Why Won’t These Republican Senators Recuse Themselves from DeVos’ Confirmation?

Check this out, from the Center for American Progress:

DeVos will have her hearings in front of five members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, or HELP, who have taken enormous checks from her and her relatives—interestingly, all in the last two election cycles.

It’s worth a closer look at the DeVos family donations to the HELP members. Sen. Tim Scott (R–SC) has received $49,200 from the DeVos family and was a keynote speaker at DeVos’ American Federation for Children annual summit in May 2016. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) has received at least $70,200 from the DeVoses. Two other HELP committee members, Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), each have received $43,200 from the family. Newly elected Sen. Todd Young (R-IN), who has joined the HELP committee, got $48,600 from the DeVos family in 2016.

The problem is actually worse than this, though. DeVos hasn’t given money to members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions alone, she has also contributed sizable amounts to numbers other Senators.

What’s more, DeVos has in the past stated directly that she expects something in return when she gives money to Republican politicians.

I know a little something about soft money, as my family is the largest single contributor of soft money to the national Republican party. Occasionally a wayward reporter will try to make the charge that we are giving this money to get something in return, or that we must be purchasing influence in some way.

 

…I have decided, however, to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now I simply concede the point. They are right. We do expect some things in return.

“We expect a return on our investment,” DeVos wrote. Even assuming the most charitable interpretation of her words—assuming, for instance, she wasn’t talking about buying things like federal cabinet positions—DeVos was clearly aware of the influence campaign donations have when she made donations to the Senators above who will be voting on her nomination.

We expect judges to recuse themselves when their objectivity is in question. Why don’t we expect the same from members of Congress who have received large donations from various special interest groups? How is it acceptable for Senators who have taken substantial donations from a billionaire lobbyist to turn around and vote on her confirmation to the president’s cabinet?

Oh and by the way—there is still a chance to stop DeVos. Al Franken has stated that no Senate Democrat plans to vote to confirm DeVos. That means if only three Senate Republicans vote against DeVos, she won’t be confirmed. You can call your Democratic Senator to help ensure that they will vote against DeVos as planned, but it is especially important for those of you with Republican Senators to call to urge them to vote against DeVos. Here is a fact sheet to help you as you do so.

I have a Patreon! Please support my writing!