Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Stream of WH health care visits
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Stream of WH health care visits
By SHARON THEIMER and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS,Associated Press Writers -
Friday, November 27
Send
IM Story
Print
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama's top aides met frequently with lobbyists and health care industry heavyweights as his administration pieced together a national health care overhaul, according to White House visitor records obtained by The Associated Press.
The records, obtained Wednesday, disclose visits by a broad cross-section of the people most involved in the health care debate, weighted heavily toward those who want to overhaul the system.
The list includes George Halvorson, chairman and CEO of Kaiser Health Plans; Scott Serota, president and CEO of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association; Kenneth Kies, a Washington lobbyist who represents Blue Cross/Blue Shield, among other clients; Billy Tauzin, head of PhRMA, the drug industry lobby; Richard Umbdenstock, chief of the American Hospital Association, and numerous lobbyists.
The AP in early August asked the White House to produce records identifying communications that top Obama aides _ including chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, senior advisers David Axelrod, Valerie Jarrett and Pete Rouse, and 18 others _ had with outside interests on health care. The AP in late September narrowed its request to White House visitor records for those officials on the topic of health care.
The White House on Wednesday provided 575 visitor records covering the period from Jan. 20, when Obama was inaugurated, through August. The records give the name of each visitor to the White House complex to see people on AP's list, the date of the visit, the White House staffer they were supposed to see and, in some cases, the purpose of the visit. The records do not identify the visitors' employers, say on whose behalf they were there or give any specifics of what was discussed.
The records list the kinds of people usually involved in Washington policymaking: business, union and trade association executives, lobbyists and political strategists. Wednesday's disclosure was significant because of Obama's campaign promise to change business as usual in Washington, and because he voluntarily released records showing the access of special interests as the administration crafted national health care policy.
Earlier this year, the White House announced agreements under which hospitals and the drug industry promised cost savings in return for the overhaul's expected expansion in the number of insured patients. The arrangements were hammered out in private meetings, drawing comparisons to Vice President Dick Cheney's secret talks with the energy industry as he helped President George W. Bush draft a national energy policy. In that case the Bush White House steadfastly fought efforts to have visitor records released.
Obama recently began releasing visitor information on a rolling basis, and the White House put out another batch Wednesday afternoon apart from AP's request. The president "vowed to run the most transparent and ethical administration in our history, and our release of these records underscores our commitment to following through on that," said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin. He added that the list demonstrates that the president is listening to voices from across the health care spectrum.
Several lobbyists for powerful health care interests, including insurers, drug companies and large employers, visited the White House complex, the records show:
_ Laird Burnett, a top lobbyist for insurer Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc., and a former Senate aide. Kaiser has spent some $1.7 million lobbying Congress over the past two years.
_ Joshua Ackil, a lobbyist whose clients include Intel, U.S. Oncology Inc., and Knoa Software Inc., all of which have reported lobbying on the health care overhaul. Ackil met with Dan Turton, the White House's deputy legislative affairs director who works with the House, in August.
_ Peter Orszag, Obama's budget chief, met in late March with representatives for Blue Cross/Blue Shield, including chief executive Serota, in-house lobbyists Alissa Fox and Kris Haltmeyer, and Kies, one of its outside lobbyists and a former top GOP congressional tax aide.
_ Amador "Dean" Aguillen, a former aide to Nancy Pelosi but now with Ogilvy Government Relations, appears to have attended the same Aug. 21 meeting with Turton that Ackil did. At Ogilvy, Aguillen works on behalf of clients including pharmaceutical companies SanofiPasteur and Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Pfizer Inc., and Amgen USA Inc., all of which reported lobbying on health care issues this year.
_ Joel Johnson, a lobbyist with close ties to Rahm Emanuel, appears to have met with his friend one-on-one in May, according to the logs. Johnson, a partner at the Glover Park Group, lobbies for several health interests including United Healthcare Services Inc. and Kinetic Concepts Inc., a medical products maker.
_ Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, a health care ethicist, special White House adviser on health care and brother to Rahm Emanuel, met in late March with lobbyists and executives from the pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. Inc. The meeting included the company's chief executive, Richard Clark, and a vice president, Richard Pasternak, as well as in-house lobbyist Jane Horvath. Also attending was Jonathan Hoganson, a lobbyist at an outside firm who represents Merck as well as PhRMA, the drug industry's major trade association, and several other of its large members including AstraZeneca and Abbott Labs.
