Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
A political action committee (PAC) is an entity created to permit individuals with common concerns to join together to support like-minded federal candidates and campaigns. The impact made by pooling contributions is significantly greater than that of a single contribution. This pooling of resources in the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons Political Action Committee (OMSPAC) enables oral and maxillofacial surgeons to significantly impact the political process.
Why does AAOMS need OMSPAC?
The legislative process is a dynamic one, and needs to be continually monitored. Whether we seek to enact policy that will improve the care we can deliver to our patients or prevent something that will impede our ability to treat patients; there is always a need to have a dialogue with elected officials so we can educate them on how legislation and regulations they enact may affect our patients as well as our specialty. This dialogue helps protect your professional future. Federal statutes and regulations continually change. It is critical to elect lawmakers who understand the concerns of our patients as well as oral and maxillofacial surgery.
OMSPAC provides the best opportunity to elect those who realize the importance of oral and maxillofacial surgery and how it relates to a patient's overall health. With more than 4,000 federal PACs representing the views of labor, attorneys, big business, pro-life, pro-choice, pro-gun, anti-gun, insurance and managed care and any other concern, you can imagine competing for the attention of policymakers. It is vital that OMSPAC is there to be sure oral and maxillofacial surgery's voice is heard.
Who can contribute to OMSPAC?
Pursuant to federal election law, OMSPAC can only solicit funds from AAOMS members, their families, and employees of AAOMS. OMSPAC cannot solicit funds from foreign nationals.
Are PACs legal?
Yes. PAC contributions are the most highly regulated and scrutinized source of campaign funds; everythinga PAC does is completely available to the public and tracked closely by the Federal Election Commission. While a strong case can be made for the need to reform the way campaigns are funded, PACs are part of the solution — not the problem. Until reform is a reality, we would be remiss in our responsibility to our members if we didn't participate in the system as it's currently constituted.
How are contributions to candidates determined?
OMSPAC is a non-partisan political action committee. The OMSPAC Board determines which federal candidates and campaigns should receive support based on a number of criteria, including but not limited to, voting record, committee/leadership assignments, and a member's personal relationship with a candidate. However, you can be sure that OMSPAC will only contribute to candidates/campaigns who support the specialty of oral and maxillofacial surgery.