Category — Peter Roskam's Corporate Agenda

Earlier this month, Peter Roskam voted to give a big gift to telephone companies: retroactive immunity from civil lawsuits for their role in George Bush’s illegal scheme to spy on Americans. Peter Roskam, would tell you, no doubt, that large campaign contributions from telephone companies and Roskam’s close personal ties to lobbyists for Verizon had absolutely no influence on his vote to obliterate the constitutional rights of his constituents. 

The vote came on 6/20. The bill was H.R. 6304, FISA Amendments Act of 2008. This so-called “compromise” on FISA allows the federal government to conduct mass untargeted surveillance of all communications coming into or going out of the country without any need to seek court approval, even if there is no evidence of wrongdoing. In those circumstances where court review is required, where there is a specific target, a prior court order is not required and the courts are not allowed to know who is being targeted. They may only review general procedures for establishing targets. When a court rules against the government it will be allowed to continue spying while it exhausts all appeals. The measure allows no effective check to the power of the government to spy on Americans and no effective oversight regarding the manner in which it applies that power.

The gift to the telephone companies contained in the bill is the assurance it provides that all lawsuits pending from the companies’ illegal activities in support of the Bush spying program will be dismissed. It does this by changing the standard so that the companies are not required to have received a legal order - any order is fine. ATT, one of Peter Roskam’s largest campaign contributors, and Verizon, who’s lobbyist’s Jason Roe and Kirsten Mork have close ties to Roskam, are no doubt pleased by this provision. Maplight.org, a campaign finance watchdog group , found that those lawmakers who voted for the bill received, on average, twice the amount in donations from large telephone companies.

Roskam’s vote is just one more example of his consistent pattern of giving a “rubber stamp” of approval to the worst abuses of the Bush administration and of placing corporate interests over the interests of his constituents. Voters who care about civil liberties should contact Roskam to protest his vote. Roskam can be reached at his Washington office at (202) 225-4561 or in Bloomingdale at (630) 893-9670.

Before the FISA amendment becomes a law, it faces a vote in the Senate. That vote has been delayed until next month. Concerned voters should also contact Senators Durbin and Obama to pressure them to do the right thing and protect our civil liberties and deny immunity to the telephone companies that have broken the law.

Many Congressmen are cozy with Washington lobbyists but I doubt many have gone as far as Roskam did in immortalizing a couple of revolving door lobbyists in a painting in his Washington office.

According to “The Hill”, last month Peter Roskam’s wife Elizabeth, an artist, presented her husband with a painting she did depicting a scene from Roskam’s 2006 congressional campaign. The painting features the Roskams and their children as well as number of current and former staff members:

Jason Roe, a lobbyist with the Federal Strategy Group who was Roskam’s campaign manager, is also in the painting. The artist put him in a Michigan State University hat to reflect his diehard Spartan tendencies — the school wouldn’t accept him — but “humbled him” by dressing him in blue and maize, the colors of rival University of Michigan.

Other campaign aides, including Dean Thompson, Roskam’s legislative correspondent, and Brigitta Johnson, Roskam’s scheduler, are also in the painting.

David Mork, Roskam’s senior legislative assistant, and Mork’s then-girlfriend and now-wife Kirsten Mork are entwined in the painting. After meeting on the campaign trail for Roskam, the two worked together in the congressman’s office until they decided to marry.

Kirsten then landed another job as an associate lobbyist for Roe’s Federal Strategy Group.

Elizabeth Roskam is pleased her husband has the painting front and center in his office. “It’s something Peter can look at when he’s at his desk, a reminder of the fun times of the campaign.”

Isn’t that special. Seriously, it sounds like a beautiful gift, but that, of course, is not the point of my posting it here.

The point is simply to alert Peter Roskam’s constituents that there is a rather close connection between his office and the Washington lobbying firm Federal Strategy Group. Jason Roe, Roskam’s former campaign manager and Kirsten Mork, Roskam’s former Deputy Campaign Finance Director and former legislative assistant are lobbyists there. Roe is also a donor to Roskam’s current congressional campaign. Roskam’s current legislative assistant, David Mork, is married to Kirsten.

Here’s what the Federal Strategy Group has to say about it’s product:

More than any other lobbying firm, Federal Strategy Group understands what you want and we have the experience and expertise to deliver it. You want results - not process. Our team provides the access, advocacy, and advice to help you achieve those results.

