Wicker, R Sen 5%

lcv 2012 21%, lifetime 5% only good on water

no merri

IMHOFEE

BGR ERSKINE WELL STAFF

LEADERSHIP PAC

EXXON

CORE CIVIC

PALANTIR

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5656133-senate-armed-services-committee-boat-strikes

Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker(R-Miss.) said on Thursday that he has seen “no evidence of war crimes” committed during the U.S. military’s Sept. 2 strikes against an alleged drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean, and he indicated that his panel does not plan to further probe the controversial operation.

“I have seen no evidence of war crimes. The fact is that our military is asked to make incredibly difficult decisions. Service members must do so based on the best available information and often under very tight timelines,” Wicker said in a lengthy statement.

Wicker said he is “satisfied” with all of the information the committee has received regarding the Sept. 2 attack, where two survivors were killed in a strike authorized by Navy Adm. Frank Bradley. Wicker said the strikes against “narco-terrorists” in the U.S. Southern Command area are based on “sound legal advice.”

“When reports first surfaced about a secondary strike, my office immediately directed inquiries to the department to ascertain the veracity of these reports. I promised that SASC would take this matter seriously and conduct thorough oversight. We have done so,” the Mississippi senator said. “Both military and civilian Pentagon leaders have worked in good faith to provide answers to us without any delays.”

Wicker’s panel said it would investigate the Sept. 2 operation, during which the U.S. military conducted four strikes against the purported drug-trafficking vessel in the Caribbean, shortly after The Washington Post revealed a second strike, ordered by Bradley, took place during the mission.

Some Democrats and law-of-war experts have asserted the follow-up strike constituted a violation of international law. Democrats have pushed for a complete investigation of the incident and for the Trump administration to release the full video of the mission. Administration officials and Republicans in Congress have argued that the operation is lawful and that two survivors in the water were trying to flip over the boat, which was severely damaged after the first strike that killed nine people on board, and continue on with their mission.

Wicker’s statement comes days after the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers(R-Ala.), said he will end his panel’s inquiry into the Sept. 2 strikes.

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thinkprogress 1/15

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 98-1 to approve a resolution stating that “it is the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax.” Then, about 15 minutes later, the Senate rejected a second resolution that said climate change is real and caused by humans.

The first resolution was approved — and co-sponsored — by one of the most outspoken climate deniers in the Senate, Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), a man who literally wrote a book about how climate change is the “greatest hoax ever perpetrated.” The only Senator to vote against the resolution was Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS).

Sounds too good to be true, right? That’s because it is. At the last minute, right before a vote was taken, Inhofe took the floor to state that he would be co-sponsoring and approving the amendment on the grounds that yes, climate change is real, but human-caused climate change is not. “Man cannot change climate,” Inhofe said. “The hoax is that there are some people that are so arrogant to think that they are so powerful that they can change climate.”

The resolution was originally put forth by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) as an amendment to the bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline. It was widely seen as a way to troll Republicans — a way for Democrats to say “Fine, if you want to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, you have to go on record about whether you think global warming is real.”

But Jim Inhofe out-trolled Sheldon Whitehouse. Jim Inhofe out-trolled us all.

Fortunately, the effort to get every Senator on the record about their stance on human-caused climate change was not all for naught. Shortly after the vote on Whitehouse’s resolution, the Senate also took up an amendment from Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), which stated that climate change is real and that humans contribute to it. That amendment failed, however, following a short speech from Sen. Lisa Murkoswki (R-AK) saying that the amendment’s inclusion of the word “significantly” — as in, humans “significantly” contribute to global warming — should warrant a “no” vote. Schatz’s amendment failed 50-49 (it needed 60 votes to pass), but it does mean that a slim majority of the U.S. Senate acknowledges that climate science is a real and valid thing.

Among the votes against Schatz’ amendment acknowledging that climate change is real were Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). Republicans who voted to say that climate change is real and significantly caused by humans included Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC).

covid relief restaurants?

fluff in US Sun tabloid  tho vaccinated

==

https://www.ecowatch.com/koch-brothers-paris-agreement-2430226599.html

Paris Exit Was 'Victory Paid and Carried Out' by Republican Party for the Koch Brothers

nolink

The 22 Republican senators who sent a letter to President Donald Trump last week urging the United States' withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement received more than $10 million dollars in campaign funds from fossil fuel interests.

The two-page letter was signed by a number of Republican heavyweights from coal/gas/oil-rich states, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma and Ted Cruz of Texas.

The Guardian calculated that the 22 senators received a total of $10,694,284 from oil, gas and coal money in just five years. (See the breakdown below.

However, that sum does not even come close to the amount of undisclosed funds coming from the deep pockets of Charles and David Koch's coal, oil and gas conglomerate, Koch Industries, and other outside groups.

