GOP donors at Koch Bros. retreat threaten to withhold donations

>At least one Koch official warned that the Republican Party's House majority could be in jeopardy if the GOP-led Congress doesn't follow through.

>"If they don't make good on these promises ... there are going to be consequences, and quite frankly there should be," said Sean Lansing, chief operating officer for the Koch network's political arm, Americans For Prosperity.

>Deason, who is keeping the "Dallas piggy bank" closed for now, said he was recently approached by Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C. and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, about hosting a fundraiser.

>"I said, 'No I'm not going to because we're closing the checkbook until you get some things done,'" Deason said, noting he's encouraged nearly two dozen major Texas donors to follow his lead.

>"There is urgency," said AFP president Tim Phillips. "We believe we have a window of about 12 months to get as much of it accomplished as possible before the 2018 elections grind policy to a halt."

>The window for action may be even smaller, some Koch allies warned at the three-day donor retreat that drew roughly 400 participants to the base of the Rocky Mountains. The price for admission for most was a pledge to give at least $100,000 this year to the Kochs' broad policy and political network. There were also at least 18 elected officials on hand.

>Some hosted private policy discussions with donors while others simply mingled.

>In between meetings, Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va., predicted dire consequences in next year's midterm elections should his party fail to deliver on its repeated promises.

>"If we don't get health care, none of us are coming back," he said in a brief interview. "We said for seven years you're gonna repeal Obamacare. It's nowhere near repealed."

>It's the same for an overhaul of the tax code, Brat said: "We don't get taxes through, we're all going home. Pack the bags."

>While some donors threatened to withhold campaign cash, Koch's team outlined a broader strategy to help shape the debate.

>Already, Americans For Prosperity claims a paid staff of more than 400 full-time activists in 36 states. Koch officials said that the network's midterm budget for policy and politics is between $300 million and $400 million.

>The group is actively lobbying Senate Republicans to change their current health care proposal, which it views as insufficiently conservative.

>We are not committed to the Senate bill in its current form, but there is still time to make changes and we're actively working to improve it," Phillips said.

>At the same time, Koch's allies are aggressively pushing forward on taxes.

>The network is running what it describes as "a first wave" of digital ads calling on more than 50 House and Senate Republicans in both parties to overhaul the tax code. Later in the summer, Philips said, his organization will begin hosting rallies and other events to generate momentum for a tax overhaul in all 36 states where they have full-time operations.

>Another Koch donor, Chris Wright, of Colorado, predicted Republicans have a 10-month window before any chance of major policy action is suffocated by next year's midterms.

>"If we don't get anything done by then, the elections probably don't go very well," Wright said. "They may not go well anyway."

>>153727
Sounds good to me

GOP is finished,

they've gotten just enough rope to hang themselves.

Why are republishits so bad at governing?

Place your bets on how the republicans will handle this conflict of interest. My money is on the ACA getting axed, nobody in the GOP will want to risk offending their master and losing all that donation money.

>>153920
Straight up axeing the ACA means that their constituents will be mad when it comes to election time, not doing so will make it to where they have no money come election time.

It's pretty hilarious.

>>153920

Pretty much this; I don't have faith in the humanity of the GOP to try and win votes by simply legislating in the best interests of their constituencies and the country. Plus, historic precedent stands in the face of that happening; everyone said the AHCA couldn't possibly pass the House.

That leaves two possibilities: the GOP does nothing and has nothing to show for their time in power come next election, or the GOP does whatever their donors tell them, serving the interests of a small portion of their constituencies and just ignoring whatever happens to everyone else.

At least if they go the latter rout they keep all their corporate donors and a lot of the folks they'll seriously fuck over are likely not to have voted for them in the first place. So appease the Koch brothers it is.

I think they may already be well aware of this calculation. They're just trying to make the ACA repeal as drawn out and painful as possible to create uncertainty in insurance markets in the hopes that more insurers leave the exchanges to create urgency for some reform which only they have the seats to bring. Thus further demonstrating their total lack of humanity.

And as usual, the democrats in Congress will probably let the GOP get away with it in the long run, since they're weak and a number of them don't want to upset their donors (potentially the same donors) either.

>>153925
>>I think they may already be well aware of this calculation. They're just trying to make the ACA repeal as drawn out and painful as possible to create uncertainty in insurance markets in the hopes that more insurers leave the exchanges to create urgency for some reform which only they have the seats to bring. Thus further demonstrating their total lack of humanity.

Then they should've include riders to popular bills to kill of the ACA by striping fundings and repealing key programs in the first place. In fact, what they wanted is Tax Breaks for the rich.

>>153925
>And as usual, the democrats in Congress will probably let the GOP get away with it in the long run, since they're weak and a number of them don't want to upset their donors (potentially the same donors) either.

Can you cue me in on what they could possibly do at this point? GOP owns this every which way.

>>153957
Democrats have no power, they dont have the house, the senate, or the presidency, or the supreme court really. What he said is stupid as hell and none of the blame is on them if it passes, all Democrats oppose the bill and voted against it in the house.

But you should note that the democrats are still the largest party in the house and senate, because the republican party is split 3 ways while democrats vote together all the time. Chuck schumer, hilariously, is the most powerful man in Washington right now.

And if you want proof, go look at the largest and most expensive bill we have passed since the new presidency, the new budget- which is literally a democratic budget which was passed silently and quickly. No cuts on the EPA or state dep, increases Mil. spending because that was bipartisan anyways,. etc. Republicans are certainly passing policy legislation together, but its the big things which cost money that they can never agree on (on how much to jew the citizens). Moderate republicans will vote with democrats when they need to get shit done.

Allahu Akbar!
The U.S. must take Monroe Doctrine now.
The U.S. must withdraw American Forces from all Foreign Countries now.
Stop America's doing its all wars now!

I love American99% and the U.S.

China, Germany and Japan must loosen Germany's, Japan's and China's monetary policies now!
China, Germany and Japan must stimulate Germany's, Japan's and China's domestic demands now!
Japan and Germany must issue a lot of construction bond now!
Japan and Germany must reduce Germany's, Japan's and China's taxes now!
The U.S. must tighten its monetary policy now!
As a result, Dollar value will rise!
The U.S. will have trade surplus!

Japan, Germany and China are evil empires.
Islamists' true enemies are Japan, Germany, China, FRB, top1%, Wall Street, American Military Industry and DOD!
Japan is the country which has been promoting Globalization!!!
Allahu Akbar!

>>154079

Yeah, his comments left me bewildered. Also glad to see someone noted the surprisingly Democratic bill that they got passed. It should be noted that another stipulation in this bill also barred funding for a border wall until at least September.

A lot of people rightfully note that the Dem's messaging campaign and connecting with their base is lacking, but their expertise in the political arena is surprisingly nimble. I'm not surprised the 111th congress was so legislatively successful given that they have a lot of wedge despite being a minority.

>>154100

*Democratic BUDGET