Physicians in the United States Congress

Physicians in the United States Congress have been a small minority, but substantially overrepresent the number of practicing physicians in the United States.^[1] The number of physicians serving and running for Congress has risen over the last 50 years from 5 in 1960, down to a nadir of 2 in 1990, to a maximum of 21 in 2013 and a small decrease to 15 in 2017. Possible explanations for this development have been increasing health care spending, increased health care reform debate in the United States, leading up to the Healthcare Reform Act.

In public opinion research by the American Medical Association (AMA) from 2013, voters rated physicians expertise in health care, "understanding of the problems facing our healthcare industry, including the bureaucratic red tape that is strangling health care providers and driving up the cost of health care for most Americans" as most convincing statement of a physician candidate for Congress. Physicians in Congress have received large campaign contributions from health care trade associations and from peers through physician associations, like the AMA.

History

In 1776, 11 percent of signers of the Declaration of Independence were physicians.^[2] Likewise two (5 percent) of the 39 individuals crafting the US Constitution in 1787 were physicians.^[3] During the first 100 years of Congress (1789–1889) 252 (or 4.6 percent) of 5405 members were physicians. At the beginning of each of the last five decades there were five (1960), three (1970), four (1980), two (1990), and 10 (2000) physicians in Congress,^[4]

According to the American Medical Association (AMA) as of 2013 there were 21 physicians, including one female physician, in Congress,^[5] as of 2015, there were 18, and as of 2017 15 physicians.^[6]

Three quarters of physicians in Congress 2013 were Republican,^[5] 80% as of 2017.^[6] As a possible reason Jim McDermott offered, "politically conservative physicians were more likely to chafe at the direction of changes in health care, with greater oversight by the government and a more regulated role for the private sector. It’s a fundamental debate about what is in the public good."^[7] The AMA political action committee spent $2 million in the 2016 cycle with "direct contributions to 348 physician-friendly [Congressional] candidates (58% Republican and 46% Democratic)".^[8]

Motivations

Tom Coburn said, "physicians have watched the profession undergo tremendous realignments that are shifting doctors’ responsibilities away from patient care, changes they attribute to the government’s inefficacy".^[7] Jim McDermott was quoted as saying "They want to have their hands right there on the handle so they can pull it one way or another."^[7] Physicians "balked at the idea of lawmakers with no medical experience making decisions that could upend the profession", per Andy Harris.^[7]

Kelley Paul, wife of Rand Paul said in 2015 when he made his 2016 White House bid, "Being a physician gives Rand a unique perspective in Washington, simply because he’s trained to diagnose a problem and find a solution." ^[9]

In 2013, the AMA funded 3 focus groups of voters across the country and an online survey to research public opinion on physicians as Congressional candidates. The top scoring potential message for a physician was to link back to health care expertise "Because physicians work in health care on a daily basis, they bring a clear understanding of the problems facing our healthcare industry, including the bureaucratic red tape that is strangling health care providers and driving up the cost of health care for most Americans."^[10]

Candidates, 2014

Senate candidates in 2014 included "an obstetrician in North Carolina, Milton R. Wolf, a radiologist in Kansas, a liver disease specialist in Louisiana, and Representatives Paul Broun and Phil Gingrey in Georgia, all of them Republicans. At least 26 more physicians were running for the House, some for re-election." per a New York Times article from March 2014.^[7]

113th Congress (2013 - 2015)

From 2013-2015 there were 21 physicians in U.S.Congress, 20 of whom were male and 17 were members of the Republican party.

† 2009/2012 cycle ††2013 - 2014 cycle

114th Congress (2015 - 2017)

From 2015-2017, there were 18 physicians in U.S. Congress. All were male and 15 were members of the Republican party.

† 2009/2014 cycle

115th Congress (2017 - 2019)

From 2017-2019 there are 15 physicians in U.S. Congress, all are male and 13 are members of the Republican party.^[6]

Physicians in political positions outside Congress

Civilian:

• United States Secretary of Health and Human Services
• United States Assistant Secretary for Health

Uniformed service, United States Armed Forces:

• Surgeon General of the United States, overall head of the "Commissioned Corps"
• United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps(PHSCC), the "Commissioned Corps"

References

External links

• Physicians in the Senate senate.gov accessed 28 May 2015