![]() ![]() The group also donated $25,000 to the leadership funds of Reps. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the AMA suggested that it might withhold contributions to Republicans who voted against certifying state results for the 2020 presidential election.Īt the time, the group added a note to its webpage explaining that “physicians abhor violence and were shocked and dismayed” by the insurrection, adding its political action committee would “include a review of the recent electoral college certification vote and the violent attacks” when donating to campaigns for the 2022 election.īut in the 2021-22 cycle, AMPAC donated more than $110,000 to candidates who voted to sustain objections to the electoral votes in the 2020 election. Likewise, the political action committee contributed more than $26,000 to candidates who co-sponsored legislation to limit doctors’ ability to provide gender-affirming care. ![]() Anthony Pro-Life America, according to a POLITICO analysis of Federal Election Commission data. In the 2021-22 cycle, AMPAC contributed nearly $350,000 to lawmakers who were given ratings of A or A+ by anti-abortion group Susan B. It’s a major reason why the AMA’s political action committee continues to give generously to GOP candidates who oppose its stances on abortion and other polarizing health issues. In his farewell address, Resneck called the possibility that Congress will allow cuts to Medicare reimbursements “existential threats to our profession and to our patients.” ![]() The group has repeatedly warned that Medicare payment cuts would lead doctors to cease treating Medicare patients - though the vast majority of non-pediatric physicians remain part of the government program - or could lead doctors to close their practices. The AMA’s ability to keep Republicans on its side, even as it opposes many of the party’s policies, could have far-reaching ramifications not only for doctors’ pay but also for patients. “Their credibility is so diminished that it’s a liability,” the lobbyist said, adding that Republicans on the Hill often ask: “What the hell is with the AMA?” Checks and ‘existential threats’ The person added that, “the social issues just feel like they’re eclipsing everything.”Īnother lobbyist representing another physician group, granted anonymity for the same reason, said their employer thinks twice about teaming with the AMA because of its reputation among conservatives. Lobbyists who work on Capitol Hill on behalf of doctors, and the congressional staffers who meet with them, said those positions - as well as the AMA’s support for abortion rights, transgender care, gun control and action to combat climate change - haven’t gone over well with Republicans.Ī lobbyist for health providers whom POLITICO granted anonymity to avoid damaging their relationship with the AMA said mentions of the group are “almost always met with an eye roll” in GOP offices. “I don’t think it’s an issue at all … In spite of sometimes what are headline-grabbers, we really, I think, are being very effective at bringing people together,” Ehrenfeld said.īut those in the rooms discussing provider policy on the Hill tell a different story. The AMA says its positions on public health issues aren’t undermining its lobbying clout. doctors have raised as a public health concern.Īnd with the Supreme Court decision barring universities from considering race in admissions just days away, Ehrenfeld, in accepting the group’s presidency, predicted the ruling would “undermine decades of progress in creating a diverse physician workforce.” In his farewell address as the organization’s president, Jack Resneck, a dermatologist, decried divisive political rhetoric and policy on abortion and transgender adolescents - and called for gun control, an issue many U.S. “And we will always stand up for the science.”Īt the AMA’s annual meeting in Chicago in June, AMA delegates adopted a resolution condemning the war on drugs. Ehrenfeld, suggesting that Republicans’ rightward shift has given doctors no choice. “We continue to see an attack on science and evidence-based medicine,” said AMA President Jesse M. The AMA says it’s been forced to speak out against attacks on science as the Republican Party moves right. The caucus tried to clear the air with their AMA colleagues at a January meeting in which they discussed the group’s credibility among Republicans, but concerns remain. Greg Murphy, (R-N.C.), a urologist who co-chairs the GOP Doctors Caucus, citing disagreements over the AMA’s “social justice and equity agenda.” “They do have some issues and some credibility to regain with those who practice,” said Rep. ![]()
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