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Last year the federal government awarded $447.6 billion in federal contracts. But because of rules like Citizens United, we don't know how much of the money taxpayers gave to the private sector is being used to rig our elections or lobby our elected officials. Click here to demand that President Obama sign an executive order requiring federal contractors to disclose their political spending.
Friend,
Last year the federal government spent nearly one half trillion dollars on federal contracts.1 The money is supposed to be spent to improve infrastructure, defend national security, mitigate natural disasters and preserve our environment. But in truth, the same companies that take OUR MONEY are allowed to turn around and spend big bucks lobbying elected officials for more contracts, or paying for election ads that support candidates more friendly to pollution and their profits.
If your friend asked for a bunch of money but refused to tell you what it was for, you’d probably have a big problem with that. But that’s exactly what some of these contractors have been doing with your money. It’s a vicious cycle that starts with our hard earned tax money and ends in the pockets of climate denying, clean water opposing, endangered-species hunting lawmakers and worse.
We have a right to know exactly how our money is being spent by these contractors. But secret spending unleashed by Supreme Court decisions like Citizens United prevents this from happening. Fortunately, there’s something that President Obama can do about this right now. That’s why we're teaming up with a coalition of other concerned groups like Center for Popular Democracy, Daily Kos and Sierra Club to demand that President Obama immediately sign an Executive Order requiring federal contractors to disclose their political spending. Sign here to add your name to the growing list of citizens who are saying, “our money, our right to know!”
Here's an example of how this system of legal bribery works: In 2004, former President George W. Bush awarded the Koch Brothers approximately $85 million in federal contracts.2 And while we know that the Koch's are notorious for funding climate denying think tanks and politicians, we have no idea exactly how much money they used to back their preferred candidates for president or members of Congress who support weaker rules on oil drilling or refuse to address climate change.
Then there's Monsanto, which received over $44,000,000 in contracts over the last few years3 and spent over $4 million lobbying politicians in one year.4 And I can't leave out the mother load of federal contractors: Lockheed Martin that hauled in a whopping $11 billion in 2014 alone5 and spent $14 million to ensure lawmakers voted favorably for them.6 All of this money is used to ensure that politicians continue to deny climate disruption, vote to dig up and burn more fossil fuels and worse.
Buying politicians is bad enough, but buying them with our money is just plain wrong. We have a right to know if our money is being used to line the pockets of lawmakers. Until we get a constitutional amendment that bans big money in politics, we need a mechanism that at least shows us how companies that take taxpayer money are spending cash to influence politics and elections. President Obama can do that with a stroke of his pen, click here to make sure he does just that.
Thanks for sounding off,
Anthony for Environmental Action
1. Clark, Charles S. Federal Contract Spending Fell 3.1 Percent in 2014, Study Finds. Government Executive. June 5, 2015.
2. Leber, Rebecca. Five Ways Charles Koch Benefits From Practices He Criticizes In Absurd Wall Street Journal Op Ed. Think Progress. September 10, 2012.
3. Influence Explorer: Monsanto Co. Financial Disclosures.
4. Center for Responsive Politics: Monanto Co. Political Contributions.
5. Washington Technology: 2015 Top 100 Federal Contractors.
6. Center for Responsive Politics: Lockheed Martin Political Contributions.
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