Both Vukmir and Nicholson Support Koch Brothers "Priorities" Print
Elections, Elected Officials, Political Parties
Written by Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Brad Bainum   
Wednesday, 01 August 2018 13:55

koch-brothersThe out-of-state billionaires who say they "expect something in return" for their political donations have already spent more than $5.1 million to beat Tammy Baldwin and buy a U.S. Senator who works for them.


MADISON - According to a new report from the Washington Post, the out-of-state billionaire Koch brothers are convinced that both Leah Vukmir and Kevin Nicholson would work to advance their corporate special interest agenda in the U.S. Senate. Via The Post:

"In a private presentation to donors, AFP officials identified six Senate candidates in addition to Blackburn as potential candidates whom they view as supportive of the network's free-market policy priorities: Rick Scott of Florida, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Matt Rosendale of Montana, Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia, Leah Vukmir of Wisconsin and Kevin Nicholson of Wisconsin."

tammy_baldwin_for_senateThe billionaire Kochs say that both Vukmir and Nicholson are "supportive" of their "priorities" -- virtually guaranteeing that the Kochs add to the more than $5.1 million that they've already spent trying to beat Tammy Baldwin and buy a Senator who works for them.

The Koch spending that either Vukmir or Nicholson will benefit from comes with strings attached. In their own words, the brothers "expect something in return" for their prolific political spending. 

Here are some Koch "priorities" that they can count on both Vukmir and Nicholson to advance:

  • Deep cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid -- Both Vukmir and Nicholson have endorsed Republican efforts to cut Wisconsinites’ Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security benefits. Since the 1980s, the Kochs have spent millions trying to abolish Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.
  • Tax giveaways for wealthy billionaires like the Kochs and large corporations -- Vukmir and Nicholson support the GOP tax law that sends more than 80 percent of benefits to the richest 1 percent and large corporations like Pfizer, and which has the two Kochs each set to become $1 billion richer -- each year. The Kochs no doubt want to keep the tax cuts coming.
  • Gutting pre-existing condition protections and stripping health care away from millions -- Vukmir and Nicholson support the Kochs' years-long campaign to repeal the Affordable Care Act and take away millions of Americans’ health care access. Vukmir and Nicholson want to replace the ACA with a Republican health care plan that take coverage away from as many as 30 million Americans, gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions, and let insurance companies charge seniors more.