It’s no secret that our government is corrupt.
With money flowing from corporations and billionaires, our politicians aren’t making decisions based on what the American people want or what’s in our best interest.
They are making decisions based on what their donors want.
That’s why there’s such a huge disconnect between policies the American people overwhelmingly support and the voting records of representatives sent to Congress by those Americans.
Congress is Controlled by Corporations and Billionaires
For example, on the issue of gun reform, an average of:
- 85% of Americans want common-sense background checks.
- 88% want laws to prevent someone with a mental illness from buying a gun.
- 79% favor increasing the age required to legally purchase a gun to 21.
- 64% want to ban assault rifles, and
- 66% want to ban high-capacity magazines.
If the majority of Americans want some form of gun reform, why are OUR Representatives voting “NO” on any attempt at passing gun law legislation? It’s simple.
(Statistics from Pew Research Center)
Corruption
Opensecrets is an organization that collects data on donations to politicians. It shows you the total amount that each politician has taken during their time in Congress.
Then, they convert that data into charts and graphs.
If you compare the OpenSecrets donor data of any politician with their actual voting record, you would find some interesting “coincidences.”
For instance, you might see how they voted “NO” on Medicare’s ability to negotiate drug prices after taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from pharmaceutical companies.
You may find that they voted “NO” on common sense gun reform after taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from the NRA.
If a senator has taken millions of dollars from the fossil fuel industry, it will come as no surprise that they voted “NO” on legislation to switch over to renewable energy sources.
AIPAC
The most-talked-about donor right now is the Israel lobby and AIPAC, or “Americans for Israel Public Action Committee.
They have given millions to members of Congress in exchange for their undying loyalty to a foreign government.
President Biden received over $ 5 million during his career in the Senate, and over $11 million over his entire career.
You can find out if your representative takes money from AIPAC and view total dollar amounts on our AIPAC page.
The fact is, these corporations, billionaires, and special interest groups have been using money as a way to reward or punish politicians for decades.
They are public servants who are supposed to work for us.
It would be funny if it wasn’t so damned depressing.
Legalized Bribery
Our government doesn’t work for the American people because Congress is controlled by corporations and billionaires.
The corruption was made possible by the Supreme Court’s decision to legalize bribery. Snyder v. United States made it possible for public officials to take financial rewards for their corrupt actions.
That’s why one of the major goals of the progressive movement is to get money out of politics.
If we don’t do that, we will never have people in government — who were sent to Washington to represent Americans — making the decisions in the interest of their constituents.
The government of the United States was created of the people, for the people, by the people.
Not the wealthy.
Trump Shows Us Who He Cares About
Donald Trump recently made it clear who he would be working for if he were elected.
That’s why the recent news about pandering by the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party is not surprising.
Donald Trump stood in front of a room full of fossil fuel executives and promised deregulation of the entire industry if they give him $1 billion dollars.
Do people realize how devastating that would be to the environment? We made some positive progress on climate change during President Biden’s term.
The bipartisan infrastructure bill included funding to build energy infrastructure required to support the move to electric vehicles.
It included charging stations and upgrades to the energy grid.
He Did It Again
Well, Trump did it again. This time it was in front of the richest people in the country. He said he would allow anyone to come on stage and speak for $100 million.
He also promised to extend the tax cuts for the rich, reminding them how the ROI (return on investment) would save them billions.
Two days ago, we learned that the billionaires who spoke out against Trump after the insurrection on January 6th, are now back to donating to candidate Donald Trump. They’re doing it for one reason: to protect their fortunes.
Trump told them outright that the tax cuts he passed in his first term are going to expire in 2025 and he’s the only one who will make them permanent.
Congress is controlled by corporations and billionaires who are now putting their money behind Trump. They want to get him back into office so they can rule the country.
As Americans, and as the working class in this country, it’s time for us to fight back and #RESIST.
These people don’t want to see equality, equity, diversity, inclusion, or social justice in America. Why? Division.
Without culture wars to divide us and keep our attention elsewhere, we might notice what they are up to.
We’ll notice that they are selling out America for their own benefit.
The country would become just like Russia — where Putin and oligarchs rule.
If they get their way, the concept of a ruling class of elites will become a reality. We can’t let that happen.
Vote this November. You don’t have to vote for Biden.
Just vote against Donald Trump.
