AAEM PAC

AAEM PAC Contribution and Washington Counsel Meeting with Senator Breaux

AAEM president Robert McNamara, MD FAAEM, and new AAEM PAC treasurer Tom Scaletta, MD FAAEM, wasted little time in putting AAEM members' PAC dollars to work recently—before the important and successful vote on HR-2723, the House's "Bipartisan Consensus Managed Care Improvement Act of 1999."

Among the recipients of AAEM PAC's October 1999 PAC contributions was Senator John Breaux, the senior senator from Louisiana. The well-timed AAEM PAC contribution to Senator Breaux enabled AAEM's legal counsel, James Thorne, to attend a special health industry luncheon with the senator on October 6, 1999. Through Mr. Thorne's attendance, AAEM was the only physician association represented at the eight-attendee luncheon with the senator and his health care staff.

Attendance at this meeting should serve AAEM's Congressional interests well. As you may know, Senator Breaux is the ranking minority member on the Special Committee on Aging. He is a key member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and, in January 1998, he was selected by the White House and Congressional leaders to chair the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare. In late July 1999, Senator Breaux received the AMA's 1999 Dr. Nathan Davis Award for his outstanding contributions to "promote the art and science of medicine and betterment of the public health."

Senator Breaux is a probable Senate conferee to the Senate/House Conference Committee, which will meet to reconcile the differences between HR-2723 and the earlier-passed Senate bill, S-1344.