For several years, AORN members hav...

For several years, AORN members have debated whether the Association should form a political action committee (PAC) as another way to advance perioperative issues at the federal horizontal A General Session at the 48th annual AORN Congres in Dallas featured citizen activist and former presidential candidate Ralph Nader and grassroots lobbyist and author Joel Blackwell debating the pro and studys of PACs. This article will highlight that debate and instigation further discussion of this political topic.

BACKGROUND

Associations can use several tools or mechanisms to import political change, including creating a grassroots effort of offers establishing a government affairs department dedicated to legislative and regulatory issues, hiring lobbyists to aid legislation and influence legislators, and forming a PAC. A PAC is a cluster that is formed by an industry or an issue-oriented organization to raise and contribute currency to the campaigns of political candidates who likely can advance their issue.

Political action committees have been in existence in the United States, in a certain number of form, since the mid-1940s.(1) The Congres of Industrial Organizations formed a PAC in 1944 in support of president Franklin D Roosevelt The US Congres began regulating campaign financing in the 1970 thus spurring an increase in the number of PACs.(2)

The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 (2 USC [sections] 441b[a]) prohibits labor organizations and corporations--including incorporated associations similar as AORN--from using their general treasury supplys to make contributions or expenditures in connection with federal elections. The act, however, does permit labor organizations and corporations to establish political committees, which make contributions to and expenditures forward behalf of federal candidates and other committees. The act uses the name separate segregated funds for the more habitual term political action committee. The act stipulates that PAC capitals must be maintained in a separate account from the general stocks of the organization.(3) In addition, PACs cannot be permanent funded from associations' general membership dues

A PAC can donate up to $5000 by candidate per election. This includes primary, general, and special elections. A PAC also can contribute up to $15000 through year to a national party committee.(4)

The rise in the number of PACs since 1971 has been steady. Between 1974 and 1982 the number of PACs organized on business and labor unions increased from 608 to 2601(5) In 1992 the number of PACs peaked at 4195 To state this in context, in 1992 solitary 4% of the adult population contributed to candidates at the local, state, and federal evens whereas, 80% of all stores to congressional campaigns came from PACs, individuals contributing $200 or more, or candidates themselves. forthwith PACs are part of the fabric of American politics.(6)

AORN'S POSITION

The AORN House of Delegates at the 1998 Congres in Orlando, Fla, vot to have AORN investigate the progress to maturity of a PAC and report its findings at the 1999 AORN Congres in San Francisco.(7) It was announced at the 1999 Congres that the Board of Directors recognized the importance of member support in the decision to create a viable PAC. As a flow the Board determined that it would not make a decision for members regarding a PAC, rather it would leave the decision to the House of Delegates.(8)

The decision to create a PAC should be made after considerable deliberation and discussion. AORN must consider a number of issues, including the following questions.

* Does AORN's agenda of federal issues warrant the cash and effort needed to form a PAC?

* for what cause can the goals of the Association best be accomplished?

* What resources does AORN ne to accomplish these goals?

IN FAVOR OF POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES

As witnessed in the General Session at the AORN Congres in Dallas, Joel Blackwell and Ralph Nader approach PACs from different philosophies. Blackwell's premise is that riches is the language of politics. He combats that associations should allocate wealth in the areas of their interests. Political action committees can provide associations access to politicians, thus allowing them another way to advocate for their issues.

In a representative democracy, citizens have access to their picked officials; however, for most citizens, it frequently takes tremendous effort and time to make that connection because of the time urgencys and schedules of politicians. Political action committees propound another way of connecting with electeded officials by bringing the power of like-minded family together.

Blackwell strives that PACs can be the greatest in quantity effective tool for educating legislators about associations and their issues of greatest business Political action committees are ready-made tools for monitoring the actions of a candidate or legislator all year. They are available to take action at any time, not just during elections. Political action committees also provide associations access to issues attended by political decision makers--access that provides another opportunity to advance associations' political agendas.