Murkowski and the Big Money Lobbyists
We all know that big money buys access and influence in politics– that’s a big part of why so few people trust their elected officials to represent their interests, in Juneau or in Washington. Whether the issue is healthcare reform, Wall Street bailouts, or energy policy, those that write the big checks tend to get a good return on their investment.
Sometimes, they even get to get to write their own laws.
That’s the troubling appearance for Senator Murkowski and two big-money lobbyists who helped write and promote energy legislation on her behalf. If passed, that legislation would gut the ability of the EPA to regulate carbon emissions, rolling back a key provision the Clean Air Act.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, energy industry clients represented by one of those lobbyists, Jeffrey Holmstead, contributed about $35,000 to Senator Murkowski’s election efforts since last year.
It’s certainly reasonable for elected officials to seek out advice and input from issue experts when crafting legislation. That sort of thing happens all the time, with non-profits, academics, and administration officials alike. But when corporations make big campaign contributions, and then their lobbyists are handed the pen to write legislation that could benefit the corporation’s short term bottom line, it just doesn’t look right.
To get rid of the appearance of these pay-to-play politics, Senator Murkowski could do two things: She could abandon her amendment that would prevent a step forward on climate change. Or she could give back the thirty five grand, along with any other corporate contributions tied to lobbyists seeking to influence crucial energy policy decisions.
In an ideal world, she would do both.
