So, right off the bat, we can see where having Bernie Sanders in the Senate makes a difference. As part of the ethics bill that was passed in the Senate, Sanders inserted an amendment that would shine some light on the political contributions flowing from big business to supporters of CAFTA. The amendment also tries to reveal money flowing from other powerful interests. This may bore many of you but it's worth reading:
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to Congress detailing the number, type, and quantity of contributions made to Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives during the 30-month period beginning on the date that is 24 months before the date of enactment of the Acts identified in subsection (b) by the corresponding organizations identified in subsection (b).
(b) Organizations and Acts.--The report submitted under subsection (a) shall detail the number, type, and quantity of contributions made to Members of the Senate or the House of Representatives as follows:
(1) For the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (Public Law 108-173; 117 Stat. 2066), any contribution made during the time period described in subsection (a) by or on behalf of a political action committee associated or affiliated with--
(A) a pharmaceutical company; or
(B) a trade association for pharmaceutical companies.(2) For the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-8; 119 Stat. 23), any contribution made during the time period described in subsection (a) by or on behalf of a political action committee associated or affiliated with--
(A) a bank or financial services company;
(B) a company in the credit card industry; or
(C) a trade association for any such companies.(3) For the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58; 119 Stat. 594), any contribution made during the time period described in subsection (a) by or on behalf of a political action committee associated or affiliated with--
(A) a company in the oil, natural gas, nuclear, or coal industry;
(B) a trade association for any such companies.(4) For the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act (Public Law 109-53; 119 Stat. 462), any contribution made during the time period described in subsection (a) by or on behalf of a political action committee associated or affiliated with--
(A) the United States Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, the Business Roundtable, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Emergency Committee for American Trade, or any member company of such entities; or
(B) any other free trade organization funded primarily by corporate entities.
Here's what Sanders told the Associated Press about the amendment:
"If you want to know why Congress year after year passes legislation that benefits multinational corporations, it's not that a senator takes a $20 lunch from a lobbyist. It's the huge amount of money that pours into Capitol Hill from wealthy interests" in the form of campaign contributions.
Sanders has been sharply critical of the four bills targeted in his amendment, saying that in some cases parts of them were written by corporate lobbyists.
He has criticized CAFTA, like other trade agreements, as putting American jobs in jeopardy. He has taken aim at provisions in the Medicare bill barring the government negotiating for better prices with drug companies.
He charged Thursday that the bankruptcy bill, written at the urging of credit card companies, as being anti-consumer. And he has criticized the energy bill for giving big tax breaks to oil companies.
Go Bernie!
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