As the Guardian explains:

"Visible donations to Republicans from those industries exceeded donations to Democrats in the 2016 election cycle by a ratio of 15-to-1, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And that does not include so-called dark money passed from oil interests such as Koch industries to general slush funds to re-elect Republicans such as the Senate leadership fund.

"At least $90m in untraceable money has been funneled to Republican candidates from oil, gas and coal interests in the past three election cycles, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures analyzed by the Center for Responsive Politics."

Jeffrey Sachs, professor of economics and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University, shared recently his views on Trump's climate walkout.In an interview with Bloomberg Surveillance, Sachs referenced the senators' letter and specifically cast blame on the billionaire oil barons for pulling the strings of Republican party leaders such as McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who both supported exiting the Paris accord.

"This is the victory paid and carried out for 20 years by two people, David and Charles Koch," Sachs said. "They have bought and purchased the top of the Republican party. Trump is a tool in this."

Notably, most of the Republican signatories of the letter do not support the belief that human activity contributes to climate change.

During an appearance on MSNBC, Democratic Sen. Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts explained why he thinks his Republican colleagues do not believe in the science of climate change.

"This Conservative party in the United States is funded by the Koch brothers [and] it's funded by the coal industry," Markey said. "[They] insist that Scott Pruitt—the Attorney General of Oklahoma that actually sued the EPA 19 times on clean air, clean water, soot, mercury issues—becomes the head of the EPA in our country."

The 22 Republican signatories' funding from Big Oil, Gas and Coal in the past three election cycles (2012, 2014 and 2016):

James Inhofe, Oklahoma

Oil & gas: $465,950 + Coal: $63,600 = $529,550

John Barrasso, Wyoming

Oil & gas: $458,466 + Coal: $127,356 = $585,822

Mitch McConnell, Kentucky

Oil & gas: $1,180,384 + Coal: $361,700 = $1,542,084

John Cornyn, Texas

Oil & gas: $1,101,456 + Coal: $33,050 = $1,134,506

Roy Blunt, Missouri

Oil & gas: $353,864 + Coal: $96,000 = $449,864

Roger Wicker, Mississippi

Oil & gas: $198,816 + Coal: $25,376 = $224,192

Michael Enzi, Wyoming

Oil & gas: $211,083 + Coal: $63,300 = $274,383

Mike Crapo, Idaho

Oil & gas: $110,250 + Coal: $26,756 = $137,006

Jim Risch, Idaho

Oil & gas: $123,850 + Coal: $25,680 = $149,530

Thad Cochran, Mississippi

Oil & gas: $276,905 + Coal: $15,000 = $291,905

Mike Rounds, South Dakota

Oil & gas: $201,900 + Coal: none = $201,900

Rand Paul, Kentucky

Oil & gas: $170,215 + Coal: $82,571 = $252,786

John Boozman, Arkansas

Oil & gas: $147,930 + Coal: $2,000 = $149,930

Richard Shelby, Alabama

Oil & gas: $60,150 + $2,500 = $62,650

Luther Strange, Alabama (Appointed in 2017, running in 2017 special election)

Total: NA

Orrin Hatch, Utah

Oil & gas: $446,250 + Coal: $25,000 = $471,250

Mike Lee, Utah

Oil & gas: $231,520 + Coal: $21,895 = $253,415

Ted Cruz, Texas

Oil & gas: $2,465,910 + Coal: $103,900 = $2,569,810

David Perdue, Georgia

Oil & gas: $184,250 + Coal: $0 = $184,250

Thom Tillis, North Carolina

Oil & gas: $263,400 + Coal: $0 = $263,400

Tim Scott, South Carolina

Oil & gas: $490,076 + Coal: $58,200 = $548,276

Pat Roberts, Kansas

Oil & gas: $388,950 + Coal: $28,825 = $417,775

caller 2021

Wicker, the second-highest ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, gave an interview Tuesday to Fox News' Neil Cavuto, during which he spoke of the need for "tougher" military measures in response to Russia's potential invasion of Ukraine. WATCH: Joined @TeamCavuto today to discuss @POTUS 's caIl with Vladimir Putin.

cmd

Consider also Senator Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who recently made headlines with his heartfelt plea for understanding. "I think it's time for some tolerance in the public discourse regarding the many scientific viewpoints on climate change. Respect should be shown to those who have done the research and come to a different conclusion," he said.

He was not speaking of the 97 percent of global climate scientists who have sounded the alarm on the ongoing global crisis, whom his colleagues routinely deride as swindlers, incompetents, and one-government co-conspirators, but for the relentless minority whose delusional tenacity threatens the rest of us.

Witter's career haul from the oil and gas industry? Just shy of $650,000.

==

https://yyy.theguardian.com/environment**/2015/jul/**15/exxon-mobil-gave-millions-climate-denying-lawmakers

no lnx guk

exxonMobil gave millions to climate-denying lawmakers despite pledge

Under pressure from shareholders, company promised eight years ago to stop funding climate denial – but financial and tax records tell a different story

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington

@suzyji

Wed 15 Jul 2015

ExxonMobil pledged in 2007 to stop funding climate denial.

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ExxonMobil gave more than $2.3m to members of Congress and a corporate lobbying group that deny climate change and block efforts to fight climate change – eight years after pledging to stop its funding of climate denial, the Guardian has learned.

Climate denial – from Republicans in Congress and lobby groups operating at the state level – is seen as a major obstacle to US and global efforts to fight climate change, closing off the possibility of federal and state regulations cutting greenhouse gas emissions and the ability to plan for a future of sea-level rise and extreme weather.

Exxon channeled about $30m to researchers and activist groups promoting disinformation about global warming over the years, according to a tally kept by the campaign group Greenpeace. But the oil company pledged to stop such funding in 2007, in response to pressure from shareholder activists.

“In 2008 we will discontinue contributions to several public policy groups whose position on climate change could divert attention from the important discussion on how the world will secure energy required for economic growth in an environmentally responsible manner,” Exxon said in its 2007 Corporate Citizenship report.

But since 2007, the oil company has given $1.87m to Republicans in Congress who deny climate change and an additional $454,000 to the American Legislative Exchange Council (Alec), according to financial and tax records.

In a statement to the Guardian this week, Exxon spokesman Richard Keil reiterated: “ExxonMobil does not fund climate denial.”

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Alec, an ultra-conservative lobby group, has hosted seminars promoting the long-discredited idea that rising carbon dioxide emissions are the “elixir of life”, and was behind legislation banning state planners in North Carolina from considering future sea-level rise.

Campaigners said Exxon’s support for members of Congress and lobby groups that deny climate change was at odds with the company’s public position that it is committed to acting on the threat posed by global warming.

“If they are going to be serious about what they say about believing in the science of climate change, they should actually take action and show they are genuine,” said David Turnbull, campaign director of Oil Change International, which compiled the data on Exxon contributions to members of Congress at the Guardian’s request.

A majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate deny climate change or oppose action to fight climate change, according to the Center for American Progress.

Exxon’s beneficiaries in Congress include the Oklahoma senator Jim Inhofe, who called global warming a hoax, and who has received $20,500 since 2007, according to the Dirty Energy Money database maintained by Oil Change International.

Exxon funded the Mississippi senator Roger Wicker, who cast the single no vote earlier this year against a symbolic “sense of the Senate” resolution that climate change was real and not a hoax. The resolution passed 98-1. Wicker, who received $14,000 from Exxon, voted no.

Exxon also gave a total of $868,150 to Republican senators who voted against another symbolic resolution that human activity was a significant driver of climate change.

Each of the 49 Republican senators who voted no received at least $5,000 from Exxon, according to Oil Change figures.

Exxon has also continued to fund Alec, which works to block climate legislation in state legislatures, according to figures compiled by the Climate Investigations Center from the oil company’s own disclosures in its annual Worldwide Giving Reports and foundation tax filings.

Alec has for decades worked to block action on climate change, by drafting bills for state legislatures aimed at dismantling environmental regulations. The lobby group hosted a summit last December featuring a speaker who called carbon dioxide emissions “the elixir of life”.

“The ongoing rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide should be welcomed with opened arms,” Craig Idso, founder of the Center for the Study of Carbon Dioxide and Global Change, told about 100 state legislators and corporate executives at the summit, according to InsideClimate News. Such claims have been dismissed in their entirety by scientists.

The ultra-conservative Alec claims to support “free market environmentalism” and on its website accuses campaign groups of conflating this with climate denial. However, the website refers to climate change as a “historical phenomenon”, and states – contrary to fact – that its causes are a matter of continued debate. When asked directly, an Alec spokesman declined to say whether the lobby group saw climate change as a threat, and declined to say whether it stood by Idso’s views.

“Alec is a forum for the exchange of ideas and continuing education of state legislators. All viewpoints are welcome. Indeed,” Wilhelm Meierling, an Alec spokesman, said in an email. “Today, legislators want to learn from as many viewpoints as possible in order to make the best possible decision for the people they represent.”

He said Exxon did not underwrite the “continuing education workshop” with Idso.

Alec suffered a string of defections over its position on climate change during the last year, with companies such as Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp, BP America, Microsoft, Facebook and Yahoo resigning their memberships.

Google accused the lobbying group of lying about climate change.

Exxon would not discuss its membership in Alec. However, the company said it was serious about confronting climate change and does not fund climate denial. In 2007, the oil company committed to ending its support for a network of think tanks and activist groups that deny the science underlying climate change or have worked to block action against climate change.

