Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
What he’s saying: As Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, ranking no. 4 in the GOP leadership, Barrasso has often been a point man for the party on the health care issue. He supports the push to repeal and replace Obamacare, which he has regularly condemned as a failing law. Despite acknowledging that some Obamacare taxes might have to stay in the short term, Barrasso has followed GOP leadership in advocating, “certainly there’s an agreement that you eliminate every tax that has to do with increasing the costs of insurance premiums.” The former doctor, who practiced medicine for 25 years before his political career, has furthermore called Medicaid “a system that has been broken for decades.”
Biggest donors: Richie’s Specialty Pharmacy, one of Texas’ leading pharmaceutical providers, is Barrasso’s biggest contributor from 2011 to 2016, with $44,800 in donations. Second was Murray Energy, the largest coal mining company in America, with $41,781 in donations. The third-largest donor was New York City-based private equity firm Apollo Global Management, with $38,850 in donations.
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
What he’s saying: As the Senate Majority Whip, Cornyn has been heavily involved with garnering the required support for the repeal vote on Obamacare, urging his Democratic colleagues not to obstruct the Senate as it works to present its new plan. While hinting at the House bill’s completion and a repeal vote before the July recess, Cornyn has told reporters, “my goal is to pass it,” and solidify the 50 votes needed. As a staunch opponent of Obamacare, Cornyn is expected to solidly stand with GOP leadership in his stances on abolishing mandates, addressing rising premiums, and overhauling Medicaid.
Biggest donors: Cornyn’s largest contribution has been through the Votesane PAC, with donations of $63,250 from 2011 to 2016. His second largest donor was from multinational oil and gas corporation Exxon Mobil, totaling $60,600. Third was Mednax Inc., a medical solutions group and one of the nation’s leading providers of health services, with donations of $57,450.
Sen. Robert Portman (R-OH)
What he’s saying: Another Senate Republican who hails from a state that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, Portman has emerged as a leader of the effort to compromise on the issue. His state’s GOP governor, John Kasich, is actively trying to garner bipartisan support for protecting Medicaid funding. Portman has led efforts to get GOP leadership to accept a seven-year "glide path," which would allow for a longer transition period in which state governors could figure out alternatives to the program. Yet on Tuesday Portman objected to what he called McConnell's "arbitrary deadline," urging lawmakers to take the time to "get it right," the Columbus Dispatch reported.
Biggest donors: Portman’s largest campaign contributions from 2011 to 2016 came from the Votesane PAC, totaling $303,000 in donations. Goldman Sachs, the large multinational finance company based in New York City, were his second largest donors, with $199,100. His third largest contributor during this period was from conglomerate General Electric, with $157,900 in donations.
Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA)
What he’s saying: An active opponent of the Affordable Care Act, Toomey believes that the House bill’s current plan to replace and repeal it is only a mere first step. While some Republicans are anxious to soften Medicaid cuts, the more-conservative leaning Toomey is among those who want to go even further in reducing future Medicaid spending. His stance, backed by Senate conservatives, calls for a more comprehensive overhaul of Medicaid, which the fiscal hawk has claimed is “growing at an unsustainable pace” and needs to be done away with in order to help check the federal deficit. Toomey has defended the secrecy of the Senate’s behind-the-scenes work on replacing Obamacare, saying that there would be a CBO scoring of the proposal prior to any vote and that even then, there would still be opportunities for further amendments.
Biggest donors: Toomey’s largest donor is also Club for Growth, which contributed a total of $418,416 between 2011 and 2016. Second was the Rothman Institute, the internationally recognized orthopedic care center, which donated $101,300.This story has been updated to reflect donation figures provided by the Senate Conservatives Fund.
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