John Boehner Brings His Corporate Special Interest-Backed Agenda To Pennsylvania

Republican Candidates Shoud Reject Boehner’s Lobbyist-Led Agenda and Refuse to Attend Tonight’s Speech

Harrisburg, PA – Tonight, John Boehner will bring his corporate special interest-backed agenda to Pennsylvania and embrace Republican candidates who share his views. He will give a speech to the Pennsylvania Republican fall committee meeting and discuss his to put Social Security in the hands of Wall Street bankers, repeal Wall Street reform and give tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas.

“John Boehner’s corporate special interest-backed agenda is wrong for Pennsylvania and it is shameful that Pennsylvania Republican candidates are adopting his plans to put Social Security in the hands of Wall Street bankers, repeal Wall Street reform and give tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas,” said Mark Nicastre spokesman with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. “John Boehner represents everything that is wrong with Washington. He got caught handing out tobacco company checks to his colleagues on the House floor and now he’s writing the Republican agenda with lobbyists and corporate special interest.”

“Boehner and the candidates he’s campaigning for in Pennsylvania have committed themselves to bringing back the failed Bush economic policies that nearly toppled our economy. Pennsylvanians need leaders in Washington who will fight for the middle class, not a bunch of Boehner-Republicans who will only represent the corporate special interests that are funding their campaigns. Republican candidates should reject Boeher’s brand of corporate special interest politics and refuse to attend tonight’s speech.”

NYT: Boehner Turned To The Same Group Of Lobbyists, Former Aides And Friends To Promote His “Boehner For Speaker” Campaign.” In June, with the prospects for a Republican takeover of the House rising, Mr. Boehner moved to accelerate his fund-raising effort, starting what he called the Boehner for Speaker campaign. The idea was to use his high profile to draw large donations that would be mostly allocated to help elect other House Republicans. He turned again to the same group of lobbyists, former aides and friends during a July meeting at the headquarters of the Republican National Committee. … The Boehner for Speaker campaign offers donors who give the maximum amount special perks, like ‘meetings with Leader Boehner and much much more.’ But his lobbyist friends and former aides said these incentives did not mean too much, because they already had plenty of access to Mr. Boehner. They just now want to see him as the speaker of the House.” [New York Times, 9/12/10]

NYT: Lobbyist Members Of Boehner’s Inner Circle Said Their Association With Boehner Translates Into Open Access To Him And His Staff. “While many lawmakers in each party have networks of donors, lobbyists and former aides who now represent corporate interests, Mr. Boehner’s ties seem especially deep. His clique of friends and current and former staff members even has a nickname on Capitol Hill, Boehner Land. The members of this inner circle said their association with Mr. Boehner translates into open access to him and his staff. … One lobbyist in the club – after lauding each staff member in Mr. Boehner’s office that he routinely calls to ask for help – ticked off the list of recent issues for which he had sought the lawmaker’s backing: combating fee increases for the oil industry, fighting a proposed cap on debit card fees, protecting tax breaks for hedge fund executives and opposing a cap on greenhouse gas emissions. Mr. Boehner’s office said these were positions he already agreed with.” [New York Times, 9/12/10]

Boehner “Maintains Especially Tight Ties With A Circle Of Lobbyists And Former Aides Representing Some Of The Nation’s Biggest Businesses, Including Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, R. J. Reynolds, MillerCoors And UPS.” Boehner “maintains especially tight ties with a circle of lobbyists and former aides representing some of the nation’s biggest businesses, including Goldman Sachs, Google, Citigroup, R. J. Reynolds, MillerCoors and UPS. They have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to his campaigns, provided him with rides on their corporate jets, socialized with him at luxury golf resorts and waterfront bashes and are now leading fund-raising efforts for his Boehner for Speaker campaign, which is soliciting checks of up to $37,800 each, the maximum allowed. Some of the lobbyists readily acknowledge routinely seeking his office’s help – calling the congressman and his aides as often as several times a week – to advance their agenda in Washington. And in many cases, Mr. Boehner has helped them out.” [New York Times, 9/12/10]

NYT: “Some Of The Lobbyists Readily Acknowledge Routinely Seeking His Office’s Help… And In Many Cases, Mr. Boehner Has Helped Them Out.” “Some of the lobbyists readily acknowledge routinely seeking his office’s help – calling the congressman and his aides as often as several times a week – to advance their agenda in Washington. And in many cases, Mr. Boehner has helped them out.” [New York Times, 9/12/10]

Boehner Invited “Senior Republican Lobbyists And Top Officials From Several Large Trade Groups” To Provide Suggestions For A New GOP Agenda. “House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) have invited senior Republican lobbyists and top officials from several large trade groups to the Capitol next week to provide their suggestions for a new GOP agenda. The meeting is part of the House leaders’ initiative called America Speaking Out, which is intended to draw broad input to create a new policy agenda for the party to launch in the fall. An e-mail invitation sent to more than 20 trade representatives and obtained by Roll Call summoned guests to Boehner’s second-floor office on July 16 ‘to discuss House Republican efforts to produce a new policy agenda with a small group of trade association leaders.’ Invitees included Dan Danner, head of the National Federation of Independent Business; Bruce Josten, top lobbyist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; Jay Timmons of the National Association of Manufacturers; and Joe Stanton of the National Association of Home Builders.” [Roll Call, 7/7/10]

Boehner Handed Out Checks From The Tobacco Lobby To His Colleagues On The House Floor. “Few incidents better symbolize the loathsome symbiosis between lobbyists and legislators, perhaps, than the infamous day when Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, handed out checks from the tobacco lobby to his colleagues on the House floor — the first time in history that payoffs reached right into the hallowed chamber. Previously, lobbyists had tried to keep their influence more discreet.” [Columbus Dispatch, 9/3/96]

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