One of the top fundraisers for the House Democratic Caucus is a registered lobbyist for UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurance company in the United States.
Steve Elmendorf, a former staffer for Democratic leadership members, has been a lobbyist for UnitedHealth Group since 2006, according to Senate records. Elmendorf and his firm, recently renamed Avoq, have been paid more than $6.5 million by the insurance giant for their lobbying efforts, as the company has worked to protect its profits from legislation and quash public support for a single-payer health care system or a public insurance option.
Elmendorf has lobbied the Congress on behalf of UnitedHealth on a range of topics including “Issues related to health insurance tax and health reform,” “Issues related to Medicare Advantage,” and “Federal tax issues, including the PPACA Health Insurance Tax.” In 2009, ahead of passage of the Affordable Care Act, he disclosed lobbying Congress on “Legislation relating to Healthcare Reform.”
According to Federal Election Commission disclosures, Elmendorf has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for House Democrats and their campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). In the first half of this year, he raised $185,800 for the DCCC, which is on par with what he typically raises for the group every six months. Elmendorf hosted a fundraiser for former House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, just as Pelosi was backing away from supporting a public health care option as part of the Affordable Care Act.
In January, Elmendorf told Politico that he strives to host the first fundraiser of the year for the DCCC each and every year, whether the House Democrats are in the majority or the minority. An event he hosted that month featured DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as speakers, with tickets ranging from $5,000 to $15,000.
Elmendorf has also hosted fundraisers for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and has raised hundreds of thousands in bundled contributions for the Senate campaign-focused group.
In addition to his fundraising. Elmendorf is a major Democratic donor. Federal Election Commission records show he has personally donated more than $700,000 to the DCCC and DSCC since 2006.
UnitedHealth Group has also been employing one of Elmendorf’s colleagues at Avoq who has deep ties to the Democrats. Cedric Grant, the former chief of staff to Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, began lobbying for UnitedHealth Group in 2019, and continues to represent the company before Congress.
UnitedHealth Group is a founding member of a lobbying campaign called Partnership for America’s Health Care Future (PAHCF), which was formed in 2018 to push Democratic politicians away from embracing a single-payer healthcare system, such as the popular “Medicare for All” proposal. Leading Democratic Party vendor Bully Pulpit Interactive has worked as a consultant for PAHCF, according to tax forms.
