Physicians in the United States Congress
Physicians in the United States Congress have been a small minority, but substantially overrepresent the number of practicing physicians in the United States.[1] As of 2014, there were 19 physicians serving as members of United States Congress; this was twice as many as a decade prior. The number of physicians serving and running for Congress has risen with increasing health care spending, increased health care reform debate in the United States, including the Healthcare Reform Act. Physicians in Congress have received large campaign contributions from health care trade associations and from peers through physician associations.
History
In 1776, 11 percent of signers of the Declaration of Independence were physicians.[2] Likewise two (5 percent) of the 39 individuals crafting the US Constitution in 1787 were physicians.[3] During the first 100 years of Congress (1789–1889) 252 (or 4.6 percent) of 5405 members were physicians. At the beginning of each of the last five decades there were five (1960), three (1970), four (1980), two (1990), and 10 (2000) physicians in Congress,[4]
As of 2013 and 2014 there were 21 physicians, including one woman in Congress.[5] There were 17 physicians and 2 veterinarians as of 2015, all of them male. Three quarters of physicians in Congress 2014 and 2015 were Republican, see table below.
Physicians in the 113th Congress
| Legislature | Name ‡ | Party-State-District | Year elected | Medical specialty | 2013–2014, campaign money raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | Dan Benishek | (R-MI-01) | 2010 | General surgery, retired | $834,670[6] |
| House | Ami Bera | (D-CA-07) | 2012 | General practice | $1,373,106[7] |
| House | Charles Boustany | (R-LA-03) | 2004 | Cardiothoracic surgery, retired | $1,016,712 [8] |
| House | Paul Broun | (R-GA-10) | 2007 | General practice | $1,122,494[9] |
| House | Larry Bucshon | (R-IN-08) | 2010 | Thoracic surgery | $608,721[10] |
| House | Michael C. Burgess | (R-TX-26) | 2010 | OB/GYN | $613,280 [11] |
| House | Bill Cassidy | (R-LA-06) | 2008 | Gastroenterology | $5,121,030[12] |
| House | Donna Christensen | (D-Virgin Islands-AL) | 1996 | Emergency Medicine | No data found |
| House | Scott DesJarlais | (R-TN-04) | 2010 | Family Medicine | $283,549 [13] |
| House | John Fleming | (R-LA-04) | 2008 | Family Medicine | $698,596 [14] |
| House | Phil Gingrey | (R-GA-11) | 2002 | OB/GYN | $1,530,373[15] |
| House | Andrew P. Harris | (R-MD-01) | 2010 | Anesthesiology | No data found |
| House | Joe Heck | (R-NV-03) | 2010 | Emergency Medicine | $1,117,768[16] |
| House | Jim McDermott | (D-WA-07) | 1988 | Psychiatry | $223,469 [17] |
| House | Tom Price | (R-GA-06) | 2004 | Orthopedic Surgery | $1,375,428[18] |
| House | David "Phil" Roe | (R-TN-01) | 2008 | OB/GYN | $348,673 [19] |
| House | Raul Ruiz | (D-CA-36) | 2008 | Emergency Medicine | $1,504,150[20] |
| Senate | John Barrasso | (R-WY) | 2007 | Orthopedic Surgery | No data found |
| Senate | Tom Coburn | (R-OK) | 2004 | Family Medicine | $2,100,328 †[21] |
| Senate | Rand Paul | (R-KY) | 2010 | Ophthalmology | $10,919,733†[22] |
| House | Brad Wenstrup | (R-OH) | 2012 | Podiatry | $1,079,605[23] |
† 2009/2014 cycle
Physicians in the 114th Congress
| Legislature | Name ‡ | Party-State-District | Year elected | Medical specialty | 2013–2014, campaign money raised |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| House | Ralph Abraham | (R-LA-05) | 2014 | General surgery, Veterinarian | $834,670[24] |
| Senate | John Barrasso | (R-WY) | 2007 | Orthopedic Surgery | No data found |
| House | Dan Benishek | (R-MI-01) | 2010 | General surgery, retired | $834,670[6] |
| House | Ami Bera | (D-CA-07) | 2012 | General practice | $1,373,106[7] |
| House | Charles Boustany | (R-LA-03) | 2004 | Cardiothoracic surgery, retired | $1,016,712 [8] |
| House | Larry Bucshon | (R-IN-08) | 2010 | Thoracic surgery | $608,721[10] |
| House | Michael C. Burgess | (R-TX-26) | 2010 | OB/GYN | $613,280 [11] |
| Senate | Bill Cassidy | (R-LA) | 2014 | Gastroenterology | [12] |
| House | Scott DesJarlais | (R-TN-04) | 2010 | Family Medicine | $283,549 [13] |
| House | John Fleming | (R-LA-04) | 2008 | Family Medicine | $698,596 [14] |
| House | Andrew P. Harris | (R-MD-01) | 2010 | Anesthesiology | No data found |
