Who Owns our Congress?

The open scandal of PAC political contributions and lobbyist gifts

By Rick Ehrlich

Many Americans still believe we live in a Democracy. Ha. A Democracy is government by the people, and the majority will decide government policy. We say we have “Representative Democracy,” voting to elect Representatives (President, Senators, Congressman in the House of Representatives.) But do our elected representatives vote for what the people (constituents) want? Do Reps actually represent the voters? Hell no, how could they when they are all literally bribed gigawads of money by the major industry groups. Kissed $$$ by the big lobbyists and hugged by corporate PACs (political action committees), ALL of our representatives are bought and paid for. Big money “lobbying” was only born in the 1970s, and has exploded, now over twice the totals of all industry PACs.

How could Senator Schumer ever vote for a bill adverse to banks or insurance companies, when he has received $16 million of their PAC contributions during his Senate career? Would you act against someone who gave you $16 million? Imagine any Nevada senator funded by the Casino PACs voting against the status quo in Las Vegas and Reno? Can Progressive legislators move our country towards free basic healthcare or Medicare for all, which all other large industrialized countries have, when big Pharma and Healthcare PACs give enormous amounts to most legislators of both big parties? In the Defense industry, they give big, and their Lobbyists also give big for their helpful votes! Trump received $1.5 million from Defense PACs in 2024, but Kamala Harris received $3.5 million same year.

How could either act any way but favorable to the Defense contractors, no matter how the people feel. It is debatable which is more “bribey,” Lobbyists or PAC gifts, but both are a “gift that keeps on giving.” Legislators receive giant money to vote their way, so they do! No chance they’ll vote to reduce “Defense” spending, provide healthcare directly, tax the ultra rich, really regulate the pill peddlers, or otherwise bite the hands that feed them (represent the people?). Please peruse the list and amounts for legislator recipients of these bribes in OpenSource.org, but remember your barf bag.

Take literally any of them. For example, Democrat Bob Casey made $174,000 being a Senator, but he made $660,000 just from lobbyists in the same year (2024), or Republican Jason Smith who made the same $174,000 being a Congressman, but made a whopping $3.5 million from PAC donations during his two very good years, 2023 and 2024. Human nature being what it is, does Bob vote in the interests of the voters who brought him the $174k, or the lobbyists who slipped him $660,000? Hmm. And Jason’s easier decision, go with the bearers of $174k, or the luxury guys handing him $3.5million? Even the smallest recipients among all Senate and House incumbents receive more than their salaries from lobbyists plus the PACs, so it is literally true that Congress is owned by lobbyists and corporate PACs.
It would be easy to call the situation hopeless, see the Democracy stuff as a fraud and really hopeless. But maybe someday we voters will get sick of it, and insist on candidates who will vote to outlaw dark money, pass legislation defining people as human only. No corporations included (aka Citizens United), insist only citizen voters can donate to political campaigns, outlaw all forms of lobbyist bribes and PAC donations, and make elected representatives actually represent the people. It could happen. Hold your breath.

Sources: OpenSecrets.org, VisualCapitalist.com, USAFacts.org, FEC.gov, StatNews.com, LoneStarStandard.com, Center for
Responsive Politics

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