First, we offer unparalleled access to top decision-makers. The abundance and strength of these relationships makes our team uniquely able to reach key public officials. Our lobbyists were selected from the top ranks of government, in part, because they have excelled in that professional arena. They bring with them relationships cultivated over years of public service. As part of our team, they grow and strengthen these relationships within government. As a result, Federal Strategy Group can open doors to get your message heard by the right people.

Maybe I’m too jaded but it sounds to me like what they are marketing is access to Peter Roskam and to other elected officials that they may be friendly with. And, as a voter and a citizen, it strikes me as wrong.

According to Open Secrets, Federal Strategy Group’s current clients include Verizon and American Airlines. Voters should bear that in mind as they examine Roskam’s bill sponsorship and voting record going forward.

Interestingly, when I tried today to verify today that David Mork is still on Peter Roskam’s staff, I found that I was unable. Neither Roskam’s Congressional website nor the House website provide any means for citizens to view a list of their Congressman’s staff members. Roskam likes to talk about transparency. He could make that happen tomorrow: a list of current staff members with bios on his House website. What about it Peter? Do we as citizens have a right to know? Roskam should also consider publishing his schedule on a regular basis so that we know who is lobbying him on what issues.

Peter Roskam was on NBC 5’s City Desk this past Sunday morning for a softball interview with host Mary Ann Ahern. Roskam opened with his usual complaints about a dysfunctional (read that as Democratic) Congress. He wants you to believe that he’s a reasonable guy who just wants to get thing s done for you but he’s stymied at every turn by less responsible members who are only interested in partisan politics and serving the needs of special interests.

Roskam is not telling you the truth. He is not only one of the most partisan members of Congress but also one of the most slavishly devoted to special interests.

During the current Congress, Peter Roskam has voted with his party 93.2% of the time. There are only 17 out of a total of 435 members, Republican or Democrat, who have voted more consistently with their party than Roskam. They are:

1. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA), 93.9%
2. Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), 93.8%
3. Rep. David Davis (R-TN), 93.8%
4. Rep. Gary Miller (R-CA), 93.8%
5. Rep. Stevan Pearce (R-NM), 93.8%
6. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH), 93.8%
7. Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR), 93.7%
8. Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), 93.6%
9. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), 93.6%
10. Rep. Jim McCrery (R-LA), 93.6%
11. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), 93.6%
12. Rep. Zachary Wamp (R-TN), 93.6%
13. Rep. John Mica (R-FL), 93.5%
14. Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), 93.4%
15. Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), 93.3%
16. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD), 93.3%
17. Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), 93.3%

It should be noted that only 4 out of 17 of these are Democrats. So Roskam is among the most hyper-partisan representatives and a member of the most hyper-partisan party. He is upset, not because of partisanship, but because his party is in the minority. He should be reminded that this is the case because his party proved to be massively corrupt in the previous Congresses and because it launched a preemptive aggressive war against a sovereign power which posed no real threat, sent a few thousand brave American men and women to their graves in that cause, and mortgaged our children’s future to pay for it all.

As for special interests, Roskam has compiled an impressive record, voting the position of the National Association of Manufacturers 100% of the time during his first term. Doing this has meant voting against the interests of the residents who live in his district on issues like equal pay for equal work, Medicare prescription drug price negotiation, and parity in mental health benefits for members of group health plans.

Roskam also spent a good deal of time on the show talking about high gasoline prices and the need for alternative energy sources. Roskam’s record however is one of obstructing Democratic efforts in this regard and voting instead in favor of protecting the big oil companies who are currently gouging us, all the while accepting substantial campaign contributions from the energy sector.

So 6th District residents, it is not Congress that is dysfunctional. It’s your Congressman. But don’t worry, we’re going to replace him this fall.

[Progress Illinois has a post today about Roskam's attempt to justify his vote against the new GI bill on the same program]

If you are a resident of the 6th Congressional District and you work for a wage, it makes absolutely no sense for you to vote to re-elect Representative Peter Roskam this fall. Voting for Roskam means voting for unfair wages, against workplace safety, and in favor of relocating your job overseas.

Peter Roskam is not just neglecting the needs of Illinois workers. Rather Roskam is using his office to actively work against their best interests. He consistently backs the interests of capital over labor and indeed Roskam has voted the position of the National Association of Manufacturers 100 percent of the time during his first term.

Here’s the latest example.

Yesterday (4/30/2008), the House voted to pass the Worker Protection Against Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Act, H.R. 5522 by a vote of 247-165. The bill was prompted by the tragic explosion that occurred at the Imperial sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia in February. The blast, which killed 13 workers and severely injured many others, was caused by the ignition of sugar dust which had built up to hazardous levels.

