If anyone thought that voting out Todd Tiahrt would cut into the government influence of the Koch brothers, they were mistaken. A recent article in The Wichita Eagle reveals that the Koch brothers have found new ways to increase their influence in the US Congress.
Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, of the Wichita-based Koch Industries has formed the largest single oil and gas political donor to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, ahead of giants like Exxon Mobil. They are contributing $279,500 to 22 of the committee's 31 Republicans, and $32,000 to five Democrats.
One of the new Energy and Commerce Committee members include Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita and he hired a former Koch Industries lawyer as his chief of staff. Other key players include its new chairman, Rep. Fred Upton. He is a Republican from Michigan who was once criticized for being too soft on the EPA. Now he and others are likely to try and gut the EPA to the best of their abilities.
Koch Industries has never taken well to the EPA. They have found political allies and loop holes in their attempts to trash the environment without government interference. For the 2004 election Koch gave $587,000 to politicians.
Koch’s efforts have reached other states such as California. This last November they supported California’s Proposition 23, which would kill the state’s landmark global warming law. The Koch brothers’ corporation gave $1 million to the Prop 23 campaign, while AFP (Americans For Prosperity, a conservative lobby group which seeks to stop or even roll back environmental protection,) California attempts to stoke grassroots support, and Koch-funded think tanks attack climate policy.
Besides using the AFT, Koch has also infiltrated the Tea Party. The Battle cry of many of these anti-environmentalists is to “oppose job-killing regulations.” So while they use political influence to destroy our environment, they want you to believe it is in our best interest to do that.
This is one more example of a greedy, irresponsible corporation buying off our government.
Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch, of the Wichita-based Koch Industries has formed the largest single oil and gas political donor to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, ahead of giants like Exxon Mobil. They are contributing $279,500 to 22 of the committee's 31 Republicans, and $32,000 to five Democrats.
One of the new Energy and Commerce Committee members include Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita and he hired a former Koch Industries lawyer as his chief of staff. Other key players include its new chairman, Rep. Fred Upton. He is a Republican from Michigan who was once criticized for being too soft on the EPA. Now he and others are likely to try and gut the EPA to the best of their abilities.
Koch Industries has never taken well to the EPA. They have found political allies and loop holes in their attempts to trash the environment without government interference. For the 2004 election Koch gave $587,000 to politicians.
Koch’s efforts have reached other states such as California. This last November they supported California’s Proposition 23, which would kill the state’s landmark global warming law. The Koch brothers’ corporation gave $1 million to the Prop 23 campaign, while AFP (Americans For Prosperity, a conservative lobby group which seeks to stop or even roll back environmental protection,) California attempts to stoke grassroots support, and Koch-funded think tanks attack climate policy.
Besides using the AFT, Koch has also infiltrated the Tea Party. The Battle cry of many of these anti-environmentalists is to “oppose job-killing regulations.” So while they use political influence to destroy our environment, they want you to believe it is in our best interest to do that.
This is one more example of a greedy, irresponsible corporation buying off our government.
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