2022 Political Action Committee Report
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE
Andy Walker, MD MAAEM FAAEM, Treasurer, AAEM Political Action Committee
F
irst, a bit about the Academy's Political Action Committee itself. Our PAC is directed by a treasurer who is appointed by AAEM's president, and overseen by a four-member PAC Advisory Committee consisting of an assistant treasurer, a member of AAEM's Board of Directors, another full voting member of the Academy, and a representative of the Resident and Student Association (RSA). The PAC's purpose is to promote the vision and mission of AAEM by supporting elected officials and candidates for office who share the Academy's values. Those values that are particularly relevant to the world of politics include protecting the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship, the professional autonomy of emergency physicians, and ensuring fair treatment in the workplace for emergency physicians so that we may render the best possible care to our patients without outside interference, consistent with the highest traditions of medical ethics. All other political considerations are irrelevant. My personal politics, those of AAEM's president, those of the PAC Advisory Committee, party loyalty, and anything else that doesn't directly affect the practice of emergency medicine and the well-being of emergency physicians plays no role whatsoever in guiding the PAC's contributions. If you are passionate about global warming, abortion, border security, gun control, election integrity, voting rights, environmental protection, a political party, etc., there are plenty of ways for you to channel that passion and influence politics and government
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COMMON SENSE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
outside of AAEM and its PAC. AAEM's PAC is nonpartisan and sticks to protecting the interests of emergency physicians and the patients we care for. We have a reputation on Capitol Hill for non-partisanship, strong ethics, and putting patients first. That reputation is a force-multiplier and allows us to punch far above our weight. We must protect it. During the last congressional session (20212022) our PAC made 26 contributions to the campaigns of 25 politicians, 11 Democrats and 14 Republicans, for a total of $114,000 ($49,500 to Democrats and $64,500 to Republicans). The candidate who received two donations is a Democrat from California and a physician who was making his first run for office (the House). There is a saying in politics that “money talks, and early money screams.” Thus we chose to support this physician-candidate early, with one contribution before his party primary and another after the primary. Although he survived the primary, he did not win the general election. Despite our early support, an AAEM
member running for the House from Missouri lost his Republican primary. 22 of our 25 candidates were ultimately successful and are in the 118th Congress. 11 of those we supported are physicians and another is a podiatrist. Since we support politicians who support our values, many of those we support are physicians, as you can see. Most physicians in Congress are Republicans (14 out of 17 in the 117th Congress), and physicians who run for office have tended towards conservatism and the Republican Party. Despite that, AAEM PAC donations are nearly evenly divided between the two parties. That is because former PAC treasurers, as well as myself and Matt Hoekstra of Williams & Jensen (our professional representatives in D.C.), have worked diligently to be nonpartisan and to make sure our PAC donations stay focused on issues that have a major effect on the working lives of emergency physicians and our ability to take good care of our patients. As long as I am PAC treasurer, I assure you that will remain so.
We have a reputation on Capitol Hill for nonpartisanship, strong ethics, and putting patients first.