Former Hill Staffers Made up a Large Army of Lobbyists on the Health Bill

At least 166 former aides from the nine congressional leadership offices and five committees involved in shaping health overhaul legislation -- along with at least 13 former lawmakers -- registered to represent at least 338 health care clients since the beginning of last year, according to an analysis of public documents by Northwestern University's Medill News Service in partnership with the Tribune Newspapers Washington Bureau and the Center for Responsive Politics.

But the extent of this spending has an effect also on current members of congress and staffers because of the lure of more lucrative jobs beyond their careers on Capitol Hill.

There's always a worry they may be thinking about their future employment opportunities when dealing with these issues, particularly with health care, because the stakes are so high and the breadth of the issues -- pharmacies, hospitals, doctors," Emory University political scientist Alan Abramowitz said in the Tribune story.

The study noted that lobbyists' earnings can dwarf congressional salaries, which currently top out at $174,000 annually for lawmakers and $156,000 for aides, though committee staff members can earn slightly more.

Rutgers University professor Ross Baker asserted that by magnifying the clout of corporate interests lobbyists helped steered the debate away from a public option to compete with private insurers, a proposal favored by the public in many polls.

The study said the largest insider lobbying group belongs to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, or PhRMA, which employs at least 26 former congressional members and staffers. Other top players including the Biotechnology Industry Organization trade association and biotech firm Amgen, Inc.