Washington Post Uncovers Toomey’s Hong Kong Boss

Former Enron Director Chan and Toomey Share Disastrous Economic Principles

MEDIA, Pa. – On Friday, the Washington Post finally uncovered what Congressman Toomey was doing in Hong Kong while he claimed to be opening a small business with his brothers in Pennsylvania. The Toomey campaign admitted to the Washington Post that he was working for Chinese billionaire Ronnie Chan, an Enron director at the heart of one of the biggest corporate scandals in the 21st century.

“Congressman Toomey is finally willing to admit what he was doing in Hong Kong during a period when he claimed to be a small businessman,” said Sestak campaign spokesman Jonathon Dworkin. “However, his connection to the scandal-ridden Enron profiteer only raises more questions. It’s time for Congressman Toomey to stop hiding his Wall Street past and start leveling with Pennsylvanians about whose interests he’ll put first in Washington.”

Information found about the former Enron director shows Ronnie Chan scorns the values of Western democracy. According to Chan, “Popularism will lead to socialism…The democrats only promote the upside of universal suffrage, they don’t discuss the downside. All the countries with the highest debts are Western countries whose governments are elected by the people. Western democracy is a dead end.” [South China Morning Post, 7/15/2010]

It’s not just that Congressman Toomey worked for controversial Ronnie Chan. They also share the same disastrous economic principles. If Toomey had his way, America would join China in limiting protections for consumers and workers. And no matter who wins, Pennsylvania loses.

Toomey Wants to Follow China’s Lead and Advocate Extreme Policies that Cost Pennsylvania Jobs

Congressman Toomey fought to help companies move overseas and avoid American laws.

Voted to give federal loans to corporations that move offshore [HR 4818, #386, 7/15/04]
Voted to give benefits to corporations dodging U.S. taxes by moving offshore [HR 4520, #258, 6/17/04]

Voted for tax loopholes that export jobs [HR 4520, 10/7/04, #509]

Wrote that he believes foreign subsidies to car manufacturers are a good thing, even though they “would result in fewer American cars sold, and consequently fewer American auto workers” [The Road to Prosperity, p. 112].

Supported NAFTA — which cost Pennsylvania 44,000 jobs, calling it “good for America” [Morning Call, 9/16/93]

Argued free trade would create jobs, while acknowledging that workers might be “displaced” [Morning Call, 12/5/99, 1/21/00]
Toomey opposes worker protections.

Voted against increasing the minimum wage [HR 3846, 3/9/00, #43 & #45]
Voted to allow some employers to eliminate paying overtime [HR 2660, 7/10/03, #351; 10/2/03, #531]

Voted for the first reversal of a workplace safety law in 30 years [SJ Res 6, 3/7/01, #33]

Served as the president of the Club For Growth where he opposed Davis-Bacon prevailing wage protections that guarantee fair pay

Toomey has even advocated on behalf of China.

Voted to grant permanent most favored nation status to China [HR 4444, #228, 5/24/00]

Argued that granting Permanent Normal Trade Relations would cause China to fix its problems with liberty, freedom and human rights [145 Cong. Rec. H. 6434, H. 6462, July 27, 1999]

Organized a petition to stop the US from imposing tariffs on China that would prevent the dumping of cheap goods in America and stop American manufacturers from being put out of business [Bloomberg, 8/2/07]

Unlike China, we have oversight that safeguards consumers — ranging from preventing companies from using lead paint on children’s toys to protecting retirement savings.  Congressman Toomey is opposed to necessary regulations that benefit consumers.

Said he “would like to see us continue to deregulate on many fronts, including the financial services industry.” [Derivatives Strategy, May 1999]

Co-authored the law deregulating Wall Street which tore down barriers between banks and created the “too big to fail” banks [HR 10, 7/1/99, #276]

Opposed the Credit Card Fair Fee Act and said preventing credit card companies from changing their rates on their customers “is a fundamental infringement”

Toomey has a long record of opposing environmental protections. Given the choice of protecting Pennsylvanians and protecting corporate profits, he sides with the major corporations.

Voted multiple times to let polluters escape punishment for environmental violations [HR 391, 2/11/99, #19 & #20; HR 5175, 9/26/00, #494]

Voted to weaken the Clean Air Act and grant waivers to its enforcement [HR 6, 10/30/03, #598; HR 4545, 6/16/04, #247] and even voted to prohibit enforcement of the Environmental Protection Agency’s stricter air quality standards [HR 4635, 6/21/00, #305]

Voted against enforcing arsenic standards in drinking water [HR 2620, 6/27/01, #288; HR 4635, 6/21/00, #304]

Voted to suspend environmental rules and raise dust levels in mines [HR 2217, 6/21/01, #182; HR 2660, 7/10/03, #349]

Voted for oil drilling in the Great Lakes, national monuments, and other protected places [HR 2311, 6/28/01, #203; HR 2217, 6/21/01, #180; HR 4, 8/1/01, #316 & #317; 8/2/01, #320; HR 6, 4/10/03, #134 & #135; 4/11/03, #145]

Voted against raising CAFE standards [HR 4, 8/1/01, #311]

Opposed land conservation programs and voted to allow logging and mining in millions of acres of undeveloped national forest [HR 701, 5/11/00, #179; HR 2691, 7/17/03, #386]