Are Billionaire Koch Brothers Pulling Boehner’s Strings?
Latest Kochs Ad Features Paid Professional Actors Impersonating Louisianians
New Orleans, Louisiana – In cased you missed it, the U.S. House equivalent of the Senate’s Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act to prevent skyrocketing flood insurance rate hikes from hurting up to half a million Louisianians now has clear majority support. So why then won’t Speaker Boehner relent, and allow the bill to pass and become law?
Speaker Boehner suspended the so-called Hastert rule requiring majority support among his own party just a couple of days ago, but when it comes to providing crucial relief to families experiencing astronomical flood insurance rate hikes, he refuses to allow the bill to pass.
Is it because the billionaire Koch brothers are pulling his strings?
At the same time the Koch brothers group Americans for Prosperity (AFP) is paying professional actors to impersonate Louisiana families in a new false televised attack ad against Sen. Landieu, the group is trying to kill bipartisan flood insurance reform.
While Sen. Landrieu was working alongside Sen. Vitter to lead Senate passage of the bipartisan flood insurance reform bill, AFP was instructing lawmakers to oppose it and instead “preserve the crux” of Biggert-Waters, the very piece of legislation that is responsible for the flood insurance rate hikes causing millions nationwide to suffer.
Rather than water down the Senate’s flood insurance reform bill that already has enough bipartisan support to pass through the House right this very instant, Speaker Boehner ought to do what’s right and pass the Senate’s bill as is.
“Like clockwork, the billionaire Koch brothers instruct lawmakers to kill bipartisan flood insurance reform with clear majority support from Congress, and Speaker Boehner refuses to pass it through the U.S. House,” said Campaign for Louisiana Communications Director Andrew Zucker. “There’s enough support in the U.S. House to pass the Senate’s flood insurance reform bill this very instant, and rather than bow down to the billionaire Koch brothers, Speaker Boehner ought to do what’s right, pass the bill right now and provide crucial relief to up to half a million Louisiana families.”
Congressman Bill Cassidy has been the main beneficiary of AFP’s multi-milliondollar anti-Landrieu campaign. The Koch brothers have endorsed Bill Cassidy, and his public relationship with AFP dates back to at least November of 2013, when Cassidy literally thanked a staff member of the group for their ads while campaigning at one of their events. He conveniently left the AFP event off of his official campaign schedule.
BACKGROUND
“Louisiana Has Nearly 500,000 NFIP Policies And There Are More Than 5.5 Million Policyholders Nationwide.” [The Advocate, 10/2/13]
In 2013, Senator Toomey Blocked Legislation Proposed By Senator Landrieu To Delay Flood Insurance Premium Hikes. “Last year, Toomey used Senate rules to block a vote on another delaying measure proposed by Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La.” [Times-Picayune, 1/27/14]
Koch Companies Endorsed Cassidy, Saying “We Believe Dr. Cassidy’s Positions Are Most Aligned With Ours In This Race.” ‘”Koch has historically supported candidates who have espoused free-market principles and policies. Based on his previous voting record and public statements, we believe Dr. Cassidy’s positions are most aligned with ours in this race,’ wrote Koch Companies Public Sector LLC President Philip Ellender in an email last week.” [The Advertiser, 2/2/14]