Big PACs contribute $83,000 to super committee members
By Bill Allison Oct 06 2011 9:30 a.m.The political action committees of Lockheed Martin, the National Association of Realtors, Pfizer and Chevron all reported making contributions to members of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction--better known as the super committee--in the roughly 20 days of August after House and Senate leadership appointed them to the panel.
PACs for 19 of the biggest political donors in the country, as determined by Center for Responsive Politics, have reported contributing more than $83,000 to 10 of the 12 members of the super committee or their leadership PACs, Federal Eelection Commission filings show. It's the first glimpse available of fundraising by super committee members as they wrestle with their mandate to recommend at least $1.2 trillion in cuts to the debt, increased revenues, or a combination of both.
Congressional campaign committees file their campaign finance disclosures quarterly, but many political action committees file on a monthly schedule. The monthly filings giving a first, albeit limited, glimpse of the money that super committee members have been raising. Some of the bigger PACs gave to dozens of lawmakers, others to just a few members. The totals represent just a fraction of what super committee members and their leadership PACs have raised since being named to the committee.
Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., raised $26,500 from PACs of the big donors, with most going to his leadership PAC, Continuing a Majority PAC. Pfizer, Goldman Sachs and Comcast all sent $5,000 checks to the fundraising committees of the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee within days of his appointment to the debt reduction panel.
Rep. Xavier Becerra, R-Calif., who was criticized when a fundraising invitation sent out on his behalf advertised his new position on the super committee, raised $15,000 from the big PACs, including $2,500 checks from the American Health Care Association and the American Hospital Association sent within days of his appointment.
Pfizer's PAC reported the highest amount of contributions -- $10,000 -- to super committee members; the pharmaceutical manufacturer also donated $5,000 to Sen Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin contributed to the most super committee members--Camp ($2,500), Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. ($1,000), Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio ($2,000) and the leadership PAC of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Campaign for our Country ($2,500).
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. and Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., were the only members of the committee who did not receive donations.
Most members of the super committee have continued to hold fundraising events while it considers various proposals that could affect corporate and individual income tax rates, defense, healthcare and other spending. Check our sister site, Party Time, for the latest updates.
The committee had its first public meeting on Sept. 8, 2011.
Dates members were appointed to super committee
| Announcement date | Member | Leadership PAC |
|---|---|---|
| 8/9/11 | Patty Murray | M-PAC |
| 8/9/11 | Max Baucus | Glacier PAC |
| 8/9/11 | John Kerry | Campaign for our Country |
| 8/10/11 | Jeb Hensarling | Jobs, Economy & Budget Fund |
| 8/10/11 | Fred Upton | Trust PAC |
| 8/10/11 | Dave Camp | Continuing a Majority PAC |
| 8/10/11 | Jon Kyl | Senate Majority Fund |
| 8/10/11 | Pat Toomey | Citizens for Prosperity in America Today |
| 8/10/11 | Rob Portman | Promoting Our Republican Team PAC |
| 8/11/11 | Xavier Becerra | Leadership of Today and Tomorrow |
| 8/11/11 | James Clyburn | Bridge PAC |
| 8/11/11 | Chris Van Hollen | Victory Now PAC |
Contributions to super committee members
| Date of contribution | Donor | Recipient | Member name | Amt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/29/11 | Federal Express | Glacier PAC | Baucus | $5,000 |
| 8/17/11 | Pfizer | Max Baucus | Baucus | $1,000 |
| 8/17/11 | Pfizer | Max Baucus | Baucus | $4,000 |
| 8/23/11 | American Bankers Assn | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $2,500 |
| 8/16/11 | American Healthcare Assn | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $2,500 |
| 8/16/11 | American Hospital Assn | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $2,500 |
| 8/31/11 | Goldman Sachs | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $1,000 |
| 8/26/11 | National Assn of Realtors | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $3,000 |
| 8/29/11 | National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $1,500 |
| 8/17/11 | Teamsters | Xavier Becerra | Becerra | $2,000 |
| 8/16/11 | AFLAC | Continuing a Majority PAC | Camp | $1,000 |
| 8/24/11 | American Crystal Sugar | Dave Camp | Camp | $5,000 |
| 8/10/11 | Comcast Corp | Dave Camp | Camp | $5,000 |
| 8/29/11 | Federal Express | Continuing a Majority PAC | Camp | $3,000 |
| 8/12/11 | Goldman Sachs | Continuing a Majority PAC | Camp | $5,000 |
| 8/10/11 | Lockheed Martin | Dave Camp | Camp | $2,500 |
| 8/17/11 | Pfizer | Continuing a Majority PAC | Camp | $5,000 |
| 8/11/11 | Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America | James Clyburn | Clyburn | $1,500 |
| 8/10/11 | Lockheed Martin | James Clyburn | Clyburn | $1,500 |
| 8/24/11 | Lockheed Martin | James Clyburn | Clyburn | $1,000 |
| 8/25/11 | National Education Assn | Bridge PAC | Clyburn | $5,000 |
| 8/16/11 | AFLAC | Jeb Hensarling | Hensarling | $1,000 |
| 8/18/11 | Honeywell International | JEB Fund | Hensarling | $1,000 |
| 8/23/11 | National Assn of Realtors | Jeb Hensarling | Hensarling | $1,000 |
| 8/31/11 | ActBlue | John Kerry | Kerry | $5,400 |
| 8/31/11 | ActBlue | Campaign for Our Country | Kerry | $30 |
| 8/23/11 | AT&T | John Kerry | Kerry | $1,000 |
| 8/24/11 | Lockheed Martin | Campaign for Our Country | Kerry | $2,500 |
| 8/23/11 | AT&T | Promoting Our Republican Team PAC | Portman | $2,500 |
| 8/10/11 | Lockheed Martin | Rob Portman | Portman | $1,000 |
| 8/10/11 | Lockheed Martin | Rob Portman | Portman | $1,000 |
| 8/29/11 | Federal Express | Pat Toomey | Toomey | $1,000 |
| 8/15/11 | Chevron | Fred Upton | Upton | $5,000 |
| 8/16/11 | National Assn of Realtors | Chris Van Hollen | Van Hollen | $1,000 |
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