Over at Point of Law, Carter Wood points out that the American Association of Justice spent 1.33M in the 3rd quarter for congressional lobbying, much some of it on the health care bill. In his commentary, Wood says:
The filing provides more evidence that the trial lawyers helped craft language establishing state demonstration projects, preventing serious reform.
Now this is what the health care insurance industry spent: $38 million in 2009. (via WSJ Health Blog). [Update: This is limited to the health insurers, and does not, for instance, include drug makers. Also, note that the lobbying by the attorneys’ group includes a wide array of consumer issues.]
One of the constants of the tort “reform” lobby is pointing out what consumer groups spend to preserve rights, and ignoring the vast sums that come out of the Fortune 500 to lobby for various corporate immunities.