_ Rahm Emanuel had an early July meeting with two labor leaders, John Sweeney, then the president of the AFL-CIO, and Gerald McEntee of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and their top lobbyists, Bill Samuel and Chuck Loveless. Sweeney and the AFL-CIO's Samuel also had a visit with Emanuel in March.
The logs show a late-July meeting between Nancy-Ann DeParle, the director of Obama's Office of Health Reform, and lobbyists from the Business Roundtable, the association representing chief executives of major U.S. firms. The group has spent $9.3 million lobbying over the past two years and is keenly interested in the outcome of the health overhaul debate. Among the attendees were the group's top lobbyist, John Castellani, and Antonio Perez, the CEO of Eastman Kodak Company.
White House officials met repeatedly with the American Medical Association, which has pushed hard _ over the objections of some physicians _ for the health overhaul and a corresponding pay hike for doctors. Ezekiel Emanuel included Dr. J. James Rohack, the AMA's president, in a large meeting in March. DeParle met in August with the association's top lobbyist, Richard Deem. That same day, she also huddled with Richard Trachtman, who lobbies for the American College of Physician Services Inc., which represents internists.
Ezekiel Emanuel met in March with executives and lobbyists from Trinity Health, a Michigan-based company that bills itself as the country's fourth-largest Catholic health system. Listed as attending the meeting were Joseph Swedish, the company's chief executive, and Paul Conlon, another top executive, as well as in-house lobbyists and two from the Washington firm Alston & Bird LLP. The lobbying firm is professional home to several former senior health officials in Congress and past administrations, as well as former Democratic Sen. Tom Daschle, who served as majority leader and was Obama's original pick as health and human services secretary.
Representatives of the seniors lobby AARP also met repeatedly with White House officials, the records show. Obama's senior adviser Valerie Jarrett met in June with Barry Rand, the group's chief executive, and two of his top lobbyists, John Rother and Nancy LeaMond. Rother and LeaMond were back the following month with a third lobbyist, David Sloane, to meet with Orszag.
AARP in early November endorsed the House Democratic health care bill, giving the legislation a major boost.
The broader White House disclosure Wednesday _ issued in response to specific requests _ included just over 2,000 visits from the time of Obama's inauguration through August. The White House plans in December to start posting all White House visitor records from mid-September onward, and to do so periodically.
They show the expected, eclectic parade of administration officials, economists, consultants, dignitaries and guests to special functions. Oprah Winfrey's two visits are logged. Reflecting the tenor of the times, the most frequent visitor was Lee Sachs, the Treasury Department's point man on the financial crisis, who came to the White House more than 60 times.
___
Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, Jim Drinkard, Alan Fram, Jim Kuhnhenn and Calvin Woodward contributed to this report.
___
On the Net:
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
New spy charge against jailed Iranian-American AP - 1 hour 27 minutes ago
Russian official admits some blame in lawyer death AP - 1 hour 29 minutes ago
History project calls Friday a 'Day of Listening' AP - 1 hour 29 minutes ago
Norway: Iran seizes Nobel laureate Ebadi's medal AP - 1 hour 32 minutes ago
Kirk's low-key approach in Senate drawing notice AP - 1 hour 34 minutes ago
News Search
Top Stories
World stocks dive on Dubai default fears
Couple crashed White House state dinner
Dubai debt default fears spill into world markets
Gold price breaks $1,195 an ounce
Fed's zero rate policy sparking growing complaints
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Couple crashed White House state dinner
Britain is last major nation in recession
Shuttle undocks from space station, returns to Earth
Obama to head to Copenhagen with climate pledge
Fed's zero rate policy sparking growing complaints
More Most Viewed »
Alcohol helps cut heart disease risk for men: study
Mankind using Earth's resources at alarming rate
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Thursday, 26 November 2009 Iran seeks to quiet critic inside ruling system
Jet-man plunges into sea as Africa-Europe flight fails
Iraqi government launches YouTube channel
Belgium on the block as GM outlines Opel cuts
Israel approves 10-month settlement freeze
Swiss court grants Polanski bail: official
Italian prosecutors seek jail for Google execs
