Republicans are trying to contain the fallout as major donors freeze political contributions and distance themselves from lawmakers who voted to reverse the electoral college’s results.
Leader of minorities in the house Kevin McCarthy
Kevin Owen McCarthy McCarthy Won’t Support Effort to oust Cheney GOP Senators, Calls for Committee to Investigate Capitol Attack Here Are the House Republicans Who Voted to Impeach Trump MORE (R-Calif.), Who voted to reject election votes from Arizona and Pennsylvania, has rung existing donors to calm nerves, saying that – despite the riots in the Capitol that were an attempt to hinder the transfer of power – he and his party can cooperate with the incoming Biden administration.
But many major corporations and corporations have indicated that they are in no hurry to resume contributions to Republicans who objected to the results of the presidential election.
According to multiple sources, McCarthy made a round of calls to donors on Wednesday. There was at least one call from friendly major donors who largely failed to push back. The leader’s comments seemed more written than not. He answered three questions and then had to run to the airport, a source said.
‘He’s trying to calm down donors. I think he is trying to assure them that they want to work with President Biden, and the vote did not mean they will not support Biden initiatives like infrastructure, debt ceiling, COVID relief, ”said a Republican donor.
Companies are targeting the 147 GOP lawmakers who voted last week to challenge the 2020 election results in Arizona or Pennsylvania, even after the deadly attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.
One lobbyist described McCarthy calls to donors: “I would equate it with trying to get a plane out of a spin, trying to level the wings.”
But many companies aren’t just questioning the GOP’s ability to work with Democrats, they’re trying to distance themselves from the ugly scenes in DC last Wednesday.
Comcast was the primary corporate donor to McCarthy’s leadership PAC and campaign committee, with the individuals and PAC donating $ 87,600 in 2020. “Terrible.”
Blue Cross Blue Shield is also a top donor to McCarthy’s PAC leadership and campaign committee and its individuals and PAC donated more than $ 62,200. The health insurance giant is now also suspending contributions to lawmakers who “voted to undermine our democracy.”
“I think he’s trying to figure out how to manage in a very difficult situation,” said the Republican donor. “He’s getting pressure from the left, he’s getting pressure from the center, he’s getting pressure from the right and from his members. He’s doing better than anyone else in the conference could do. “
The individuals and the corporate PAC at Amazon gave McCarthy’s leadership PAC and campaign committee more than $ 43,100. Now Amazon is pausing donations to lawmakers who voted against the results, calling it an “unacceptable attempt to undermine a legitimate democratic process.”
McCarthy isn’t the only Republican making phone calls to ease tensions.
Republican lawmakers, both leadership and constituency, those who voted to reverse the election results and those who did not, have called to feel the mood of corporate donors, according to multiple sources.
Republicans are asking lobbyists about the temperature of their customers, while the list of companies saying they will not donate to the lawmakers who voted against the election results grows.
Legislators ask, “What are the executives at the c-suite level saying? Do you know what your client’s attitude is? Or members call you to explain their reasons. I haven’t had anyone to beg or anything like that, ”said one lobbyist. “They are concerned about a widespread backlash, but I don’t know if I would use the word panic.”
“A lot of what you’re hearing is that we have to figure out how to heal the country, get through the next week and try to figure out how to get back to normal,” the lobbyist said.
Some companies said they have not yet received calls from lawmakers, indicating that lawmakers work through lobbyists and fundraisers first.
The greatest financial impact is likely to be on regular members who voted to reverse the election results and do not have a large individual donor base, from grassroots donors to mega-personal donors. GOP leadership and those who don’t rely largely on corporate PACs don’t care much about the outages, sources said.
But Republicans who did not vote to reverse the election results are also frustrated with the situation because of the further bias it could lead to, a source said. They, and the Democrats, are also feeling the sting of some companies cutting out political donations altogether.
Many GOP members who did not vote against objection are as frustrated as Democrats with the suspension of corporate donations. They are concerned that any sustained retaliation from donors, including their Democratic counterparts, will make it even more difficult for the two. parties. to work together in a year when many hoped the tone would improve, “said a lobbyist.
Traditional means of campaign contributions to Republicans are also quickly drawing their support and criticizing the direction of the party.
A typically reliable source for Republicans, the US Chamber of Commerce pledged to stop supporting certain members.
“There are some members who have lost the support of the US Chamber of Commerce because of their actions. Period, period, ”said Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the House, at a news conference on Tuesday. He did not specify whose support has been withdrawn, but said the House leadership “will have a lot more to say” in evaluating the situation.
Home Depot Co-Founder Ken Langone, a billionaire and longtime mega Republican donor, said On Wednesday, he felt “betrayed” by Trump and urged the Americans to unite so that Biden can become “the most successful president in the history of this country.”
Langone gave $ 1.25 million in 2020 to the Senate Leadership Fund, the super-PAC to support a Republican majority in the Senate, and $ 600,000 to Americans for Prosperity Action, the super-PAC linked to the network that was formed by the conservative billionaire donors Charles and David Koch.
The National Association of Realtors is the largest two-tier PAC on behalf of a trade association, giving nearly $ 3.6 million to federal candidates in 2020 and more than 47 percent to Republicans. The PAC board of directors decided on Tuesday to temporarily suspend federal political payouts.