CEO DATELINE - BCBSA suspends PAC contributions to lawmakers challenging election results
CEO DATELINE - BCBSA suspends PAC contributions to lawmakers challenging election results
- January 11, 2021 |
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Walt Williams
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is suspending contributions from its employee-funded political action committee to lawmakers who challenged the Electoral College results, citing last week's storming of Capitol Hill as the reasoning for its decision.
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Some corporations have made similar statements, including Marriott International and JPMorgan Chase, the news service Reuters reported.
In a statement, BSCSA CEO Kim Keck said the association continuously re-evaluates its political contributions to align with its goals. Given the attack on Capitol Hill and the votes of some members of Congress to challenge the results of last year's presidential election, "BCSBA will suspend contributions to those lawmakers who voted to undermine our democracy."
"While a contrast of ideas, ideological differences and partisanship are all part of our politics, weakening our political system and eroding public confidence in it must never be," she said. "We will continue to support lawmakers and candidates in both political parties who will work with us to build a stronger, healthier nation."
BCBSA did not spell out which lawmakers would affect nor how broad the suspension would be. More than 140 Republicans in the House and Senate objected to certifying election results in at least one state President-elect Joe Biden won, according to the news site Vox. Many Republican lawmakers have also echoed President Donald Trump's baseless claims that widespread voter fraud cost him the election.
BCBSA's PAC raised nearly $1 million and spent $924,150 in the most recent election cycle, according to disclosure data gathered by OpenSecrets.org. Republicans are the main recipients of that money, with more than 56% of contributions going to party committees or candidates.
Rep. Chris Jacobs of New York and Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama—both of whom objected to the Electoral College certification—each received $10,000 from BCBSA's PAC in the most recent election cycle, according to OpenSecrets.org. Other objectors and amounts received from BCBSA include: Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania, $5,200; Rep. Devin Nunes of California, $5,000; Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina, $2,500, and Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, $500.
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