July 26, 2011 - Time is running out for members of Congress to draft and pass legislation before the U.S. is expected to default on its loans. An article in CQ Weekly highlights a division among conservative-leaning pro-business groups that might illustrate why Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va) have had difficulty in their negotiations with President Obama over raising the debt ceiling.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has called for Congress to raise the debt ceiling before continuing the discussion concerning government outlays and revenues. The Club for Growth has called for Congress to raise the debt ceiling only after enacting spending cuts. Neither group favors an increase in taxes.
MapLight has analyzed campaign contributions dating back to Jan. 1, 2001 from each group and its employees mentioned in the article to the campaign committees of current members of Congress. Click here to download a spreadsheet listing all contribution recipients.
Total Contributions from Groups Mentioned in the Article
| Organizations | Contributions |
|---|---|
| Club for Growth* | $ 4,722,944 |
| US Chamber of Commerce | $ 479,509 |
| National Association of Manufacturers | $ 37,350 |
| Heritage Foundation | $ 33,265 |
| Financial Services Forum | $ 30,950 |
| Let Freedom Ring | $ 16,450 |
| First Trust Portfolios | $ 12,150 |
| National Taxpayers Union | $ 5,516 |
| Americans for Tax Reform | $ 797 |
| Total | $5,338,931 |
* According to OpenSecrets.org, the Club for Growth’s PAC also acts as a conduit for federal candidates by accepting and transmitting earmarked contributions from the club’s members to federal candidates.
Top 20 Recipients of Combined Contributions from Groups Mentioned in the Article
| Lawmaker | Party | Chamber | State | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Toomey | Republican | Senate | PA | $853,360 |
| Timothy Walberg | Republican | House | MI | $401,645 |
| Marco Rubio | Republican | Senate | FL | $355,996 |
| Andy Harris | Republican | House | MD | $354,751 |
| Steven Pearce | Republican | House | NM | $352,367 |
| Adrian Smith | Republican | House | NE | $249,455 |
| Saxby Chambliss | Republican | Senate | GA | $194,518 |
| Jim DeMint | Republican | Senate | SC | $175,026 |
| John Thune | Republican | Senate | SD | $174,847 |
| Jon Kyl | Republican | Senate | AZ | $157,253 |
| Henry Cuellar | Democrat | House | TX | $135,062 |
| Tom Graves | Republican | House | GA | $134,750 |
| Jeff Duncan | Republican | House | SC | $130,100 |
| Michele Bachmann | Republican | House | MN | $99,680 |
| Cathy McMorris Rodgers | Republican | House | WA | $89,650 |
| Mick Mulvaney | Republican | House | SC | $85,580 |
| Richard Burr | Republican | Senate | NC | $75,595 |
| Thomas Coburn | Republican | Senate | OK | $75,088 |
| Tim Scott | Republican | House | SC | $65,550 |
| Todd Young | Republican | House | IN | $65,400 |
Methodology: A MapLight analysis of campaign contributions to current members of Congress from organizations mentioned in the CQ Weekly article by Joseph J. Schatz, entitled "A Very Businesslike Rivalry for Clout," published on July 2, 2011. Campaign contributions source: OpenSecrets.org
