Bribes for Congress

Campaign contributions affect votes on Bills in congress.  Maplight.org tracks these contributions and reports contributors and recipients. Congress often votes against the “will of the people” for wildly unpopular Bills.  If you were surprised by the TPA vote, you can see the contributions on Maplight.org. Paste the large URL below on your browser.

The big donors supporting HR 1314 were: Lawyers – $23.9 million, Investment Banks – $11.3 million, Commercial Banks - $10.1 million, Insurance - $8.3 million.

The big recipients voting Yes on HR 1314 were: John Boehner- $5.3 million, Kevin McCarthy- $2.4 million, Paul Ryan-$2.3 million.

H.R. 1314 - Trade Act of 2015,

Total contributions given to House members from interest groups that…supported this Bill or opposed this Bill

Post this on your browser:

http://maplight.org/us-congress/bill/114-hr-1314/6832028/total-contributions.table?sort=asc&order=%24+From+Interest+Groups%3Cbr+%2F%3EThat+Supported&party%5bD%5d=D&party%5bR%5d=R&party%5bI%5d=I&vote%5bAYE%5d=AYE&vote%5bNOE%5d=NOE&vote%5bNV%5d=NV&voted_with%5bwith%5d=with&voted_with%5bnot-with%5d=not-with&state=&custom_from=10%2F01%2F2012&custom_to=09%2F30%2F2014&all_pols=1&uid=53150&interests-support=K1000-F2100-F1100-F3100-F5100-F3300-D2000-H4300-J1100-J1200-C4100-T5100-M2300-G2900-E1620-E1600-A1000-F3200-B1000-F1400-E1110-M1000-F3400-C5120-H4100-F2300-E1100-C5140-G4300-T7100-E1140-A3000-A2000-E1150-A5000-G4500-C2100-C1100-A4000-A1300-T2310-G2100-C5110-G2400-T6200-T2100-G2820-M2100-C5130-C4300-A1400-C2000-F5000-H4500-G2600-M5000-B6000-G5210-C5000-A2300-G4000-A1500-G1000-T1200-C5100-A1600-G5000-A5200-C2400-A4200-G2300-G5290-A4100-M3300-M1500-G1200-M8000-H2000-M1300-C2600-B5200-M3100-G4100-G4600-E1220-H4000-C4600-M2400-G4800-C0000-M9000-T9000-C1300-H4600-A3100-G2200-X5000-G1100-A4300-E4100-C4000-T8300-M2200-T6000-A0000-M0000-M1600-T2000-G5280-M4200-M3200-T2400-G4400-M3600-T7000-M4300-M3000-M3500-T1000-M1700-G3500-G1300-J4000-E1230-G1400-M2250-X3300-A6500&interests-oppose=J1100-J1200-L1300-L1500-J7400-C5120-C5140-LM100-JE300-H1700-L1200-LT000-LT300-L1100-LG100-LC100-A6000-LM150-J7300-LG000-X7000-J7200-JH100-J7000-L0000-J3000-JI200&from=10-01-2012&to=09-30-2014&source=pacs-nonpacs&campaign=congressional&politicians=

You can see how campaign contributions can add up to hundreds of millions of dollars, so after a while, these politicians are able to fund their campaigns to the hilt. They can also make contributions from their campaign funds to other candidates or causes and have their own slush-fund to return the bribery in return for support, favors and who knows what.

This corrupt system is costing Hundreds of $Billions each year. Corporations provide the money and pass it on to consumers by embedding the expense of these bribes into their prices. 

These bribes result in monopoly powers and restrict the functioning of free markets. Our politicians have all been bought and paid for. 

The only way to restore a true free market economy is to restrict campaign contributions to registered voters, who would only be allowed to contribute to candidates who would appear on their ballots.  Politicians would then work for the voters.

Yes, you might get bad politicians fool the voters and get elected, but it couldn’t be worse than what we have now.

You would also need to reduce government control of free markets and shrink government’s footprint.  You would be wise to limit the federal government to its enumerated powers outlined in the US Constitution and establish limits on State and Local government. You couldn’t have a law to cover everything.  The free market would function much better and prosperity would return.  We already have the system to operate this way.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader