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US Defense Contractractors Offer Bounties To Legislators To Start Wars And Perpetuate Them.

i'vegotwinners

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probably of absolutely zero interest to the board since not about Trump or race, but here goes anyway.

great how our nation's leaders can profit both coming and going from US wars..

they get huge campaign contributions from the defense contractors, then also profit from their defense contractor stocks..


https://readsludge.com/2020/01/13/the-members-of-congress-who-profit-from-war/

some greatest hits from the article,

"According to a Sludge review of financial disclosures, 51 members of Congress and their spouses own between $2.3 and $5.8 million worth of stocks in companies that are among the top 30 defense contractors in the world. Members of Congress generally report the values of their investments in ranges, so it’s not possible to know exactly how much their stocks are worth".

"Members of Congress’ investments in defense contractors may present more significant potential conflicts of interest than investments in other industries because the contractors rely heavily on defense spending that is approved by Congress for their revenue".

"More than 70% of Lockheed Martin’s $51 billion in 2018 revenue came from sales to the U.S. government, for example. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are considered “pure plays” because they sell their products almost exclusively to the government through appropriations approved by Congress".

"In the Senate, nearly one-third of the members of the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee own stocks in top defense contractors".

"In the 2020 Defense appropriations bill, the subcommittee approved $1.85 billion for 18 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts and spare parts from Lockheed Martin. Subcommittee member Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) owns as much as $100,000 worth of stock in Lockheed Martin. The subcommittee also recommended $1.1 billion for 6 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane made by Boeing. Subcommittee members Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) own as much as a combined $750,000 in Boeing stock"

.
Sen State Party Max Value of Investments Stocks
David Perdue Georgia R $100,000 Honeywell, Boeing
Roy Blunt Missouri R $100,000 Lockheed Martin
Susan Collins Maine R $101,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing
Rick Scott Florida R $106,000 Raytheon, Lockheed Martin
Tom Carper Delaware D $130,000 Honeywell, Raytheon, Boeing
Bill Cassidy Louisiana R $15,000 United Technologies
John Hoeven North Dakota R $250,000 Honeywell
John Boozman Arkansas R $30,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell
Sheldon Whitehouse Rhode Island D $348,998 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing, Raytheon
Gary Peters Michigan D $50,000 United Technologies
Jerry Moran Kansas R $50,000 Boeing
Tina Smith Minnesota D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia R $60,000 United Technologies, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin
Dianne Feinstein California D $650,000 Boeing
Mitt Romney Utah R $7,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon



"House Oversight and Reform Committee Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) owns as much as $400,000 worth of stock in Leidos, which is paid billions of dollars to provide information technology services for the Defense Department. In May 2019, Leidos CEO Roger Krone testified before Connolly’s committee in favor of legislation calling on the government to guarantee back pay for contractors in the wake of government shutdowns. Connolly had written a letter to House appropriators months earlier seeking support for such a bill".


Reps Invested in Top Defense Stocks
Sludge review of 2018 annual financial disclosures filed with the House Clerk's office. Stocks are owned by the representatives, their spouses, or jointly.

Page 1 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
Steve Cohen Tennessee TN-9 D $415,000 Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon
Gerry Connolly Virginia VA-11 D $400,000 Leidos
Ro Khanna California CA-17 D $376,000 Boeing, Honeywell, Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies,
Greg Gianforte Montana At Large R $309,856 Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Leonardo, Raytheon
Debbie Dingell Michigan MI-12 D $300,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Phil Roe Tennessee TN-1 R $203,230 Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Honeywell
Fred Upton Michigan MI-6 R $155,000 Honeywell, General Dynamics, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, United Tehnologies
Bob Gibbs Ohio OH-7 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell
Joe Kennedy Massachusetts MA-4 D $150,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Kevin Hern Oklahoma OK-1 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell, United Technologies
Francis Rooney Florida FL-19 R $135,000 General Dynamics, Leidos, Boeing, Honeywell, Lockheen Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
David Joyce Ohio OH-14 R $100,000 Boeing
David Price North Carolina NC-4 D $100,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Thomas Suozzi New York NY-3 D $100,000 Boeing
David McKinley West Virginia WV-1 R $80,000 United Technologies
Dean Phillips Minnesota MN-3 D $65,000 Textron, Honeywell
Kurt Schrader Oregon OR-5 D $65,000 Lockheed, Raytheon
Mike Kelly Pennsylvannia PA-16 R $65,000 Boeing, Northrop
Dwight Evans Pennsylvannia PA-3 D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Mark Meadows North Carolina NC-11 R $50,000 Raytheon
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper

Page 2 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
John Yarmuth Kentucky KY-3 D $45,000 Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Lois Frankel Florida FL-21 D $45,000 Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Mike Sherril New Jersey NJ-11 D $45,000 Airbus, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Van Taylor Texas TX-3 R $45,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos
Jim Sensenbrenner Wisconsin WI-5 R $37,269 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
John Rutherford Florida FL-4 R $30,000 BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin
Katherine Clark Massachusetts MA-5 D $30,000 Honeywell
Rob Wittman Virginia VA-1 R $30,000 Lockheed Martin, Honeywell
Daniel Meuser Pennsylvannia PA-9 R $15,000 Lockheed Martin
David Rouzer North Carolina NC-7 R $15,000 Boeing
Dina Titus Nevada NV-1 D $15,000 Honeywell
Lizzie Fletcher Texas TX-7 D $15,000 United Technologies
Rick Allen Georgia GA-12 R $15,000 United Technologies
Susie Lee Nevada NV-3 D $15,000 Raytheon
Bill Flores Texas TX-17 R $14,663 Lockheed Martin
Hal Rogers Kentucky KY-5 R $4,046 Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper



and on the campaign contribution side,

https://readsludge.com/2020/01/07/t...t-of-defense-industry-cash-is-silent-on-iran/



"Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) is the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, which allocates funds for the military and contractors that work with and sell weapons to the Department of Defense.

Since 1989, Visclosky has received $1.7 million in campaign contributions from the defense industry, more than any other Democrat in Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.


House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Members
Career contributions from PACs and employees of the defense industry, in descending amounts, to House Democrats and Republicans.


Member Total
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) $1,716,708
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) $1,278,645
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) $528,352
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) $380,142
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) $366,412
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.) $301,000
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) $289,835
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) $237,020
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) $189,950
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) $110,198
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) $93,301


Rep. Robert Aderholt (R.-Ala.) $1,344,918
Rep. Ken Calvert (R.-Calif.) $1,081,954
Rep. Hal Rogers (R.-Ky.) $1,013,265
Rep. John Carter (R.-Tx.) $643,650
Rep. Tom Cole (R.-Okla.) $622,050
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balert (R-Fla.) $446,350
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) $316,926
For the 116th U.S. Congress, data through Q3 2019.
Table: David Moore, Sludge Source: Center for Responsive Politics Get the data Created with Datawrapper
 
Last edited:
Makes me want to invest in Honeywell!

Not a new phenomenon post WWII, I don’t believe, a few songs trying to highlight the problem:

Bob Dylan - Masters of War
Black Sabbath - War Pigs

Pearl Jam has a great cover of the first, Faith No More with a good version of the second.
 
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Reactions: sglowrider
This should be a bigger deal but won’t be. I’ve had conversations with two defense contractors recently and both said they basically get overpaid to do not a lot of work. One left one of these bigger companies above as an engineer to work as a contractor.
 
probably of absolutely zero interest to the board since not about Trump or race, but here goes anyway.

great how our nation's leaders can profit both coming and going from US wars..

they get huge campaign contributions from the defense contractors, then also profit from their defense contractor stocks..


https://readsludge.com/2020/01/13/the-members-of-congress-who-profit-from-war/

some greatest hits from the article,

"According to a Sludge review of financial disclosures, 51 members of Congress and their spouses own between $2.3 and $5.8 million worth of stocks in companies that are among the top 30 defense contractors in the world. Members of Congress generally report the values of their investments in ranges, so it’s not possible to know exactly how much their stocks are worth".

"Members of Congress’ investments in defense contractors may present more significant potential conflicts of interest than investments in other industries because the contractors rely heavily on defense spending that is approved by Congress for their revenue".

"More than 70% of Lockheed Martin’s $51 billion in 2018 revenue came from sales to the U.S. government, for example. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are considered “pure plays” because they sell their products almost exclusively to the government through appropriations approved by Congress".

"In the Senate, nearly one-third of the members of the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee own stocks in top defense contractors".

"In the 2020 Defense appropriations bill, the subcommittee approved $1.85 billion for 18 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts and spare parts from Lockheed Martin. Subcommittee member Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) owns as much as $100,000 worth of stock in Lockheed Martin. The subcommittee also recommended $1.1 billion for 6 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane made by Boeing. Subcommittee members Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) own as much as a combined $750,000 in Boeing stock"

.
Sen State Party Max Value of Investments Stocks
David Perdue Georgia R $100,000 Honeywell, Boeing
Roy Blunt Missouri R $100,000 Lockheed Martin
Susan Collins Maine R $101,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing
Rick Scott Florida R $106,000 Raytheon, Lockheed Martin
Tom Carper Delaware D $130,000 Honeywell, Raytheon, Boeing
Bill Cassidy Louisiana R $15,000 United Technologies
John Hoeven North Dakota R $250,000 Honeywell
John Boozman Arkansas R $30,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell
Sheldon Whitehouse Rhode Island D $348,998 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing, Raytheon
Gary Peters Michigan D $50,000 United Technologies
Jerry Moran Kansas R $50,000 Boeing
Tina Smith Minnesota D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia R $60,000 United Technologies, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin
Dianne Feinstein California D $650,000 Boeing
Mitt Romney Utah R $7,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon



"House Oversight and Reform Committee Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) owns as much as $400,000 worth of stock in Leidos, which is paid billions of dollars to provide information technology services for the Defense Department. In May 2019, Leidos CEO Roger Krone testified before Connolly’s committee in favor of legislation calling on the government to guarantee back pay for contractors in the wake of government shutdowns. Connolly had written a letter to House appropriators months earlier seeking support for such a bill".


Reps Invested in Top Defense Stocks
Sludge review of 2018 annual financial disclosures filed with the House Clerk's office. Stocks are owned by the representatives, their spouses, or jointly.

Page 1 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
Steve Cohen Tennessee TN-9 D $415,000 Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon
Gerry Connolly Virginia VA-11 D $400,000 Leidos
Ro Khanna California CA-17 D $376,000 Boeing, Honeywell, Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies,
Greg Gianforte Montana At Large R $309,856 Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Leonardo, Raytheon
Debbie Dingell Michigan MI-12 D $300,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Phil Roe Tennessee TN-1 R $203,230 Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Honeywell
Fred Upton Michigan MI-6 R $155,000 Honeywell, General Dynamics, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, United Tehnologies
Bob Gibbs Ohio OH-7 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell
Joe Kennedy Massachusetts MA-4 D $150,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Kevin Hern Oklahoma OK-1 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell, United Technologies
Francis Rooney Florida FL-19 R $135,000 General Dynamics, Leidos, Boeing, Honeywell, Lockheen Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
David Joyce Ohio OH-14 R $100,000 Boeing
David Price North Carolina NC-4 D $100,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Thomas Suozzi New York NY-3 D $100,000 Boeing
David McKinley West Virginia WV-1 R $80,000 United Technologies
Dean Phillips Minnesota MN-3 D $65,000 Textron, Honeywell
Kurt Schrader Oregon OR-5 D $65,000 Lockheed, Raytheon
Mike Kelly Pennsylvannia PA-16 R $65,000 Boeing, Northrop
Dwight Evans Pennsylvannia PA-3 D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Mark Meadows North Carolina NC-11 R $50,000 Raytheon
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper

Page 2 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
John Yarmuth Kentucky KY-3 D $45,000 Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Lois Frankel Florida FL-21 D $45,000 Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Mike Sherril New Jersey NJ-11 D $45,000 Airbus, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Van Taylor Texas TX-3 R $45,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos
Jim Sensenbrenner Wisconsin WI-5 R $37,269 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
John Rutherford Florida FL-4 R $30,000 BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin
Katherine Clark Massachusetts MA-5 D $30,000 Honeywell
Rob Wittman Virginia VA-1 R $30,000 Lockheed Martin, Honeywell
Daniel Meuser Pennsylvannia PA-9 R $15,000 Lockheed Martin
David Rouzer North Carolina NC-7 R $15,000 Boeing
Dina Titus Nevada NV-1 D $15,000 Honeywell
Lizzie Fletcher Texas TX-7 D $15,000 United Technologies
Rick Allen Georgia GA-12 R $15,000 United Technologies
Susie Lee Nevada NV-3 D $15,000 Raytheon
Bill Flores Texas TX-17 R $14,663 Lockheed Martin
Hal Rogers Kentucky KY-5 R $4,046 Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper



and on the campaign contribution side,

https://readsludge.com/2020/01/07/t...t-of-defense-industry-cash-is-silent-on-iran/



"Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) is the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, which allocates funds for the military and contractors that work with and sell weapons to the Department of Defense.

Since 1989, Visclosky has received $1.7 million in campaign contributions from the defense industry, more than any other Democrat in Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.


House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Members
Career contributions from PACs and employees of the defense industry, in descending amounts, to House Democrats and Republicans.


Member Total
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) $1,716,708
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) $1,278,645
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) $528,352
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) $380,142
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) $366,412
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.) $301,000
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) $289,835
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) $237,020
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) $189,950
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) $110,198
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) $93,301


Rep. Robert Aderholt (R.-Ala.) $1,344,918
Rep. Ken Calvert (R.-Calif.) $1,081,954
Rep. Hal Rogers (R.-Ky.) $1,013,265
Rep. John Carter (R.-Tx.) $643,650
Rep. Tom Cole (R.-Okla.) $622,050
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balert (R-Fla.) $446,350
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) $316,926
For the 116th U.S. Congress, data through Q3 2019.
Table: David Moore, Sludge Source: Center for Responsive Politics Get the data Created with Datawrapper
Old news, why do you think our cops have Batman armor, tanks, and $5K mountain bikes they barely know how to ride.
 
Last edited:
Because the Republicrats (thank Spike for that) want to give tanks out using taxpayers money to get favors back. If you were given the option to give your tax money to the local government to improve a local school or buy a tank which way would you vote? Instead enter the middlemen, Republicrats, who will be more than happy to spend your money to help out their interests.
 

definition of terms matter.

when she says "capitalism", most think only of the the purely theoretical economic system that exists only in the dictionary, and never has or could remotely exist by itself in any country on earth. (and no, socialism can't successfully exist by itself either, thus why all countries are hybrids).

what she is actually referring to and the "capitalism" that affects our daily lives, is the ever present unalterable "economic natural force" that is controlled by the "capitalism" algorithm, which over rides or corrects any human attempt to go against the algorithm. (Sorry Dave, I can't do that").

with physical natural forces like gravity and inertia, only an equal or greater force can offset them.

say as with a ledge that holds up a large rock for a million yrs, but the instant you remove the ledge, the rock instantly falls.

only govt is a strong enough force to counter the capitalism natural force, and the instant that counter force is removed, the capitalism force algorithm instantly kicks in with the same result as removing the ledge.

at which point the algorithm will be in control again, and collapse in on itself just as a nuclear chain reaction does absent controls, until meltdown is achieved.

absent sufficient govt counter forces, the partial segment of any country's economic system that "capitalism" does comprise, constantly has to be bailed out by socialism due to "capitalism's" inherent chain reaction nature, which will always implode in on itself when given enough rope, until meltdown is achieved.


as for "free markets", most always confuse the term with "competitive markets".

in fact, free markets are effectively the polar opposite of competitive markets, as the "free" means zero rules, thus allowing them to do whatever it takes to avoid having to compete for customers, or for labor, or with suppliers.

the capitalism algorithm mandates avoiding competition and competing at all costs..

and "free" to do whatever it takes to lower labor and supplier costs, and maximize price.
 
Last edited:
probably of absolutely zero interest to the board since not about Trump or race, but here goes anyway.

great how our nation's leaders can profit both coming and going from US wars..

they get huge campaign contributions from the defense contractors, then also profit from their defense contractor stocks..


https://readsludge.com/2020/01/13/the-members-of-congress-who-profit-from-war/

some greatest hits from the article,

"According to a Sludge review of financial disclosures, 51 members of Congress and their spouses own between $2.3 and $5.8 million worth of stocks in companies that are among the top 30 defense contractors in the world. Members of Congress generally report the values of their investments in ranges, so it’s not possible to know exactly how much their stocks are worth".

"Members of Congress’ investments in defense contractors may present more significant potential conflicts of interest than investments in other industries because the contractors rely heavily on defense spending that is approved by Congress for their revenue".

"More than 70% of Lockheed Martin’s $51 billion in 2018 revenue came from sales to the U.S. government, for example. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are considered “pure plays” because they sell their products almost exclusively to the government through appropriations approved by Congress".

"In the Senate, nearly one-third of the members of the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee own stocks in top defense contractors".

"In the 2020 Defense appropriations bill, the subcommittee approved $1.85 billion for 18 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts and spare parts from Lockheed Martin. Subcommittee member Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) owns as much as $100,000 worth of stock in Lockheed Martin. The subcommittee also recommended $1.1 billion for 6 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane made by Boeing. Subcommittee members Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) own as much as a combined $750,000 in Boeing stock"

.
Sen State Party Max Value of Investments Stocks
David Perdue Georgia R $100,000 Honeywell, Boeing
Roy Blunt Missouri R $100,000 Lockheed Martin
Susan Collins Maine R $101,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing
Rick Scott Florida R $106,000 Raytheon, Lockheed Martin
Tom Carper Delaware D $130,000 Honeywell, Raytheon, Boeing
Bill Cassidy Louisiana R $15,000 United Technologies
John Hoeven North Dakota R $250,000 Honeywell
John Boozman Arkansas R $30,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell
Sheldon Whitehouse Rhode Island D $348,998 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing, Raytheon
Gary Peters Michigan D $50,000 United Technologies
Jerry Moran Kansas R $50,000 Boeing
Tina Smith Minnesota D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia R $60,000 United Technologies, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin
Dianne Feinstein California D $650,000 Boeing
Mitt Romney Utah R $7,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon



"House Oversight and Reform Committee Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) owns as much as $400,000 worth of stock in Leidos, which is paid billions of dollars to provide information technology services for the Defense Department. In May 2019, Leidos CEO Roger Krone testified before Connolly’s committee in favor of legislation calling on the government to guarantee back pay for contractors in the wake of government shutdowns. Connolly had written a letter to House appropriators months earlier seeking support for such a bill".


Reps Invested in Top Defense Stocks
Sludge review of 2018 annual financial disclosures filed with the House Clerk's office. Stocks are owned by the representatives, their spouses, or jointly.

Page 1 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
Steve Cohen Tennessee TN-9 D $415,000 Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon
Gerry Connolly Virginia VA-11 D $400,000 Leidos
Ro Khanna California CA-17 D $376,000 Boeing, Honeywell, Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies,
Greg Gianforte Montana At Large R $309,856 Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Leonardo, Raytheon
Debbie Dingell Michigan MI-12 D $300,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Phil Roe Tennessee TN-1 R $203,230 Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Honeywell
Fred Upton Michigan MI-6 R $155,000 Honeywell, General Dynamics, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, United Tehnologies
Bob Gibbs Ohio OH-7 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell
Joe Kennedy Massachusetts MA-4 D $150,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Kevin Hern Oklahoma OK-1 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell, United Technologies
Francis Rooney Florida FL-19 R $135,000 General Dynamics, Leidos, Boeing, Honeywell, Lockheen Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
David Joyce Ohio OH-14 R $100,000 Boeing
David Price North Carolina NC-4 D $100,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Thomas Suozzi New York NY-3 D $100,000 Boeing
David McKinley West Virginia WV-1 R $80,000 United Technologies
Dean Phillips Minnesota MN-3 D $65,000 Textron, Honeywell
Kurt Schrader Oregon OR-5 D $65,000 Lockheed, Raytheon
Mike Kelly Pennsylvannia PA-16 R $65,000 Boeing, Northrop
Dwight Evans Pennsylvannia PA-3 D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Mark Meadows North Carolina NC-11 R $50,000 Raytheon
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper

Page 2 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
John Yarmuth Kentucky KY-3 D $45,000 Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Lois Frankel Florida FL-21 D $45,000 Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Mike Sherril New Jersey NJ-11 D $45,000 Airbus, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Van Taylor Texas TX-3 R $45,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos
Jim Sensenbrenner Wisconsin WI-5 R $37,269 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
John Rutherford Florida FL-4 R $30,000 BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin
Katherine Clark Massachusetts MA-5 D $30,000 Honeywell
Rob Wittman Virginia VA-1 R $30,000 Lockheed Martin, Honeywell
Daniel Meuser Pennsylvannia PA-9 R $15,000 Lockheed Martin
David Rouzer North Carolina NC-7 R $15,000 Boeing
Dina Titus Nevada NV-1 D $15,000 Honeywell
Lizzie Fletcher Texas TX-7 D $15,000 United Technologies
Rick Allen Georgia GA-12 R $15,000 United Technologies
Susie Lee Nevada NV-3 D $15,000 Raytheon
Bill Flores Texas TX-17 R $14,663 Lockheed Martin
Hal Rogers Kentucky KY-5 R $4,046 Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper



and on the campaign contribution side,

https://readsludge.com/2020/01/07/t...t-of-defense-industry-cash-is-silent-on-iran/



"Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) is the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, which allocates funds for the military and contractors that work with and sell weapons to the Department of Defense.

Since 1989, Visclosky has received $1.7 million in campaign contributions from the defense industry, more than any other Democrat in Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.



House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Members
Career contributions from PACs and employees of the defense industry, in descending amounts, to House Democrats and Republicans.


Member Total
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) $1,716,708
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) $1,278,645
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) $528,352
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) $380,142
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) $366,412
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.) $301,000
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) $289,835
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) $237,020
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) $189,950
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) $110,198
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) $93,301


Rep. Robert Aderholt (R.-Ala.) $1,344,918
Rep. Ken Calvert (R.-Calif.) $1,081,954
Rep. Hal Rogers (R.-Ky.) $1,013,265
Rep. John Carter (R.-Tx.) $643,650
Rep. Tom Cole (R.-Okla.) $622,050
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balert (R-Fla.) $446,350
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) $316,926
For the 116th U.S. Congress, data through Q3 2019.
Table: David Moore, Sludge Source: Center for Responsive Politics Get the data Created with Datawrapper
Hal Rogers running for re-election. He is only 1 year older than Biden will be in 2024
 
probably of absolutely zero interest to the board since not about Trump or race, but here goes anyway.

great how our nation's leaders can profit both coming and going from US wars..

they get huge campaign contributions from the defense contractors, then also profit from their defense contractor stocks..


https://readsludge.com/2020/01/13/the-members-of-congress-who-profit-from-war/

some greatest hits from the article,

"According to a Sludge review of financial disclosures, 51 members of Congress and their spouses own between $2.3 and $5.8 million worth of stocks in companies that are among the top 30 defense contractors in the world. Members of Congress generally report the values of their investments in ranges, so it’s not possible to know exactly how much their stocks are worth".

"Members of Congress’ investments in defense contractors may present more significant potential conflicts of interest than investments in other industries because the contractors rely heavily on defense spending that is approved by Congress for their revenue".

"More than 70% of Lockheed Martin’s $51 billion in 2018 revenue came from sales to the U.S. government, for example. Companies like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are considered “pure plays” because they sell their products almost exclusively to the government through appropriations approved by Congress".

"In the Senate, nearly one-third of the members of the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee own stocks in top defense contractors".

"In the 2020 Defense appropriations bill, the subcommittee approved $1.85 billion for 18 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircrafts and spare parts from Lockheed Martin. Subcommittee member Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) owns as much as $100,000 worth of stock in Lockheed Martin. The subcommittee also recommended $1.1 billion for 6 P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane made by Boeing. Subcommittee members Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) own as much as a combined $750,000 in Boeing stock"

.
Sen State Party Max Value of Investments Stocks
David Perdue Georgia R $100,000 Honeywell, Boeing
Roy Blunt Missouri R $100,000 Lockheed Martin
Susan Collins Maine R $101,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing
Rick Scott Florida R $106,000 Raytheon, Lockheed Martin
Tom Carper Delaware D $130,000 Honeywell, Raytheon, Boeing
Bill Cassidy Louisiana R $15,000 United Technologies
John Hoeven North Dakota R $250,000 Honeywell
John Boozman Arkansas R $30,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell
Sheldon Whitehouse Rhode Island D $348,998 Honeywell, United Technologies, Boeing, Raytheon
Gary Peters Michigan D $50,000 United Technologies
Jerry Moran Kansas R $50,000 Boeing
Tina Smith Minnesota D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Shelley Moore Capito West Virginia R $60,000 United Technologies, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin
Dianne Feinstein California D $650,000 Boeing
Mitt Romney Utah R $7,000 Honeywell, United Technologies, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon



"House Oversight and Reform Committee Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) owns as much as $400,000 worth of stock in Leidos, which is paid billions of dollars to provide information technology services for the Defense Department. In May 2019, Leidos CEO Roger Krone testified before Connolly’s committee in favor of legislation calling on the government to guarantee back pay for contractors in the wake of government shutdowns. Connolly had written a letter to House appropriators months earlier seeking support for such a bill".


Reps Invested in Top Defense Stocks
Sludge review of 2018 annual financial disclosures filed with the House Clerk's office. Stocks are owned by the representatives, their spouses, or jointly.

Page 1 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
Steve Cohen Tennessee TN-9 D $415,000 Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon
Gerry Connolly Virginia VA-11 D $400,000 Leidos
Ro Khanna California CA-17 D $376,000 Boeing, Honeywell, Huntington Ingalls, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies,
Greg Gianforte Montana At Large R $309,856 Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Leonardo, Raytheon
Debbie Dingell Michigan MI-12 D $300,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Phil Roe Tennessee TN-1 R $203,230 Lockheed Martin, United Technologies, Honeywell
Fred Upton Michigan MI-6 R $155,000 Honeywell, General Dynamics, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, United Tehnologies
Bob Gibbs Ohio OH-7 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell
Joe Kennedy Massachusetts MA-4 D $150,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Kevin Hern Oklahoma OK-1 R $150,000 Boeing, Honeywell, United Technologies
Francis Rooney Florida FL-19 R $135,000 General Dynamics, Leidos, Boeing, Honeywell, Lockheen Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
David Joyce Ohio OH-14 R $100,000 Boeing
David Price North Carolina NC-4 D $100,000 Honeywell, United Technologies
Thomas Suozzi New York NY-3 D $100,000 Boeing
David McKinley West Virginia WV-1 R $80,000 United Technologies
Dean Phillips Minnesota MN-3 D $65,000 Textron, Honeywell
Kurt Schrader Oregon OR-5 D $65,000 Lockheed, Raytheon
Mike Kelly Pennsylvannia PA-16 R $65,000 Boeing, Northrop
Dwight Evans Pennsylvannia PA-3 D $50,000 Huntington Ingalls
Mark Meadows North Carolina NC-11 R $50,000 Raytheon
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper

Page 2 of 2
Rep. State District Party Max Amount of Investments Stocks
John Yarmuth Kentucky KY-3 D $45,000 Boeing, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Lois Frankel Florida FL-21 D $45,000 Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman
Mike Sherril New Jersey NJ-11 D $45,000 Airbus, General Dynamics, Honeywell
Van Taylor Texas TX-3 R $45,000 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos
Jim Sensenbrenner Wisconsin WI-5 R $37,269 General Dynamics, Honeywell, Leidos, Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
John Rutherford Florida FL-4 R $30,000 BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin
Katherine Clark Massachusetts MA-5 D $30,000 Honeywell
Rob Wittman Virginia VA-1 R $30,000 Lockheed Martin, Honeywell
Daniel Meuser Pennsylvannia PA-9 R $15,000 Lockheed Martin
David Rouzer North Carolina NC-7 R $15,000 Boeing
Dina Titus Nevada NV-1 D $15,000 Honeywell
Lizzie Fletcher Texas TX-7 D $15,000 United Technologies
Rick Allen Georgia GA-12 R $15,000 United Technologies
Susie Lee Nevada NV-3 D $15,000 Raytheon
Bill Flores Texas TX-17 R $14,663 Lockheed Martin
Hal Rogers Kentucky KY-5 R $4,046 Northrop Grumman, United Technologies
Table: SLUDGE Source: Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Get the data Created with Datawrapper



and on the campaign contribution side,

https://readsludge.com/2020/01/07/t...t-of-defense-industry-cash-is-silent-on-iran/



"Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) is the chairman of the Defense Subcommittee of the House Committee on Appropriations, which allocates funds for the military and contractors that work with and sell weapons to the Department of Defense.

Since 1989, Visclosky has received $1.7 million in campaign contributions from the defense industry, more than any other Democrat in Congress, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.



House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Members
Career contributions from PACs and employees of the defense industry, in descending amounts, to House Democrats and Republicans.


Member Total
Rep. Pete Visclosky (D-Ind.) $1,716,708
Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.) $1,278,645
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) $528,352
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) $380,142
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) $366,412
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Tex.) $301,000
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) $289,835
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) $237,020
Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) $189,950
Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) $110,198
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.) $93,301


Rep. Robert Aderholt (R.-Ala.) $1,344,918
Rep. Ken Calvert (R.-Calif.) $1,081,954
Rep. Hal Rogers (R.-Ky.) $1,013,265
Rep. John Carter (R.-Tx.) $643,650
Rep. Tom Cole (R.-Okla.) $622,050
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balert (R-Fla.) $446,350
Rep. Steve Womack (R-Ark.) $316,926
For the 116th U.S. Congress, data through Q3 2019.
Table: David Moore, Sludge Source: Center for Responsive Politics Get the data Created with Datawrapper
I'm ready, willing, and able to believe the main thrust of your point. But . . .

Regarding the investment numbers in defense contractors, I'd sure like to see the rest of those portfolios for each person. If a multi-millionaire Senator, for example, holds $100K in a particular defense contractor through a large position in an S&P 500 ETF or mutual fund, I'm not sure that's going to really impact their decision. On the other hand, if some Rep has an investment portfolio of "only" $500k and 20% of that is wrapped up in a single position in a defense contractor, now we have a very powerful incentive.

I have long been of the opinion that those who work for the federal government in any meaningful capacity should only be allowed to invest in very broad US market tracking indices once elected. That we allow Congress to engage in insider trading is absurd and that they actually take advantage of it is abhorrent.
 
I'm ready, willing, and able to believe the main thrust of your point. But . . .

Regarding the investment numbers in defense contractors, I'd sure like to see the rest of those portfolios for each person. If a multi-millionaire Senator, for example, holds $100K in a particular defense contractor through a large position in an S&P 500 ETF or mutual fund, I'm not sure that's going to really impact their decision. On the other hand, if some Rep has an investment portfolio of "only" $500k and 20% of that is wrapped up in a single position in a defense contractor, now we have a very powerful incentive.

I have long been of the opinion that those who work for the federal government in any meaningful capacity should only be allowed to invest in very broad US market tracking indices once elected. That we allow Congress to engage in insider trading is absurd and that they actually take advantage of it is abhorrent.

no doubt legislators have substantial positions in big pharma and healthcare stocks as well.

and telecom, tech, INFRASTRUCTURE contractors, and other things they have substantial influence on

no doubt defense contractors aren't the only source of revenues for legislators.

why no amount of money to Wall St is ever too much, (3.5 tril is pocket change compared to how much Wall St gets), and any amount to the citizenry is too much, and unaffordable.

it's not personal, but it should be.

it's just business, which it shouldn't be.

and no reason for legislators to have money in the market at all.

they get excellent salaries, great benefits, and great retirement.

think how great SS and Medicare would be, if that was the retirement and future healthcare coverage for legislators.

nor should they be exempted from any laws.

those going into govt should be doing it as public/civic service, not as a career path.

those who would stay away from running for congress because they can't invest in the market, we're much much better off without.
 
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