AAPA News May 30, 2008
2) Federal Election Commission
3)

This should attract our readers’ antennae. The article talks about the AAPA’s Political Action Committee (PAC). PACs are legal ways to bribe politicians to listen to you. So, who is the AAPA bribing? I thought I’d look. I went to the FEC (Federal Election Commission) website and found out EXACTLY who the AAPA PAC paid. Click here for my compiled summary of the AAPA PAC contributions by congress. I list the contributions by congress person and their party. Note : 22 Democrats and 8 Republicans received funds donated by PAs. On the FEC site you can also find out which PAs donated. The Center for Responsive Politics (at www.opensecrets.org links to the AAPA PAC info also)

So, is the AAPA PAC supporting congress people who you support? Check out the FEC or OpenSecrets.org which makes these contributions transparent. Is the AAPA PAC supporting health policy that you support?

Source: AAPA News, May 30, 2008

The AAPA has a new project: “PAs for a Healthy America: Vote 2008” . According to the article on the same, the AAPA will be distributing campaign-style pins with the slogan at the conference. So what is behind this? The insert in this weeks News lists the “AAPA Principles for Health Care Reform” with the first being: “Access to quality, affordable, cost-effective health care for all”.

Anyone who know political keywords, knows that these all point to socialized medicine. Major players in the AAPA are using our organization to push their political agenda. Bill Leinweber, the AAPA’s new executive vice president/CEO says, “With a mission to promote quality, cost-effective, and accessible health care, and with our vision for PAs to be worldwide leaders vital to providing and improving the medical care of all people, we cannot remain silent at this time.” Translation: “PAs should vote for socialized medicine.” We disagree. But more than must disagreeing, we are offended that our national organization is taking a political stance while its members come from many political positions.