I’ve been wondering why it has been so hard to get some sort of tort reform discussion for the health care bill. I did some quick searching, and was lead to a PDF file on the American Bar Association’s website that tells who are lawyers in the 111th Congress. There are a whole crapload of them. It seems like there are 217 lawyers total in Congress. Notice how many are Democrat and how many are Republican, keeping in mind that the Republicans have been calling for tort reform first above everything. Could they be protecting their profession? Who knows? It’s definitely interesting, though.
I’ve also updated the list due to the death of Sen. Kennedy and the defection of Sen. Specter. I also put Pedro Pierluisi under the Democrats, because if you’re a progressive, you’re a Democrat. There may be other minor changes that would need to be made that I don’t know about, however. It’s also worth noting that this takes into account non-voting members of the House, which is why the number down there is 441 instead of 435.
From the PDF:
* Lawyer for the purpose of this chart indicates those who have earned a JD, LLB, or otherwise identified themselves as a lawyer/attorney by profession.
* Lawyer for the purpose of this chart indicates those who have earned a JD, LLB, or otherwise identified themselves as a lawyer/attorney by profession.
54 / 100 Members of the Senate
|
(19) Republican Senators Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) Sen. Richard C. Shelby (R-AL) Sen. Jon L. Kyl (R-AZ) Sen. Mel Martinez (R-FL) Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID) Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) Sen. Christopher Bond (R-MO) Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH) Sen. George V. Voinovich (R-OH) Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) |
(35) Democratic Senators Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) Sen. Ken Salazar (D-CO) Sen. Christopher J. Dodd (D-CT) Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-HI) Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) Sen. John F. Kerry (D-MA) Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-MD) Sen. Carl Levin (D- MI) Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC) Sen. Mike Johanns (D-NE) Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) Sen. Jim Webb (D- VA) Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D- VT) Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI) Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) |
163 / 441 Members of the House
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(57) Republican Representatives Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL) Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL) Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) Rep. John B. Shadegg (R-AZ) Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO) Rep. Michael Castle (R-DE) Rep. Ander Crenshaw (R-FL) Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL) Rep. Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL) Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA) Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) Rep. Mark S. Kirk (R-IL) Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) Rep. Timothy V. Johnson (R-IL) Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-IL) Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS) Rep. Edward Whitfield (R-KY) Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY) Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) Rep. Thad McCotter (R-MI) Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS) Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC) Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE) Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ) Rep. Peter King (R-NY) Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) Rep. Paul E. Gillmor (R-OH) Rep. Steven C. LaTourette (R-OH) Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA) Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA) Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-TN) Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) Rep. Ralph M. Hall (R-TX) Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) Rep. John A. Culberson (R-TX) Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) Rep. William M. Thornberry (R-TX) Rep. Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX) Rep. John Carter (R-TX) Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) Rep. Eric I. Cantor (R-VA) Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-VA) Rep. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-WI) Rep. Thomas E. Petri (R-WI) Rep. Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY) |
(106) Democratic Representatives Rep. Bobby N. Bright (D-AL) Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) Rep. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-Am. Samoa) Rep. Vic F. Snyder (D-AR) Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) Rep. Ed Pastor (D-AZ) Rep. George Miller (D-CA) Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) Rep. Howard L. Berman (D-CA) Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA) Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA) Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) Rep. Diana L. DeGette (D-CO) Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO) Rep. Joseph Courtney (D-CT) Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-CT) Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) Rep. Alan Grayson (D-FL) Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL) Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA) Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) Rep. Walt Minnick (D-ID) Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL) Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN) Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS) Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY) Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) Rep. Nicola Tsongas (D-MA) Rep. John F. Tierney (D-MA) Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-MA) Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) Rep. Frank Kratovil (D-MD) Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD) Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD) Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD) Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI) Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI) Rep. Sander M. Levin (D-MI) Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI) Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-MO) Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC) Rep. Mel Watt (D-NC) Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC) Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND) Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH) Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) Rep. John Adler (D-NJ) Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) Rep. Steven R. Rothman (D-NJ) Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY) Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) Rep. Michael E. McMahon (D-NY) Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-NY) Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Rep. Michael Arcuri (D-NY) Rep. Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH) Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) Rep. Zack Space (D-OH) Rep. David Wu (D-OR) Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA) Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) Rep. Com. Pedro Pierluisi (PNP-PR) Rep. John M. Spratt, Jr. (D-SC) Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-SD) Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN) Rep. Barton Gordon (D-TN) Rep. John S. Tanner (D-TN) Rep. Stephen Cohen (D-TN) Rep. Al Green (D-TX) Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX) Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX) Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) Rep. Gene Green (D-TX) Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) Rep. Norman D. Dicks (D-WA) Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) Rep. Ron J. Kind (D-WI) Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV) |
Tags: Health Care, Tort Reform
September 30th, 2009 at 13:54
I remember hearing a long time ago that it wasn’t legal for a lawyer to serve in congress.
