What happens when subject-expert lobbyists might also work for both industry and government at the same time?

A lobbyist is a subject-matter expert. How much --if at all--do lobbyists and congressional aides influence Senators and other decision makers in government regarding the healthcare debates?

According to the article, "Congressional Aides For Health Care Have Industry Ties," published September 16, 2009 on the Medical News Today site, several of the most influential aides in the closed-door Senate Finance Committee negotiations over health care reform have health-care industry ties directly changed by any new healthcare legislation. What do you think about the links between the health care industry and the congressional aides that have connections in the industry?

Is there a conflict of interest? See the article, "Revolving door for health care aides," by Manu Raju, published on September 15, 2009 online in Politico. That article reports, "Some of the most influential aides in the closed-door Senate Finance Committee negotiations over health care reform have ties to interests that would be directly affected by the legislation."

Although the article reports that "There’s no evidence that the aides’ ties have shaped the bill that Baucus hopes to release Tuesday," what do you think public opinion should be on the close connections between the health care industrial complex and the congressional aides?

It's the Senators making the decisions, not the aides. But do the aides influence them, and if so, how much? If the aides are linked to the large industrial healthcare industries, is there something like nepotism working for or against the public and the healthcare system?

The big problem is that insiders are well-connected. Is that a problem? Can it cause conflicts? What happens when insiders are too well-connected or that everyone with a voice is well-connected once they get a foot in door of the same room with the Senators?

The result is the healthcare debate's revolving door has always been there. Is the public aware of this? Doors open and shut. How does this phenomena relate to the Finance Committee?

What consumers can do is look at public records. You might research the links and industrial ties between former and present lobbyists, consultants, and advisers for consumers' rights companies, firms representing the rights of patients, corporations representing the rights of hospitals, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and medical device makers and other groups with loud voices that are "now in key positions in the House and Senate, according to a review of public records."

Who's influencing the Senators? Look at the government-relations departments of their law firms. If you're an investigative journalist, you might research the public information available about the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. There's lots of research to be done, if you're allowed access to such informational records. What happens when lobbyists start to advise senators? For example, say you once had a job as a tax lobbyist. Then you change jobs. You might find another job where you could advise Senators on tax issues.

Or maybe, you're a consumer or a journalist who wants to read more. You can start your research with group such as Public Accountability Initiative, which tracks politicians’ ties to numerous interests. According to the article, "Revolving door for health care aides," more than 500 former congressional aides have gone on to become health care lobbyists.

If you begin to research these topics, you'll find a lot of people in government that don't agree on various aspects of the present healthcare issues. You could research the interests of the American Board of Internal Medicine, for example. Or you could look at al the groups researching policy strategies or couples where one partner is a lobbyist and the other in government, or other issues.

Consumers can become activists or investigative journalists and look at what information is available to the public. It's notable to find out how well-connected people are that work in industry and government. But can they influence the decisions of Senators? That remains to be seen as hindsight, insight, and foresight. For more information, also see the September 16, 2009 article, "Baucus releases health care bill," by: Carrie Budoff Brown. "The $856 billion plan forces insurers to change the way they do business; it does not have a public option."

For more info: browse my books, How Nutrigenomics Fights Childhood Type 2 Diabetes & Weight Issues (2009) or Predictive Medicine for Rookies (2005). Or see my books, How to Safely Tailor Your Foods, Medicines, & Cosmetics to Your Genes (2003) or How to Interpret Family History & Ancestry DNA Test Results for Beginners (2004) or How to Open DNA-driven Genealogy Reporting & Interpreting Businesses. (2007). Check out my free audio lecture on Internet Archive, How nutrigenomics fights childhood type 2 diabetes. Photo credits: Flickr.com.

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