By Guest Contributor on
April 4, 2011 at 9:00 pm
"
REPORT: Everything You Need To Know About The Koch Brothers"
Our guest blogger is Tony Carrk, Policy Director for Progress Central.
Today, the Center for American Progress Action Fund released a
report
shedding light on the vast Koch network and how it operates. The report
shows that Charles and David Koch have used the considerable wealth
(they are worth a combined $44 billion) to push policies that put their
profits ahead of the interests of most Americans.
The
report finds:
- Grassroots organizing for big business. The Koch
brothers use their considerable wealth to bankroll the right wing,
including the Tea Party. This serves the purpose of furthering not only
their right-wing ideology but also their bottom line. Koch
Industries has a lot to gain from gutting government oversight and
electing candidates who oppose government regulation, especially in
the oil-and-gas industry.
- $85 million to 85 think tanks. Identification of at
least $85 million the Koch brothers have given to at least 85
right-wing think tanks and advocacy groups over the past decade and
a half.
- State organizing. The Koch brothers are active at
the state level, spending $5.2 million on candidates and ballot
measures in 34 states since 2003. They donated directly to 13 governors
that won election last year.
- Over 70% of the GOP Freshman. The Kochs donated directly to 62 of the 87 members of the House GOP freshman class.
- 2012. The Kochs are not going away. In fact, they
have already pledged to raise $88 million for the 2012 election and
have started scheduling events for potential Republican presidential
candidates.
-
Read the full report here.
This report is intended to be a guide to help progressives map out
the vast network of influence the Koch brothers have built over the last
decades. By exposing the Koch brothers’ agenda and shedding light on
how they operate, progressives can force a public debate that will show
that the Koch brothers are outside the mainstream of most Americans and
that they are putting their self-interest and right wing agenda ahead of
middle-class families.
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