September 4, 2011
ALEC on the National Scene
By Dennis Kaiser
Although the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) was formed way back in the 70's by right-wingers in order to organize state legislatures, it has gained in power even on the federal level as they have backed many of its "alumni' in gaining seats within our national government.
Briefly, ALEC is the Koch-backed (and others) organization which has been instrumental in bringing the "Tea Party" uprising we have recently experienced. In fact, that uprising has been amongst us for three decades, however not until recently, and the Citizens' United decision of the Supreme Court, they have become more vocal, both, in words and in financial areas.
ALEC, with its corporate members, has been writing legislation that it then gives to its legislative members, presently over 2000, who present it to their respective state legislatures under their own name to be voted on to become law. Being these are drawn up by corporate attorneys it is little wonder they enhance the corporate power while diminishing the power of the people, thus it is quite anti-Democracy and gives a primary reason we have not had a single piece of legislation that has favored the people over corporations in the past three decades.
While initially ALEC targeted the individual states, but through the years has been able to get members elected on the national scene.
At present we have 5 members of the U.S. Senate and 79 members of the U.S. House of Representatives who have been members of ALEC.
Is it any wonder we have the laws being presented in the respective chambers of Congress that are corporate favored? Wonder no longer as to why laws that are being passed favor corporations. Targeted by ALEC are such things as privatized schools (I prefer the term "profitized" over privatized as that term more accurately states what it is), no social safety net, profitized prisons, in general everything taxpayer dollars have built and paid for turned over to profiteers.
In fighting against the ALEC agenda people must get more involved in determining who they elect to defend them. In studying what ALEC stands for and what they have done in these past three decades it is safe to say they are not for the average citizen, therefore a vote for anyone connected with this subversive organization is not good for the future of our nation. While most of the members refer to themselves as "Republican' it is not there are no "Democrats' who are members. Also, there are those who have not had official membership with ALEC, but have been "bought' by them and will toward carrying out their agenda as repayment.
Below is a listing of present members of Congress who make up the 60-member Tea Party Caucus. Three members who received Tea Party backing are Ron Johnson (WI), Pat Toomey (PA), and Marco Rubio (FL) declined to join this caucus, but will be "forced' to adhere to the agenda as they have already been "bought' in order to get elected:
60-Member Tea Party Caucus
- Sandy Adams , Florida
- Robert Aderholt , Alabama
- Todd Akin , Missouri
- Rodney Alexander , Louisiana (ALEC Alum)
- Michele Bachmann , Minnesota, Chair
- Roscoe Bartlett , Maryland
- Joe Barton , Texas
- Gus Bilirakis , Florida
- Rob Bishop , Utah
- Diane Black , Tennessee
- Michael C. Burgess , Texas
- Paul Broun , Georgia
- Dan Burton , Indiana (ALEC Alum)
- John Carter , Texas
- Bill Cassidy , Louisiana
- Howard Coble , North Carolina
- Mike Coffman , Colorado
- Chip Cravaack , Minnesota
- Ander Crenshaw , Florida
- John Culberson , Texas (ALEC Alum)
- Jeff Duncan , South Carolina
- Blake Farenthold , Texas
- Stephen Fincher , Tennessee
- John Fleming , Louisiana
- Trent Franks , Arizona
- Phil Gingrey , Georgia (ALEC Alum)
- Louie Gohmert , Texas
- Vicky Hartzler , Missouri
- Wally Herger , California
- Tim Huelskamp , Kansas
- Lynn Jenkins , Kansas
- Steve King , Iowa (ALEC Alum)
- Doug Lamborn , Colorado (ALEC Alum)
- Jeff Landry , Louisiana
- Blaine Luetkemeyer , Missouri
- Kenny Marchant , Texas (ALEC Alum)
- Tom McClintock , California
- David McKinley , West Virginia
- Gary Miller , California
- Mick Mulvaney , South Carolina
- Randy Neugebauer , Texas
- Rich Nugent , Florida
- Steve Pearce , New Mexico (ALEC Alum)
- Mike Pence , Indiana
- Ted Poe , Texas
- Tom Price , Georgia (ALEC Alum)
- Denny Rehberg , Montana
- Phil Roe , Tennessee
- Dennis Ross , Florida
- Ed Royce , California (ALEC Alum)
- Steve Scalise , Louisiana
- Tim Scott , South Carolina
- Pete Sessions , Texas
- Adrian Smith , Nebraska (ALEC Alum)
- Lamar Smith , Texas
- Cliff Stearns , Florida
- Tim Walberg , Michigan (ALEC Alum)
- Joe Walsh , Illinois (ALEC Alum)
- Allen West , Florida
- Lynn Westmoreland , Georgia
- Joe Wilson , South Carolina (ALEC Alum)
U.S. Senate
Sen. Wayne Allard (R-CO)
Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC)
Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK)
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL)
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)
Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)
Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA)
Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA)
Rep. John Linder (R-GA)
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Rep. John Boehner (R-OH)
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK)
Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK)
Rep. Ken Marchant (R-TX)
Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
Rep. John McHugh (R-NY)
Rep. F.A. Boyd (D-FL)
Rep. Cathy McMorris (R-WA)
Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)
Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-FL)
Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL)
Rep. John Mica (R-FL)
Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN)
Rep. Jefferson Miller (R-FL)
Rep. David Camp (R-MI)
Rep. Jerry Moran (R-KS)
Rep. John Campbell (R-CA)
Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO)
Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA)
Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)
Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC)
Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)
Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)
Rep. John Peterson (R-PA)
Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY)
Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA)
Rep. John Culberson (R-TX)
Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA)
Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA)
Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV)
Rep. David Davis (R-TN)
Rep. Thomas Price (R-GA)
Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA)
Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL)
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL)
Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA)
Rep. Thomas Reynolds (R-NY)
Rep. Thelma Drake (R-VA)
Rep. Michael J. Rogers (R-AL)
Rep. Mary Fallin (R-OK)
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI)
Rep. Tom Feeney (R-FL)
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
Rep. John Randy Forbes (R-VA)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ)
Rep. Edward Royce (R-CA)
Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ)
Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
Rep. James Gerlach (R-PA)
Rep. Michael Simpson (R-ID)
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA)
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA)
Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK)
Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS)
Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)
Rep. Pat Tiberi (R-OH)
Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX)
Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI)
Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC)
Rep. Gerald Weller (R-IL)
Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)
Rep. Steve King (R-IA)
Rep. Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA)
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)
Rep. John Kuhl (R-NY)
Use this in order to be more watchful as to what these, and others in Congress are attempting to do in order to determine whether they are in your best interest, or in the interests of their corporate financiers. We must make our vote more important than the corporate dollars.
Author's Bio: Dennis Kaiser is an author and consultant focusing on individual rights. As a US citizen Dennis is deeply concerned over how our nation has fallen from being productive and full of hope to one where that hope is being stripped from the majority as more and more "freedoms' are being taken along with economic burdens weighing more heavily on their shoulders. Visit his website at http://NotSeeAmerica.com to stay up on what is being done to steal your nation from you.
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