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PACs: money equals access, and access equals action
Groups such as the AAO and the ASCRS use funds to help gain access to lawmakers.
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Elizabeth Dole’s decision to end her run for the presidency because she couldn’t raise enough funds to stay afloat was just the lightning rod that campaign finance reform advocates needed to ignite public interest, but it certainly was not the conduit for change.
As long as those who rely on monetary contributions to fund their campaigns are the ones to vote on campaign finance reform, and as long as $200,000 television commercials remain the primary foundation for an effective campaign, you can bet the cash will keep flowing.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, because special interest groups, such as the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (ASCRS), rely on their distribution of political action committee (PAC) funds to help gain access to lawmakers.
Contrary to popular belief, PAC funds are not used to buy votes. They’re used to support candidates for federal elective office who appear to be sympathetic to their contributors’ agenda. The AAO’s OPHTHPAC, lead by director Steve Miller “targets [lawmakers] who can exert direct influence on legislation of importance to ophthalmology, for example, members of the Health Subcommittees of Ways and Means, Commerce and Finance committees. We also look at their past support of our issues, their voting records and the competitiveness of their re-election campaigns,” Mr. Miller said. “Our donation is a more powerful tool for us when it’s given to candidates who really need it, rather than those who are assured re-election.”
Nancey McCann, director of government relations for ASCRS, calls contributions to its PAC, called eyePAC, “an investment in your future.” Ms. McCann further states that “if we want congressional decisions and policies to reflect an understanding of the needs and problems of our profession, then we must become directly involved in helping elect good candidates to public office.”
The more you give, the more you get
Both AAO and ASCRS are working on pumping new blood and more money into their PACs. Each group is incorporating individual ways of recognizing the generosity of contributors; what they have in common is that the more you give the more you get. Make a contribution and you’re invited to an event during the annual meeting; make a bigger contribution and you’re invited to a private reception.
The AAO gives partial credit to OPHTHPAC donations for “blocking onerous cuts to ophthalmology, achieving the first Medicare increase in a decade, securing an 11% increase in funding for eye research and stopping optometric surgery in the Veterans Administration.”
While there is no direct correlation between the PAC money spent and the introduction or outcome of any legislation, there’s ample evidence of an indirect connection. In a survey of former members of Congress, published by The Center for Responsive Politics, former lawmakers said contributions beget access, and access begets action. These former lawmakers emphasized that a lobbyist’s access to a member doesn’t automatically translate into a favorable vote, but they conceded that it does give the lobbyist a chance to make the strongest possible case for that special interest, in the hope of enlisting the member’s support.
Many acknowledged that when [congressional] members believe they cannot support a contributor on a major bill, they often will find a way to support the lobbyist/contributor on some smaller matter that may be little noticed by the news media or the voters back home, but which can be of large importance to that special interest.
Excellent opportunities
Former Rep. Thomas Downey, D-N.Y., is a lobbyist now, so he’s been on both sides of the buck. “Money doesn’t buy a position, but it will definitely buy you some access so you can make your case,” he told The Center for Responsive Politics. “There were times when friends of mine who are lobbyists would bring things to my attention that I might not have been aware of, that I found interesting and compelling. But there had to be some kind of public policy rationale for me to be interested in it. Just that somebody raised money for me and wanted it was not enough.”
AAO President William Tasman, MD, puts it this way, “OPHTHPAC provides a fantastic opportunity for Eye MDs to influence the decision makers who ultimately govern our profession, and in my mind, that’s not an opportunity I want to miss.”
The Federal Election Commission, which oversees federal election laws, defines the guidelines for all PACs. This agency mandates that association members with voting rights within the association may contribute to a PAC. The commission is currently reviewing its definition and is considering a change that could allow all individual domestic members of the AAO to participate in OPHTHPAC.
For Your Information:
- Steve Miller, OPHTHPAC director, can be reached at the American Academy of Ophthalmology, 1101 Vermont Ave. NW, Ste. 700, Washington, DC 20005-3570; (202) 737-6662; fax: (202) 737-7061; e-mail: smiller@aaodc.org.
- Nancey McCann can be reached at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, 4000 Legato Road, Ste. 850, Fairfax, VA 22033; (703) 591-2220; fax: (703) 591-0614; e-mail: nmccann@ascrs.org. Ms. McCann is director of government relations at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.
- The Center for Responsive Politics can be accessed on the World Wide Web at: www.opensecrets.org.