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Caught Our Eye

Former Republican congresswoman turns health care lobbyist

Posted by Jenna Ebersole on Dec. 23, 2014

A former congresswoman from Virginia, Republican Thelma Drake, has become a federally registered lobbyist.

Drake, who began a term in Congress in 2004 but lost a re-election bid in 2008, joined the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association in September as regional director for community and member outreach. Her first federal lobbying registration with the organization was released this week. She previously had filed as a state lobbyist with the organization.

Drake came to Congress after serving in the Virginia House of Delegates between 1996 and 2004. After leaving the U.S. House in 2009, she was director at the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation before starting Thelma Drake and Associates LLC to "advocate for various regional issues affecting voters and citizens," one of which was closing the Medicaid coverage gap, according to her LinkedIn profile. 

On her filing, Drake registered to lobby on "issues affecting hospitals and other health care providers," including Medicare and Medicaid.