Could be something to look into.
September 30th, 2009 at 14:35
I heard some scuttlebutt along those same lines, and I think it had something to do with the 13th amendment…? I can’t remember, but yeah, I’ll probably try and see what that’s all about.
September 30th, 2009 at 16:42
I believe it was up until the time of Andy Jackson or there about.
September 30th, 2009 at 18:47
I am a local citizen getting ready to run for Congress, it has always been my contention that we remove every lawyer from the Government as an elected official. They have positioned themselves to benefit themselves, that is why tort reform is off the table for health care it is a cash cow for lawyers. I propose that we start a movementment to remove all lawyers and replace with businessmen. I am running in Texas District 4 as Republican Congressman. I need all the help I can use. My email is adrsi@hotmail.com
September 30th, 2009 at 20:08
i believe it is/was something along the lines of you cannot practice law while serving as a member of Congress, but i’m not 100%. in any case there are plenty of people up there who have never practiced. what i would be most concerned with is the people up there who have been trial lawyers. i’m sure that number is also unacceptably high
September 30th, 2009 at 21:38
Jerry:
I don’t think replacing with ALL businessmen is the answer to anything. I have _no_ problem with lawyers. My problem lies with any side of the fence that would have some pull in Congress. I don’t want lawyers to have pull in our legislative branch, and I don’t want businessmen to have pull in our legislative branch. I want regular guys in our legislative branch. I want to see a point where we have our OWN PEOPLE to have legislative responsibilities! By “own people,” I mean the regular Joe. That is necessary, and over the years has become less the norm because “the regular Joe” can’t keep up monetarily in a run for office.
rj:
Most likely, but either which way, it’s kind of wishy-washy. Keep looking into things… that’s the best way to approach it.
October 10th, 2009 at 09:27
Many of us have always believed that greed is one of the factors that make our healthcare system the most expensive in the world.. Government has a place in keeping businesses…lawyers, drug companies, doctors, insurance companies…from making excessive profits off of people who can least afford it.
Even Republicans are starting to get behind the concept that government intervention on behalf of consumers is not only necessary…it is also good.
If we can put arbitrary caps on jury awards, we can put those same caps on the profits that drug companies, hospitals, doctors and insurance companies make.
Tort reform in itself will only save our 2 trillion dollar a year healthcare system about 0.5%
In itself…not a significant amount. But if you take the concept further and start putting caps not only on lawyers, but doctors, hospitals , insurance companies and drug companies…now you are talking real savings.
Government limits to jury awards. Yes.
Government limits to doctors fees. Yes
Government limits to drug companies profits. Yes
Government limits to insurance companies profits. Yes
Now we are all talking the same language
October 10th, 2009 at 11:16
[...] a comment on my post about tort reform, I was pretty curious on how many people were trial lawyers in Congress. I never really did any [...]