Britain is last major nation in recession
Shuttle undocks from space station, returns to Earth
Obama to unveil his Afghan plan Tuesday
Abbas says to stay on until next Palestinian vote
| International
|
Infineon, Nokia co-operate on next mobile generation
Israel offers, Palestinians reject temporary settlement ease
Israel announces partial settlement freeze
Israeli PM seeks 10-month new settlement halt
Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia released
| International
|
Dozens dead in Ugandan rebel attack in CAR: sources
| International
|
U.S., U.N. aim to end Iraq vote impasse
Irish child abuse survivors criticize payout offer
| International
|
Taliban's Omar rejects Karzai call for peace talks
Infineon, Nokia co-operate on next mobile generation
Energy prices on the rise despite huge supply
Ky. court says state must readopt lethal injection
Philippine govt expels massacre suspect
Americans search for cheaper Thanksgiving trips
Indonesia's top detective replaced after graft scandal
Free to good home: Carrier USS John F. Kennedy
Kandahar is key city in Afghan war
Mom of teen set on fire: Son focused on recovery
Vietnam approves first nuclear power plants: deputy
Placard thieves leave Ito's LA courtroom nameless
Search crew working to free man stuck in cave
Japan PM 'surprised' at reports of dubious funds from mother
BLM delays Nevada horse roundup to allow appeals
NKorea's Kim Jong Il meets China defence minister: report
More bankruptcy cases filed in federal courts
China reports 8 cases of mutated swine flu virus
Pakistan court charges seven over Mumbai attacks
Former AP stringer among 57 dead in Philippines
Ships warned about icebergs headed for New Zealand
Toyota to fix gas pedals on 3.8 mln US vehicles
Alarm over asset bubbles returns with recovery
Toyota 'to fix gas pedals on 4 mln US vehicles'
CNPC, KazMunaiGas seal $2.6 Bln deal
China criticizes US anti-dumping move on pipes
Pakistani stocks end lower; rate cut discounted
FACTBOX-Baluchistan
India electric car pioneer plans biggest plug-in plant
Swiss court grants Roman Polanski bail
| Entertainment
|
BAIC to 'reassess' options after Saab bid fails
Music stores see dream week with Boyle, Lambert
| Entertainment
|
19.2 million people watch Donny Osmond win
TV accused of fanning Pakistan political instability
Iranian director, opposition campaigner wins award
| Entertainment
|
China's pandas worth more than Tiger Woods: Australian zoo
Gypsies seen as outcasts in new, ultra-conservative Iraq
Wall dividing Slovak village sparks Roma outcry
'Delighted' couple holds Australia's first gay union
Illinois Police Investigating Apparent Murder-Suicide Of Family
For Afghan poor, Eid charity starts at home
California's Anaheim Hills Brush Fire Partially Contained
Teen Dodges Scolding; Lives On Subway For 11 Days
Nepal tucks into first international fast-food chain
Toyota Recalling 4 Million Vehicles To Replace Gas Pedals
France to ban 'psychological violence' in marriage
Lawsuit To Delay Massive Roundup, Removal Of Wild Horses In Nevada
Adam Lambert makes a splash, but risks losing fans
Man Robs California Bank With Tears In His Eyes
Britain's ex-top spy attacks govt over Afghan war
EU commission chief unveils nominees for new team
Comcast bid for NBC Universal could be sealed next week: source
A year after, India remembers Mumbai attacks
| International
|
Obama to head to Copenhagen with climate pledge
Canadian generals dismiss torture allegations
Magazine publishers creating 'iTunes for magazines': reports
Wikileaks releases pager intercepts from 9/11
Main suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders
| International
|
Chavez calls Israel murderous U.S. arm
| International
|
Chavez calls Israel "murderous" U.S. arm
Fear of low China target casts cloud over climate talks
| International
|
IAEA chief: Iran must accept nuclear proposal
Honduras Supreme Court backs Zelaya ouster
| International
|
Two journalists kidnapped in Somalia released
| International
|
Fighting Afghan Taliban with Islamic credit unions
| International
|
Israel announces partial settlement freeze
Khmer Rouge torturer had to kill or be killed
| International
|
Aristide party barred from Haiti's February ballot
| International
|
Germany sees 'broad support' for Iran resolution at IAEA
Worst New Zealand air tragedy still sparking rows
Acer says Windows 7 good for sales
| Technology
|
Prime suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders
Neb. drops theft charges against auto executives
Mumbai commemorates anniversary of attacks
Fla. police searching for missing lottery winner
Outback Aussie town to cull invading camels
4 bodies found in suburban Chicago home
AT&T Blasts White House IT Official Over Net Neutrality Remark