| House | Joe Heck | (R-NV-03) | 2010 | Emergency Medicine | $1,117,768[16] |
| House | Jim McDermott | (D-WA-07) | 1988 | Psychiatry | $223,469 [17] |
| House | Tom Price | (R-GA-06) | 2004 | Orthopedic Surgery | $1,375,428[18] |
| House | David "Phil" Roe | (R-TN-01) | 2008 | OB/GYN | $348,673 [19] |
| House | Raul Ruiz | (D-CA-36) | 2012 | Emergency Medicine | $1,504,150[20] |
| Senate | Rand Paul | (R-KY) | 2010 | Ophthalmology | $10,919,733†[22] |
| House | Brad Wenstrup | (R-OH) | 2012 | Podiatry | $1,079,605[23] |
† 2009/2014 cycle
Running for Congress 2014
Senate candidates in 2014 included "an obstetrician in North Carolina, Milton Wolf, a radiologist in Kansas, a liver disease specialist in Louisiana, and Representatives Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey in Georgia — all of them Republicans. At least 26 more physicians were running for the House, some for re-election." per a New York Times article from March 2014 [25]
Motivations
Tom Coburn said, "physicians have watched the profession undergo tremendous realignments that are shifting doctors’ responsibilities away from patient care, changes they attribute to the government’s inefficacy".[25] Jim McDermott, was quoted as saying "They want to have their hands right there on the handle so they can pull it one way or another."[25] Physicians "balked at the idea of lawmakers with no medical experience making decisions that could upend the profession", per Andy Harris.[25]
Kelley Paul, wife of Rand Paul said, when he made his 2016 White House bid, "Being a physician gives Rand a unique perspective in Washington, simply because he’s trained to diagnose a problem and find a solution." [26]
References
- ↑ "Total Professionally Active Physicians". The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. September 2014. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
- ↑ Gifford GE (1976). Physician Signers of the Declaration of Independence. New York, NY: Science History Publications.
- ↑ Jameson, MG (1983). "Physicians and American political leadership". JAMA. 249: 929–930. doi:10.1001/jama.249.7.929.
- ↑ Kraus, Chad K; Thomas A. Suarez (November 3, 2004). "Is There a Doctor in the House? . . . Or the Senate?Physicians in US Congress, 1960-2004". JAMA. 292 (17): 2125–2129. doi:10.1001/jama.292.17.2125.
- ↑ "Physicians of the 113th Congress". Patient Action network. American Medical Association. January 8, 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- 1 2 "Rep. Dan Benishek: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Ami Bera: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Charles Boustany: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ "Rep. Paul Broun: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Larry Bucshon: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep.Michael Burgess: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep.Bill Cassidy: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep.Scott DesJarlais: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep.John Fleming: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ "Rep.Phil Gingrey : Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep.Joe Heck : Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep.Jim McDermott : Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Tom Price: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Phil Roe: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Raul Ruiz: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ "Sen Tom Coburn: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Sen Rand Paul: Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 "Rep. Brad Wenstrup: Campaign Finance/Money - Summary - Representative 2014 | OpenSecrets". www.opensecrets.org. Retrieved 2015-10-09.
- ↑ "Rep.Ralph Abraham : Summary Data". The Center for Responsive Politics. December 31, 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- 1 2 3 4 JEREMY W. PETERS (7 March 2013). "Is There a Doctor in the House? Yes, 17. And 3 in the Senate". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
- ↑ JORDYN Phelps (7 April 2015). "Rand Paul Makes 2016 White House Bid Official: 'We Have Come To Take Our Country Back'". ABC news. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
External links
- Physicians in the Senate senate.gov accessed 28 May 2015