Victor Menotti / IFG Action – International Forum on Globalization – 2014-11-05 23:17:37
http://kochcash.org/
Summary of Koch Spending, Warning on Koch Priorities
Victor Menotti / IFG Action – International Forum on Globalization
(November 5. 2014) — Of the $500 million the oli-billionaire Koch brothers said they would “raise” for the midterm elections, we have tracked over $90 million in what we believe is the only effort to track the Koch network’s record spending to take over Congress.
Here is a summary, broken down by the biggest organizations that do Koch’s bidding:
Americans for Prosperity: $29,558,143
Freedom Partners: $19,919,246
US Chamber of Commerce: $12,199,536
Carolina Rising: $54,700,000
Concerned Veterans for America: $3,970,136
Club for Growth: $2,006,912
National Rifle Association: $1,727,246
American Energy Alliance: $926,000
National Federation of Independent Business: $880,198
National Right to Life: $446,550
The mainstream media portrays Koch as just one of many billionaires influencing elections, downplaying Koch’s unrivaled financial capabilities as the world’s wealthiest men, as shown in Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index. But Koch’s overwhelming influence is clear by what conservatives are warning they will do as initial steps in a “Koch Congress,” specifically passing a hardline austerity budget and approving the Keystone XL Pipeline. [See story below.]
Why Keystone? The Washington Post corroborated our original claim [See: Billionaires’ Climate Bomb] that Koch has “close to two million acres” in Alberta (more than Exxon, Chevron and Conoco combined), which markets value at over $100 million with Keystone. As oil prices drop, Koch will be more aggressive than ever in trying to pass Keystone.
Click to see our spreadsheet of all Koch spending by candidate and/or organization. You can explore all of our findings at KochProblem.org and by clicking on this link.
Victor Menotti is the Executive Director of the International Forum on Globalization Action Fund. The IFG Action Fund, a 501(c)4, is a project of The Advocacy Fund.
GOP Senator Priebus: Obama Will Sign Keystone XL Bill
Timothy Cama / The Hill
WASHINGTON. DC (November 4, 2014) — President Obama would sign a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline if a Republican-controlled Senate passed the measure, the Republican National Committee’s chairman predicted.
Approving Keystone, more than six years after the Obama administration received TransCanada Corp.’s application to construct an oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, was one of the priorities Reince Priebus laid out Tuesday for a GOP-led Senate.
“We will pass a budget in both chambers, number one, and we will pass the Keystone pipeline, number two,” Priebus said Tuesday morning on MSNBC’s “Daily Rundown.”
“And I actually think the president will sign the bill on the Keystone pipeline because I think the pressure — he’s going to be boxed in on that, and I think it’s going to happen,” he said.
Congressional Republicans and some Democrats have pushed for the controversial pipeline’s approval for years. But Obama has repeatedly delayed issuing a permit for its final section to cross the border from Canada, leading his opponents to accuse him of pandering to environmentalists who say oil sands projects in Alberta create too much pollution.
The Republican-led House has passed multiple measures to force Obama’s hand. In the Senate, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed a bill to issue Keystone’s permit, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) never brought it to the floor.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) promised in September that if Republicans win Senate control and he becomes majority leader, Keystone’s permit would be approved.
Billionaires’ Carbon Bomb
Building Keystone XL Pipeline Could Mean Roughly $100 Billion in Profits for the Koch Brothers, New Report Reveals
International Forum on Globalization
Owners of Koch Industries, Charles and David Koch, will benefit should President Obama allow the Keystone XL Pipeline to be built. In recent years it has been reported that the Kochs hold up to 2 million acres in Alberta, could earn roughly $100 billion in profits from the project, and have spent more than $50 million on congress and think tanks that heavily push for the pipeline.
The Kochs have long been one of the largest players in the tar sands region of Alberta, Canada. The report connects the Kochs’ 50-year history and large footprint in the Canadian tar sands to the current debate about the pipeline. Since the Kochs are big players, it stands to reason they will be big winners when the pipeline gets built. IFG crunched the numbers and puts forth a compelling answer to why the Kochs have used their influence networks to push for fast-tracking of pipeline — $100 billion in potential profits.
Other Findings in the report include:
* The Kochs could earn 1 million times more than the average worker of the pipeline.
* Evidence suggests The Kochs alone be responsible for over 19 billion metric tons of carbon emissions in their tar sands holdings.
* Think tanks funded by the Kochs have released nearly 1000 pro-KXL reports or statements.
* Kochs have already made billions from insider trading and stand to do that again with tar sands.
* Koch Industries has a history of violence against people and the environment.
* The Koch Brothers seek to alter the public debate and control the policy debates in Washington.
“The Kochs have repeatedly claimed that they have no interest in the Keystone XL Pipeline, this report shows that is false.” Said Nathalie Lowenthal-Savy, a researcher with IFG.
“We noticed Koch Funded Tea Party members and think tanks pushing for the pipeline. We dug deeper and found $100 billion in potential profit, $50 million sent to organizations supporting the pipeline, and perhaps 2 million acres of land. That sounds like an interest to me.” Nathalie continued, “We all know they will use that money to fund and expand their influence network, subvert democracy, crush unions like in Wisconsin, and get more extremists elected to congress.
“The past two weeks of the government shutdown brought to light the irresponsible influence of Koch-funded groups,” said Bold Nebraska Director, Jane Kleeb. “Rewarding the Koch Brothers with Keystone XL, who at every turn fund campaigns to mislead Americans on everything from climate to gas prices, is like the President advocating for Sen. Cruz to be the Majority Leader.
“It makes no sense. Farmers and ranchers in Nebraska are depending on Pres. Obama to see our national interest is not served with a pipeline that lines the pockets of climate deniers and foreign oil.”
It is still anybody’s guess if President Obama will approve the northern leg of KXL. He has hinted that he has issues with the project, though he has not denied the permit. It is clear that IFG — and a growing number of other organizations — think the pipeline is in the interest of oil billionaires, not the American public.
Multimedia Tools for Concerned Citizens and Activists!
We have developed a variety of tools for activists to use in order to show their friends and allies another big reason why we need to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline!
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
