This document outlines the criteria by which donations are made by UROPAC to political candidates. It is important to note that this document is a guideline for political giving and modifications or contributions can be made to political candidates if the executive committee believes that an exception is in the best interest of urology or medicine.

Criteria for Making Political Contributions to Candidates

Contributions to Candidates:

According to federal election law, a political action committee may contribute up to $5000 per candidate per election. This includes special, run-off, primary, and general elections. For example, a candidate running in a primary and general can receive up to $10,000 from UROPAC ($5000 for the primary election and $5000 for the general election), as long as the contributions come before the election for which they have been designated.

Contributions to Incumbents:

Sitting Members of Congress are considered incumbents when seeking reelection to the same office. In general, UROPAC employs a “friendly incumbent” policy, meaning that our PAC favors supporting Members of Congress who have demonstrated record support for urology specifically or medicine in general. UROPAC will use the following criteria for determining incumbent candidate support:

• The candidate is supportive of urology as demonstrated by co-sponsorship, votes, or other measurable support of AACU’s and AUA’s legislative agenda.
• There is an established relationship between local urologists and the candidate.
• The candidate serves on a key congressional committee or in a leadership position.
• UROPAC has supported the candidate in the past.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The PAC will encourage:

• Urologist to attend local political events or deliver checks in the member’s districts, so that not all checks are presented in Washington, DC.
  
• The leadership of the AACU and the AUA, including BOD, Council and Committee Chairs, and PAC Executive Committee and Regional Representatives to attend events in their own States and Congressional Districts (to facilitate open communications with elected officials).
  
• Urologists to serve on campaign or issue committees of Members of Congress.
  
• In any year the balance between the contributions between the two major parties will be reasonable and balanced. (added 3/13/04)

UROPAC will discourage:

• Contributions to Competing Candidates -- UROPAC will not make contributions to competing candidates seeking the same office in the same election, except in extraordinary circumstances.
  
• Contributions in a Primary Election -- A primary election is held to determine the respective Republican and Democratic nominees for the general election. In order to preserve its limited resources for the general election, UROPAC will not contribute to primary contributions to against incumbent Members of Congress except in extraordinary circumstances.
  
• Special Elections -- A special election is an election to fill an unexpected vacancy. UROPAC will not participate in the primary or general elections to fill these vacant seats, except in special instances UROPAC can have a direct impact on the outcome of the election to the benefit of urologists.
  
• Out-of-cycle contributions -- an out-of-cycle contribution is defined as a contribution to a U.S. Senator made prior to the two years preceding his/her reelection date. UROPAC will not make out-of-cycle contributions.

THE FOLLOWING RANKING CRITERIA WILL BE FOLLOWED IN MAKING DECISIONS REGARDING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM UROPAC TO THE CAMPAIGNS OF U.S. CONGRESSIONAL RACES

LEVEL ONE - - (UROLOGISTS RUNNING FOR CONGRESS AND INCUMBENT MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ON KEY HEALTH CARE RELATED COMMITTEES).

It is the philosophy of UROPAC to encourage and support urological surgeons that are members of either the AACU and/or the AUA, who run for Congress, and also to support current members of Congress on key-health-care related Committees, including physicians, who embrace the viewpoint of the urological community and share our legislative goals.

Tier One - - Urologists Running for Congress

Criteria for making contributions: The UROPAC staff should check with local urologists; the candidate should be contacted by one or more members of the Executive Committee to assess the candidate. Whenever possible, the urologist should be supported to the maximum by the PAC ($5,000 in primary, $5,000 in general). The PAC through the auspices of both Associations should take other steps necessary and appropriate to aid the candidate (i.e. independent expenditures and “soft money”). The UROPAC Executive Committee will be fully knowledgeable of all urologist candidates, the Executive Committee should be very active and formally review, support, and approve spending levels.

Tier One - - Key Health Care Related Committees.