But back in 2006, following a series of other similar explosions, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board had identified 281 previous incidents involving combustible dust that had killed 119 workers and injured over 700 since 19080. The board had urged the Occupational Health and Safety Administration to issue standards to protect workers from these hazards, but OSHA, which under the Bush administration that is so unfriendly to regulation of business, has failed to do so. If OSHA had acted, it is possible that the tragedy at Port Wentworth could have been avoided. This has been a pattern with OSHA under Bush.

The bill that was brought to a vote yesterday was necessary to force  OSHA to issue standards because the Bush administration has not compelled it to do so.  The bill still needs to be approved by the Senate where its future is uncertain.

The video that follows is Rep. George Miller speaking on the House floor in favor of the bill. He goes into quite a bit more detail on the history leading up to the legislation.

So the bill passed, but our own Representative Roskam voted against it. Roskam, as we have seen before with the Popcorn Worker’s standard shares Bush’s animosity toward workplace regulation. Bush and Roskam look with fondness back to the era before effective labor unions and progressive legislation when big business could do what ever it pleased and the workers be damned.

If you are an Illinois worker, don’t look to Roskam to stand up for your right to a safe workplace…or a fair day’s wage…or the right to organize. Roskam is not on your side.

The United States Chamber of Commerce recently honored Peter Roskam for proving in his first term to be “an effective ally to the business community”.

Sounds great until you realize what exactly “being an effective ally to the business community” means.

Put simply, it means consistently voting against the interests of the majority of citizens in your district and giving big business exactly what it demands.

It means means Roskam voting against reducing the dependence on fossil fuels that is threatening our national security and destroying our environment by requiring minimum standards for the percentage of electricity generated using renewable sources of energy.

It means Roskam voting against tax incentives for energy conservation and development of clean, renewable energy sources because they are funded by the repeal of tax breaks to big oil companies now enjoying huge profits at our expense every time we fill up our tanks.

It means Roskam voting against the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 which would have insured that Illinois’ uninsured children receive the kind of health care that Roskam’s own kids get at taxpayer expense.

It means Roskam standing up for the interests of big drug companies rather than allowing the Medicare program to negotiate for better prices on prescription drugs.

It means Roskam voting against protection of his constituents right to equal pay for equal work. And their right to organize.

And it means Roskam voting against protecting middle class taxpayers from the Alternative Minimum Tax.

So congratulations on your big award, Peter, and thanks for nothing. Its time we had a new Representative in Congress who works for us and not for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Peter Roskam will be speaking at the 2008 Big I Legislative Conference and Convention tomorrow. That’s “I” as in Insurance. Big I is a nickname for the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, an insurance industry lobby group. They are having their convention in Washington and Roskam will be speaking at a luncheon meeting for young agents and for the InsurPac state chairpersons. InsurPac is IIAB’s political action committee. They gave $5000 in donations to Roskam’s campaign in 2007.On its website, InsurPac describes the reason behind it’s generosity:

“While contributions do not buy solutions to legislative debates, they do allow members of IIABA’s government affairs team significant face-time with elected officials. Through InsurPac, IIABA is allowed the opportunity to educate these members and develop working relationships with them. Lobbying and a well-funded PAC go hand-in-hand.”

One is left to wonder how much “significant face-time” would cost for the residents of Roskam’s district here in Illinois.. I imagine that at these rates, it would be out of reach for most of us.

In all seriousness, there is nothing nefarious about this particular contribution or this particular speech. My impression of Roskam is that he operates with deliberate transparency when it comes to campaign financial matters. He is not a crook.

But I do think that residents of the 6th should consider that Roskam is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, which oversees the banking, financial services, and insurance industries. As such, Roskam is courted by groups like IIAB and receives lots of PAC contributions from this sector. In fact, this is the largest sector for Roskam by far. Roskam has received over $236,000 in individual and PAC contributions from the Finance/Insurance/Real Estate sector during the current cycle. That’s a lot of face time.

Roskam has time and time again shown himself to vote in favor of corporate interests over those of the residents of his district. One wonders whether it’s the result of all this lobbying activity. One wonders who’s voice he really is on Capitol Hill. This is particularly troubling when one considers the upcoming issues that Congress is going to be dealing with relative to the mortgage crisis and the reevaluation of financial services regulation. Will Roskam be speaking up for us in those deliberations?

Perhaps in the interests of continued transparency, Roskam will post the text of his speech tomorrow on his website. He says he’s our voice in Congress. I for one would like to hear what that voice is telling the insurance industry.