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Washington, D.C. — Accountable.US’ analysis of the newly-released third-quarter Federal Election Commission (FEC) campaign filings finds that Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) welcomed an additional $130,000 from industry groups leading the lobbying blitz against the Biden Build Back Better agenda, or from the individual corporations these groups represent. In recent weeks, both Manchin and Sinema have adopted ‘concerns’ from industry over the widely-popular corporate tax fairness provisions in the Biden economic plan that will help create jobs and make healthcare and prescription drugs more affordable while not raising taxes on average families. Both have called for severely watering down the Biden plan designed to level the playing field for working people trying to get ahead amid the ongoing pandemic.  

“There’s far too much at stake for working families in the Biden economic security plan, yet Senators Manchin and Sinema are allowing corporate money to cloud their better judgement,” said Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US. “The reason the Biden plan is so popular even in red strongholds is because it will slash healthcare, childcare, and prescription costs without raising taxes a dime for average Americans.  

“Manchin and Sinema can either follow the public support for the Biden pathway to more jobs and more affordable care for their actual constituents — or keep billion-dollar corporations off the hook from paying their share. It should not be a difficult choice,” added Herrig. “Obstructionist Republicans in Congress have long been in the pocket of greedy corporate interests at the expense of everyday families, and they don’t need any outside help carrying their water for them.” 

Accountable.US also found that the pharmaceutical industry funneled over $25,000 to Sinema in Q3 as the Senator came out against key provisions in the Build Back Better plan that would allow the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for millions of Medicare recipients.  

National polls, and polls in West Virginia and Arizona, continue to show that voters overwhelmingly support the major provisions of the Build Back Better agenda, including a bipartisan majority that support the pay-fors in the budget reconciliation plan.   

Previous analyses from government watchdog Accountable.US found Manchin had taken $1.5 million and Sinema had accepted over $920,000 total in their careers from anti-Build Back Better agenda corporate interests as of September 2021. In addition, Accountable.US has found Manchin and Sinema benefited from $170,000 in campaign contributions from known corporate tax dodgers who have used elaborate tax schemes to avoid paying billions in U.S. taxes.  

KEY FINDINGS FROM THE REPORT: 

  • Senator Joe Manchin accepted over $79,000 in campaign donations from ConocoPhillips, Dominion Energy, Duke Energy, JPMorgan and Chase Co., who are members of trade associations that openly oppose the Build Back Better Act.
     
  • Senator Kyrsten Sinema accepted over $50,000 from companies such as Eli Lily and Company, AT&T, and Cox Enterprise, who are members of trade associations and coalitions that have publicly opposed the Build Back Better Act. 

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