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ADA Political Action Committee (ADAPAC) Report Spring 2006

ADA’s Political Action Committee, ADAPAC, is an indispensable element of the Association’s advocacy strategy. ADAPAC has been a successful tool in providing the requisite visibility on Capitol Hill for ADA's lobbying efforts to be effective.

The ADAPAC Board of Directors consists of nine members, six of whom are ADA members, and three ADA staff. Non-staff members serve three-year terms, which operate on the calendar year.

In the 2003 to 2004 election cycle, ADAPAC was able to raise over $600,000 from ADA members. The ADAPAC Board has set the following goals for the 2005 to 2006 cycle:

Raise $600,000 in total receipts.
Increase the number of members participating over the cycle to 12,000.
Increase the average contribution to $50.

Since January 1, 2005, ADAPAC has raised $257,748.06, including receipts received at the 2006 Public Policy Workshop (PPW) March 14 to 16. ADAPAC had its most successful PPW fundraising ever.

The ADAPAC Board of Directors takes several criteria into account when determining which federal candidates should receive contributions. Criteria include:

The candidate's past or present support for ADA's public policy agenda.
The perceived need for the candidate's support in the future.
The candidate's leadership position or committee assignment.
The nature of the event associated with the contribution, if applicable.

ADAPAC prioritizes candidates based largely on the issues currently deemed priority issues by the LPPC. Representatives and Senators who serve on a Congressional committee with jurisdiction over one or more priority issues are more likely candidates for receiving support from ADAPAC.

As of March 21, ADAPAC contributed a total of $111,000 to the following candidates or their leadership PACs in the 2005 to 2006 election cycle:

Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX), Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Henry Bonilla (R-TX), Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL), Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV), Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH), Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL), Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL), Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL), Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ), Rep. Nancy Johnson (R-CT), Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA), Rep. Dave Obey (D-WI), Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV), Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE), Rep. Bill Thomas (R-CA), Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY).

Last August, ADAPAC launched a new method of communicating with sustaining donors who have consistently donated over the last several years. These members will be contacted via a special email request or by letter asking for continued support. The effort is intended to recognize those members who do not need to be called by a marketing firm, and it is intended to reduce the administrative costs of ADAPAC. If successful, a greater percentage of dollars raised will go to pro-nutrition candidates for federal office.

To encourage a structured program of giving, the ADAPAC continues to formally recognize the following levels of giving:

Capitol Club $100 to $249
President’s Circle $250 to $499.
ADAPAC Eagles $500 and above.

More detailed information is available on the ADAPAC Web site at www.adapac.org.

For additional information, please contact Mary Lee Watts (mwatts@eatright.org or 800/877-0877 ext. 6008).

Committee Members
Anne Marie Hunter, MS, RD, LD, FADA
Ane Marie Kis-Duryea, MS, RD, LD
Susan Yake, RD, CD, CDE, CLC
Carolyn Leontos, MS, RD, CDE
Dianne Lollar, MPH, RD
Pat McKnight, MS, RD, LD
Ronald Moen, ADA Chief Executive Officer
Stephanie Patrick, Vice-President, Policy Initiatives & Advocacy
Ron Smith, Director, Government Relations
Staff Resource: Mary Lee Watts

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