This holiday season, defense contractors have to be feeling pretty good. With Congress adding an extra $45 billion to President Biden’s request for the Pentagon, and the war in Ukraine increasing demand for weapons, the five biggest defense contractors have a lot to celebrate.
And those defense contractors are spreading the wealth around to their friends in Congress. A new report from Open Secrets reveals that defense contractors spent $101 million in the first three quarters of 2022 on lobbying. Perhaps even more shocking, they are actually spending less this year than they have in the recent past – because they’re confident that global events will boost their bottom lines without greasing the skids.
Special interests helping friends with special influence
When you follow the money, it’s pretty clear that defense contractors are aiming to curry favor with the most power to direct business their way. Of the top 20 recipients of defense industry campaign contributions, 17 of them serve on the influential armed services or appropriations committees, and 2 of the remaining 3 are in party leadership.
Defense contractors are not people – no matter what Citizens United says
Our Society of Stampers is committed to stamping out the influence of big money in politics and overturning the terrible Citizens United decision, which essentially established that corporations have the same rights as human beings to influence politics with money.
The United States was founded on the premise that concerned citizens have the right to petition their representatives to do the right thing. But corporations exist solely to earn profit. When corporations lobby politicians, their objectives are clear. Stampers have long objected to self-serving defense industry lobbying.
This holiday season, stand up for people – not profits.
Previously, we’ve covered our efforts to stamp out the influence of big money in politics, and have highlighted promising legislative solutions like the Ban Corporate PACs Act and a constitutional amendment to overturn the terrible Citizens United decision.
We can’t reduce the impact of corporate lobbying without public pressure. You can help us build public support for campaign finance reform by supporting the Ban Corporate PACs Act.
Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-3091 (TTY) and urge them to pass the Ban Corporate PACs Act today.
You can also join grassroots efforts to educate fellow citizens about this issue. This holiday season, consider joining our Society of Stampers in stamping out the influence of big money in politics. And if you have politically minded relatives, our stamps make great stocking stuffers!