This would include Criteria for making contributions: There may be times when UROPAC staff may need discretion to make a contribution of up to $2,000 to members of Congress who fall into this category. If a time sensitive request is made and if the Chair or Vice Chair cannot be contacted to approve the contribution, the staff will have the power to authorize a contribution of up to $2000. Aggregate, these will not exceed $2000 a month.

Key Health Care Committees, include

• The House Ways and Means Committee, with special emphasis on the Subcommittee on Health.
• The House Commerce Committee, with special emphasis on the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment.
• The House Appropriations Committee, with special emphasis on the Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education.
• The Senate Finance Committee
• The Senate Health Education Labor and Pension Committee
• The Senate Appropriations Committee, with special emphasis on the Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education

  Committees which may have significant health care concerns in a specific Congress, including

• The House Judiciary Committee (because of the liability and collective negotiations issues for physicians)
• The Senate Judiciary Committee
  (Normally these Committees would be in Tier II)

Tier One - - Members of Congress who are MDs.

Criteria for making contributions: There may be times when UROPAC staff may need discretion to make a contribution of up to $2,000 to members of Congress who fall into this category. If a time sensitive request is made and if the Chair or Vice Chair cannot be contacted to approve the contribution, the staff will have the power to authorize a contribution of up to $2000. Aggregate, these will not exceed $2000 a month.

Tier One – Members of Congress in leadership and a history of support.
This category includes candidates who are not on key health care committees but have shown exceptional support for urology issues in the past. These candidates may have influence with the Executive Branch as well. In addition, UROPAC should have a history of giving to them in order to consider a contribution.

Tier Two - - Other Committees, which may from time to time handle health care issues.

Committees in Tier Two, include:

The House Veterans Affairs Committee
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
The House Science
The Senate Science
The House Education and Workforce Committee
The House Rules Committee

Tier Three - - All other Members of Congress.

Criteria for making contributions: To encourage participation in the political process, if the request comes from a Member of the Board of Directors, a Council or Committee Chairs, or an active participant of the PAC, (including members of the PAC Executive, the PAC regional representatives, and any member of the AACU or AUA who is active in the political process in their state), a contribution(s) can be made of up to a current member of Congress.

LEVEL TWO - - MD’S RUNNING FOR THE CONGRESS AND THE SENATE (CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS)

It is the philosophy of the UROPAC to support physicians who run for Congress and the Senate. Challenger Races:

A challenger race is defined as an election in which a candidate is challenging a sitting incumbent for Federal office. UROPAC will not consider contributions against friendly incumbents. Contributions to those challenging non-friendly incumbents will be considered. All challengers must complete a candidate questionnaire. In most cases, contributions will be limited to the general election campaign. The key factors considered by UROPAC in a challenger race are the competitiveness of the race and the probability of the challenger’s success, as well as the challenger’s relationship with urologists in their district.

Criteria for making contributions: The staff will check with local urologists, and check with the special society of the candidate’s Board certification. The staff will contact the candidate, and make recommendations to the Executive Committee for approval.

LEVEL THREE – SPECIAL REQUEST FROM UROLOGICAL COMMUNITY (CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS)

Tier One - - Requests Made by Board of Directors, Council and Committee Chairs, and members of the PAC Executive Committee and Regional Representatives.

Criteria for making contributions: The staff will check with local urologists, assess feasibility of the candidacy, including negative impact of opposing an incumbent. Upon approval by the Executive Committee, and with no objection from the Executive Committee contributions of up to $2,000 may be made.

Tier Two - - Request made by any AACU or AUA member.

Criteria for making contributions: The staff will check with local urologists, and assess the feasibility of the candidacy. Contribution amount would normally be up to $500, and be made with the approval of the Executive Committee after 48-hour notification.

LEVEL FOUR - - LEADERSHIP PACS
It is the general belief of UROPAC that contribution(s) to leadership PACs should be carefully considered, since it is difficult to control how that money is spent once it is given. Contributions to a leadership PAC of a member of Congress shall only be to those members who hold a leadership position that can affect legislation important to urologists. When possible, UROPAC will attempt to contribute individually to candidates that the leadership PAC has endorsed