Texas District Hospital Fires 16 Workers For Breaching Patient Privacy
A year after, India remembers Mumbai attacks
LA suburb's rebirth rides on electric car plant
City Closes Coffee Stand Drive-Thru Window Due To Complaints About Bikini Clad Baristas
Two Koreas to survey overseas industry; officials
News
Main suspect in Philippine massacre surrenders
W.A.T.C.H. Website Lists Hazardous Toys For Children
JC Penney salesman accused of raping boy in store
Washington Post Announces Closure Of Domestic Bureaus
Obama's first pardon: A turkey named Courage
Chinese tourists to Taiwan up 500 percent: govt
US revises statement on land mine policy
Contractor helicopter missing in Afghanistan
Economic High Points And Low Points
New Jackie Kennedy dress on display at JFK Library
Seoul shares fall 0.8 pct as builders lose ground
S.Korea drains 12 trln won via 7-day repos
Korea Hot Stocks
Dollar at lowest level against yen in 14 years
Taiwan's cabinet approves "Love Taiwan" spending
China urges boost to natural gas output, imports
Freddie Mercury memorial a beacon for British Asians
NZ business confidence eases in November-NBNZ
Polanski wins $4.5M bail, house arrest likely
S.Korean strike cripples cargo train service
Adam Lambert furor spreads to gay community
| Entertainment
|
NZ housing affordability worsens in Oct
Phish electrifies fans with marathon show
Seoul shares rise on techs, autos; banks retreat
Oprah to visit White House for Christmas special
Oprah to visit White House for Christmas special
| Entertainment
|
McCartney says he 'revisits' Beatles members in songs
Lambert says he got carried away, but not sorry
Phish electrifies fans with marathon show
| Entertainment
|
Donny Osmond calls "Dancing" victory a career high
Sarah Palin memoir tops US book sales
Music stores see dream week with Boyle, Lambert
Robo-chefs and fashion-bots on show in Tokyo
German military chief resigns over Afghan air strike
| International
|
Gold price breaks $1,195 an ounce
Iraqi PM: election dispute poses risks to security
US-TECH Summary
Couple crashed White House state dinner
German army chief quits over Afghan strike
Iraq to counter "lies," show successes via YouTube
Fed's zero rate policy sparking growing complaints
Iran threatens minimum co-operation with IAEA
Israel dismisses Palestinian rejection of freeze
| International
|
Acer says Windows 7 good for sales
Lebanon agrees Hezbollah right to use arms against Israel
Deal near on Iraq vote law, second veto less likely
| International
|
Night-time theatre returns to Iraq as courage grows
Gunmen kidnap French national in Mali
| International
|
Irish church obsessively hid child abuse: report
| International
|
Saudi floods leave 48 dead, 900 stranded
Nazi camp guard Demjanjuk to go on trial in Germany
| International
|
One dead, three wounded in Hungary college shooting
| International
|
Muslims pilgrims get respite from rain at Arafat
| International
|
India police seize US$3M haul of rare fungus
China unveils carbon target ahead of Copenhagen
Iraq to counter lies, show successes via YouTube
| Technology
|
China unveils plan to limit carbon emissions
LinkedIn co-founder sees IPO likely, but not soon
| Technology
|
Sri Lanka opposition chief backs former army chief
Thailand looks to limit sex change surgery
Couple slips though security to crash state dinner
Dollar falls to 14-year low against yen
Canada's prime minister to visit China next month
Obamas plan quiet first White House Thanksgiving
Michelin honours cheap eats in new HK-Macau guide
INSIDE WASHINGTON: Stream of WH health care visits
Thanksgiving last full day in space for shuttle
Police: Dad visits strip club, leaves boy in truck
China Minsheng bank IPO slides 3 pct in HK debut
Pakistani stocks, rupee end flat ahead of holiday
Energy agency head praises Obama emissions goal
Taiwan GDP beats forecasts, outlook healthy
Pakistan's forex reserves dip to $13.90 bln
UPDATE 1-Taiwan GDP beats forecasts, outlook revised up
China Minsheng bank IPO tumbles 8 pct in HK debut
Malaysia plans 4.0 pct GST in 2011: minister
Indonesian police stop Greenpeace forest protest
Dollar falls to 14-year low against yen
Gold price breaks 1,195 dollars an ounce
Swiss to release Polanski as soon as bail posted
| Entertainment
|
Swiss authorities to decide soon on Polanski's bail
London West End show goes multi-lingual
Hollywood's mansion of magic celebrates 100 years
| Entertainment
|
Night-time theater returns to Iraq as courage grows
Between prisons and divisions: Chile's Mapuche Indians
Night-time theater returns to Iraq as courage grows
| Entertainment
|
A list of nominees at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards
Art-house films top contenders at Chinese Oscars
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights