Business rewards CAFTA 15
THE HILL
By Josephine Hearn
Business interests are making good on their promise to reward 15 House Democrats who bucked their party’s leadership in July and backed the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
In the three months since CAFTA passed the House by two votes, business groups and individual companies have held more than a dozen fundraisers for members of the so-called “CAFTA 15” and have provided help selling the trade pact to skeptical constituents.
CAFTA came to the House floor amid an intense battle between business groups and labor unions. Both sides pulled out all the stops on the deal, threatening to retaliate against lawmakers who opposed them and reward those who stood by them.
Since then, a trio of high-tech interests has been leading an effort to hold fundraisers for Democrats who backed the trade deal.
Three lobbyists — Matt Gelman at Microsoft, Melika Carroll at Intel and Alix Burns at TechNet — have been marshaling business interests to contribute to the lawmakers.
Since August, they have held fundraisers for 10 of the 15 — Reps. Melissa Bean (Ill.), Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Norm Dicks (Wash.), Henry Cuellar (Texas), Ruben Hinojosa (Texas), Jim Matheson (Utah), Greg Meeks (N.Y.), Dennis Moore (Kan.), Ike Skelton (Mo.) and Edolphus Towns (N.Y.) — according to sources with knowledge of the endeavor. They have plans to arrange fundraisers for two more — Reps. Bill Jefferson (La.) and Solomon Ortiz (Texas) — before Thanksgiving.
“The word went out, no doubt about it, that now is the time to show the love,” one Democratic lobbyist said.
“The issue was really important to us. We wanted to show them how much we appreciated that they walked the plank on it,” said another lobbyist who had pushed for CAFTA.
Other lobbyists — including Scott Miller at Procter and Gamble, Steve Champlin at the Duberstein Group and Kirsten Chadwick at Fierce Isakowitz and Blaloch — have helped with the initiative. Champlin and Chadwick served as vote counters for the business coalition that successfully lobbied for CAFTA.
Business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers have pitched in as well.
The Chamber held two fundraisers for Henry Cuellar in his south Texas district and has plans for a third in Washington tomorrow.
The group has also helped lawmakers sell the agreement to business leaders back home. On Nov. 18, the Chamber will hold an event with Meeks in Queens, N.Y., to talk about the benefits of the deal. Ambassadors from three of the countries signing the deal — Guatemala, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic — are expected to attend. The group held similar events in Jefferson’s district before the July vote.
Bill Miller, the Chamber’s vice president for congressional and public affairs, said that the group seeks to aid supportive lawmakers in whatever way it can.
“There are some members for whom money is the most important thing, some members who prefer to have [Chamber] staff come in and do a town meeting, some people who want help with editorial boards or op-eds. We’ve reached out to them and asked what we can do to be helpful,” Miller said.
Business groups held a fundraiser for all 15 CAFTA Democrats in early September.
Labor groups too have largely stood by promises made three months ago at the height of the battle.
Labor officials threatened “real and measurable consequences for opposing labor on this issue” in a letter sent to lawmakers before the vote.
“The vote was a slap in the face we can’t ignore,” said Jeff Zack, spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters. “Our spigot has been turned off,” he said, referring to the union’s campaign donations.
Zack noted that unions are considering backing challengers to some of the Democrats. Several unions met with a challenger to Bean last month. Zack said unions would hold a meeting soon to discuss supporting challenges to Bean, Moran and Cuellar, among others.
Bean has sought to maintain good relationships with labor groups. She recently returned a $2,000 donation from Wal-Mart, which has attracted intense criticism from union officials.
Several of the House’s most vulnerable Democrats, including Bean, Moore and Matheson, have not seen their overall fundraising totals change significantly because of decreasing support from labor or new infusions of cash from business interests.
Bean has continued to post strong fundraising numbers, and Matheson and Moore have raised money at about the level they have throughout the year.
Several lobbyists noted Matheson and Moore might have benefited from the vote, since they do not sit on powerful congressional committees and do not usually reap significant donations from corporations. |
