[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 42 (Thursday, March 13, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1597-S1598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CAMPAIGN DISTORTION
Mr. REID. Over the last couple of weeks I have taken some heat from
Senate Republicans and conservative pundits for exposing two
multibillionaires. These are two oil barons, and they are trying to rig
the political system to favor the rich and especially favor themselves.
After the 14th statement adverse to me issued by a spokesman for the
Koch brothers, it seems abundantly clear I have gotten under their
skin.
As the saying goes, from the great Senator Pat Moynihan: ``Everyone
is entitled to his own opinion, but not to his own facts.''
But I had guessed the Koch brothers have been able to buy their facts
over the years, not paying any attention to whether they are true or
false. This week media outlets from New York, and especially the New
York Times, to the Washington Post, to the Detroit News, revealed the
truth. The truth is millions in political ads sponsored by these two
multibillionaires are misleading at best and outright false in many
instances.
The truth is the Koch brothers are willing to do anything, even
exploit Americans suffering from cancer, to advance their campaign of
distortion.
I am not afraid of the Koch brothers. None of us should be afraid of
the Koch brothers. These two multibillionaires can spend millions of
dollars of their money rigging the political process for their own
benefit, but that doesn't mean we have to lie down and take it--because
we are not going to. They may believe that whoever has the most money
gets the most free speech. That is wrong, it is unfair, and it is
untrue. I will do whatever it takes to expose their campaign, their
campaign to rig
[[Page S1598]]
the American political system to benefit the wealthy at the expense of
the middle class.
A number of Republican Senators have rushed over here to defend the
Koch brothers. That is hard to comprehend, but they have done it. If
someone asked me--and no one has, but I will give my opinion anyway--
billionaires seem perfectly capable of defending themselves. They do it
with hundreds of millions of dollars. I am sure it has over the past
couple of years reached close to $1 billion spreading these falsehoods.
Remember, they don't just do it under the phony banner of Americans for
Prosperity, they divert money to a lot of other organizations; for
example, millions of dollars to the chamber of commerce, which runs ads
against Democratic Senators.
They are capable of defending themselves. But when Senate Republican
Senators rush to defend the Koch brothers, they are also defending the
Koch brothers' radical philosophy--and it is radical. How do we know it
is radical? Because they said it is radical. They said so. I am not
making those words up. One of the brothers kept harping on the fact
that he had a radical philosophy, and they do.
I ask my Republican colleagues in the Senate, is even one--is even
one--willing to stand and disavow the Koch brothers' radical agenda? It
is radical. It is radical because they say it is radical--and it is
radical. All we have to do is look at it.
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to
privatize Social Security?
Will they come to the floor and reject the Koch brothers' radical
plan to end Medicare as we know it?
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to end
the guarantee of affordable, quality, health care and put insurance
companies back in charge so tens of millions of Americans are again one
heart attack or car accident away from bankruptcy?
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to
allow insurance companies to deny coverage for a child with a heart
murmur, a survivor of breast cancer, a teen who suffers from acne or
absolutely anyone with a preexisting condition no matter how minor?
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to
eliminate minimum-wage laws and workplace safety standards? That is
what the Koch brothers want.
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to
decimate America's public education system? That is what they want.
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to
roll back environmental safeguards and give themselves the unfettered
right to pollute our air and water? We have to look out for our
children and our grandchildren having pure water to drink, good air to
breathe--not with the Koch brothers. That isn't what they want.
Will Senate Republicans reject the Koch brothers' radical plan to
give more tax breaks to the richest of the rich--to profitable oil
companies, corporations who ship jobs overseas, and billionaires who
pay lower taxes than their secretaries?
Not one Republican stepped forward, so obviously they must agree with
the Koch brothers' radical philosophy. Republicans are willing to
defend the Koch brothers on the floor of this Senate, but are they
willing to defend the Koch brothers' radical agenda as well? I guess
that is what they are doing by coming to the floor.
If Republicans don't support the Koch brothers' ``survival of the
richest'' philosophy, all they have to do is say so because the truth
is it will be terrible to allow the Koch brothers to buy Congress and
to buy our country. And that is what they are trying to do.
It would be catastrophic to allow the Koch brothers' Congress to
devastate the American middle class with their richest-take-all policy
agenda.
This discussion isn't only about fairness or the democratic way. This
discussion isn't only about the inherent danger in allowing two
multibillionaire oil barons to buy America's political system. This is
also about how these two multibillionaires would use a political
system, once they have bought it, and how they would abuse it in order
to add zeros to the bottom line while hurting middle-class families.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. McCONNELL. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum
call be rescinded.
The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so
ordered.
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