Conservative billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch have begun to vet GOP nominees for the 2016 presidential race - and there's a huge incentive to find favor with these donors...
The projected sum of the Koch brothers' political contributions this election cycle -- which would include monetary aid to their candidate of choice -- is a whopping $889 million. That's more than twice what was spent by the Republican National Committee during the 2012 election cycle.
What the Koch brothers want is a president who will do their bidding. In order to determine the best candidate for that job, the brothers will host a summer summit with the nominees they favor. (While the exact date and time of this summer's summit is unknown, last summer's conference took place in June in Dana Point, Calif.)
Five presidential hopefuls will vie for a portion of the oil barons' billions: Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul.
During the summit, the chosen candidates must speak at a large gathering of the brothers' network associates. The nominees are expected to debate, present, and strategize issues in which the Kochs are particularly invested.
Based on the candidates' performances, Charles and David will decide who gets a political contribution, and how much.
Here are the top three issues the Koch brothers want to see addressed at their summit -- and the candidates' position on each...
Koch Brothers' Political Contributions Issue No. 1: Enact Stricter Voter ID Laws
The Kochs have long funded efforts to police the voting process. For example, ample Koch brothers' political contributions have gone toward political proponents of stricter voting laws in dozens of states. These laws can keep would-be voters from getting a ballot if they cannot present government-issued identification.
Additionally, the oil barons would prefer certain demographics stay away from the voting booth: young adults, minorities, and the elderly, according to a Sept. 26, 2014 MSNBC article.
Here is where the candidates stand on voter ID laws:
Koch Brothers' Political Contributions Issue No. 2: Terminate Social Security
The logic is that by cutting social security benefits, the government will save enough money to allow tax breaks for millions of average Americans. Of course, it would also mean tax breaks for wealthy Americans as well...
On the Koch bros.' Americans for Prosperity website, there are two reports focused on Social Security and how its trust fund is already insolvent. The brothers push instead for workers to open savings accounts for their accumulated funds and to basically act as stock brokers with their own money. Meanwhile, should this huge reform come to pass, the Kochs would save billions without the Social Security tax fee.
Koch Brothers' Political Contributions Issue No. 3: Dismantle the EPA
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Since the Koch brothers' primary source of wealth has been the gas and oil transportation business, naturally one of their least favorite organizations is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2011, the brothers funded companies and lawmakers alike who fought to strip the EPA of regulatory authority. According to The LA Times, their efforts paid off: "By donating $279,500 to 22 of the committee's 31 Republicans and $32,000 to five Democrats, they bought sway in the House Energy and Commerce Committee - the committee with the power to dethrone the EPA."
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