Employees say the hospital chain has donated to many GOP lawmakers implicated in last week's turmoil, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, a key instigator of Senate action to invalidate the election results.
Unionized employees at HCA Healthcare are urging the nation's largest for-profit hospital chain to suspend political donations to Republican lawmakers who attempted to invalidate the results of the 2020 presidential election.
Citing records of past political donations by HCA and its political action committees, detailed in filings from the National Institute for Money in Politics, the employees noted that the hospital chain has donated to many of the lawmakers implicated in last week's turmoil, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-MO, a key instigator of Senate action to invalidate the election results.
"It is unconscionable that the largest hospital corporation is funding politicians whose participation in an armed insurrection in our capital led to the loss of precious human life," Shirley Caston, a GI Tech at HCA Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, said in a media release issued by the Service Employees International Union.
"Frontline healthcare workers have been risking our lives to care for our patients during a pandemic over the past year because we deeply believe in the value of human life," Caston said. "The Hospital Corporation of America is flying in the face of our values as caregivers by funding the campaigns of those who incite violence and have caused tragic bloodshed in Washington, D.C. like my Senator Josh Hawley."
HCA issued a statement Friday morning saying it was looking into the matter.
“We strongly condemn the unlawful attack against the Capitol and we are saddened by this assault on our nation and democracy. As always, we will carefully consider those that we support with our political contributions moving forward,” HCA said.
Safety Nets Suspend Donations
On Friday, the Essential Hospitals Political Action Committee said it would no longer donate to any members of Congress who supported overturning the presidential election results.
"Due to the events of Jan. 6 and discord surrounding the November elections, we have suspended contributions from our Essential Hospitals Political Action Committee to members of Congress who voted against certifying the results of a free and fair election," the PAC said.
"We will use this time to ensure our criteria for political donations align with our organizational values and commitment to social responsibility and democratic ideals."
“It is unconscionable that the largest hospital corporation is funding politicians whose participation in an armed insurrection in our capital led to the loss of precious human life.”
Shirley Caston, HCA Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri
John Commins is a content specialist and online news editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
HCA issued a statement Friday morning condeming 'the unlawful attack against the Capitol.'
The Essential Hospitals PAC is suspending political donations members of Congress who supported overturning the presidential election results.