Congressman John Kline, my opponent for the 2014 Republican endorsement in the Second Congressional District, has earned an awkward distinction. He headlines a list of members who attract sizable contributions from the industries they regulate. A study conducted by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington found that after taking over the House Committee on Education and Workforce, John Kline “saw a 155% increase in contributions from educational and workforce-related industries while his demoted counterpart, Rep. George Miller (D-CA), saw his industry contributions drop by 52%.”
Public trust withers in the face of such stories. Democrats will predictably leverage that against Kline as he seeks reelection. Yet, the Democrats offer no solution to the root problem which makes “funds for favors” possible.
Empowering Congress to regulate industry creates a product for contributors to buy. If Congress were constrained to its proper role, defined by the enumerated powers in the Constitution, there would be nothing for industry to gain by contributing to Kline or any other congressperson.
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(The MN Political Roundtable discusses the dubious Funds for Favors award, which you can read here. And respected blogger Walter Hudson features the topic on his podcast here.)
I am running to offer voters an alternative: a federal government which offers nothing for sale. Kline stands for the status quo. Democrats would make the problem worse by expanding federal power and increasing the value up for grabs in Washington. If entrusted by the voters of Minnesota’s Second Congressional District to serve their interests, I will work to starve the beast, rein in government, and leave industry free to invest in the jobs, products, and services that we need.
