Xavier Becerra (D-CA)
> Major contributors: Oaktree Capital Management, Fresenius Medical Care, LHC Group
> Years served: 8
> Votes with party: 92.7%
Xavier Becerra has voted in favor of expanding health care numerous times, including supporting the Affordable Health Care For America Act. He has argued that health care reform improves employment, stating, “The facts are, health care today is creating jobs.” Becerra receives donations from a number of health
care companies, including LHC Group, Fresenius Medical Care, and Edwards Lifesciences.
Jim Clyburn (D-SC)
> Major contributors: General Electric, RLJ Companies, Energy Future Holdings Corp
> Years served: 18
> Votes with party: 90.4%
Jim Clyburn, in his own words, is “an ardent supporter of expanding our country’s nuclear capacity.” He adds,“In our state of South Carolina, more than 50 percent of our electricity is produced by nuclear power. New technology makes nuclear a very safe, and viable energy alternative.” Clyburn received $16,498 in contributions from Energy Future Holdings Corp for the 2009-2010 election cycle, and $9,500 from Southern Co for the 2011-2012 cycle. Both of these companies operate nuclear plants. The congressman has pushed for federal action in the nuclear sector, supporting such projects as transforming plutonium from old weapons into nuclear fuel, and others.
Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
> Major contributors: Corstone Capital, National Education Assn, Boeing Co
> Years served: 8
> Votes with party: 95.0%
Two of Chris Van Hollen’s largest contributors are aerospace and defense companies Boeing and Lockheed Martin, both of which donated over $10,000 to the congressman during the 2009-2010 election cycle. Van Hollen has supported a highly-active military presence overseas. He has supported assistance to Pakistan, involvement in Libya, and voted against removing troops from Afghanistan. Military action is an intrinsically profitable action for defense contractors. Another one of Van Hollen’s largest contributors is the National Education Association. Van Hollen has been a major supporter of education bills such as the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act and the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act. Both of these acts, which increase the amount of money given to public education, were pushed for by the NEA.
Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
> Major contributors: First State Bank, American Bankers Assn, Bank of America
> Years served: 8
> Votes with party: 91.7%
Jeb Hensarling is the other co-chairperson of the super committee. The congressman has strong ties to the financial industry. During the 2009-2010 election cycle alone, he received $15,000 from First State Bank, $12,000 from the American Bankers Association, and $11,500 from Bank of America. Over the course of his congressional career, Hensarling has received at least $94,500 from Bank of America, $77,000 from the American Bankers Association, and at least $69,000 from JP Morgan Chase. After the passing of TARP, Hensarling sought to terminate the program, making it easier for banks to pay back what they owe. He also has stated his opposition to new regulations in the financial sector.
Dave Camp (R-MI)
> Major contributors: Dow Chemical, Altria Group, General Electric
> Years served: 20
> Votes with party: 91.6%
During the 2009-2010 election cycle, Dave Camp received a particularly large contribution of $32,850 from Altria Group, the parent company of Philip Morris USA. In early 2009, Camp voted against a bill that would raise federal cigarette taxes from $0.39 per pack to $1.00 per pack. He also received over $45,000 from Dow Chemical, of which he owns $250,001 to $500,000 worth of stock. Dow is located in Camp’s district. Camp has voted against CO2 limits and allowing the EPA to limit greenhouse gases, which gives Dow more room to run its business as desired. He has also supported federal trade agreements that benefit the company.
Fred Upton (R-MI)
> Major contributors: EnergySolutions Inc, Ford Motor, CMS Energy
> Years served: 24
> Votes with party: 88.3%
The energy industry is among Fred Upton’s largest campaign contributors. From 2009-2010, EnergySolutions Inc donated $39,800, CMS Energy donated $22,750, and DTE Energy donated $20,400. In March 2011, Upton introduced the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011. The bill is meant to prevent the EPA from imposing new, costly greenhouse gas regulations on companies. In defense of his bill, Upton stated that “Left unchecked, EPA’s actions would have a devastating impact on jobs, U.S. competitiveness, and domestic energy prices.”
Charles B. Stockdale, Douglas A. McIntyre