Keil, the Exxon spokesman, said in an email: “We are taking action in a range of ways – by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in our operations, helping consumers reduce their emissions, and by supporting research at leading US universities into both increased emissions reduction capability and research into alternative energy sources.”

Keil did not respond to specific questions about Exxon’s financial support for members of Congress who deny climate change, about its support for Alec, or about funding of the Idso seminar.

“I don’t believe we underwrite specific Alec functions, and, as should be abundantly clear from my past statements to you, we believe climate change is real and warrants action, we’re taking steps to address it, which I’ve also provided you voluminous detail on, and we don’t embrace the views of those who deny climate change or think it isn’t a serious matter,” Keil wrote in an email.

He went on: “Because The Guardian has abandoned objective journalism and has a clear agenda regarding climate change, it can no longer be trusted to do the job its readers have a right to expect, which is to provide accurate and unbiased coverage on this important topic.”

Corporate funding of climate denial is seen as a major barrier to US action on climate change – and dividing the US from Europe in addressing global warming.

“If Exxon was very clear about this, it would be a big help,” said Jeff Sachs, president of the Earth Institute and an adviser to the United Nations on climate change. “If this is what they believe, they ought to make it known and they ought to make it known very publicly because we have the entire Republican party in denial and fighting tooth and nail every step of the way against reasonable action. Exxon could make a very big difference.”

Sen. Roger Wicker

MS

"Science shows that there is an increase of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. But it has not been compellingly proven that mankind is responsible for the rise in atmospheric CO2, nor is it clear what impact CO2 has on Earth’s temperatures."[source]

==

, "Both senators from eight states of the 'Toxic 20' states -- Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama and Mississippi -- supported a resolution by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., to repeal the health-protective mercury and air toxics standard."

==

dropped out of truth squad?

Roger F. Wicker, a Republican, has represented the state of Mississippi in the U.S. Senate since December 2007 upon former Sen. Lott's resignation. Wicker was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995-2007.

Record and controversies

General information about important bills and votes for can be found in Congresspedia's articles on legislation. You can add information you find on how Roger Wicker voted by clicking the "[edit]" link to the right and typing it in. Remember to cite your sources!

Iraq War

Wicker voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.^[1]

For more information see the chart of U.S. House of Representatives votes on the Iraq War.

Environmental record

For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Defense earmark

In 2007 Wicker obtained $6 million in earmarks for defense contractor Aurora Flight Science whose executives donated over $13,000 in 2006 to his campaign. Additionally, Aurora was represented by Wicker's former congressional chief of staff, John Keast. In April 2005 Aurora flew the congressman, Kearst, and another staffer on a private jet to a ribbon cutting of a manufacturing facility that opened in Wicker's Mississippi district one month after Aurora chief executive John Langford made his first contribution to Wicker.^[2]

Kearst registered to represent Aurora days after leaving Wicker's office and joining the lobbying firm Cornerstone Government Affairs in 2006. Wicker submitted the earmark request less than two months after the one-year cooling off period during which Kearst was barred from lobbying Wicker on Aurora's behalf. A spokeswoman for Aurora said that another lobbyist at the firm, Dan Fleming, took the lead in helping to obtain the federal funding.^[3]

Wicker said he saw no problem with earmarking money to Aurora. The junior senator said the money was meant to speed development of a new, unmanned aircraft that would fly for days at high altitudes, a military tool that would also created jobs in his home state. "The long and short of it is, Aurora is putting out a good product in return for these federal expenditures. it clearly passes any cost-benefit test," Wicker said. He also noted that he had been working with Aurora before Kearst left and that it is one of several companies that had donated money to him and benefited from defense appropriations when he was on the Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Defense. A spokesman for the Army command, John Cummings, said "It's a congressional add. It was not requested. It wasn't in the president's budget. Anything that comes in above that means it has not been requested by us."^[4]

Bio

Background

Wicker was born on July 5, 1951 in Pontotoc, Mississippi. He attended Pontotoc High School where he served as a Congressional page for Congressman Jamie Whitten. Wicker received a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Journalism from Ole Miss in 1973. He also earned his J.D. from the University of Mississippi in 1975. Following his education, Wicker served in the U.S. Air Force from 1976-1980 and attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel. He served as an Air Force Reservist until 2004. From 1980 to 1982 Wicker worked for Trent Lott on the House Rules Committee before returning to Mississippi to be the Lee County public defender.

Roger served in the Mississippi State Senate from 1987 to 1994, representing a district that included Tupelo.

Congressional career

In 1994, Democrat Jamie Whitten, who had represented the 1st District for 54 years, declined to seek re-election, and Wicker triumphed in the Republican primary. In the general election, Wicker defeated Fulton attorney Bill Wheeler, capturing 63 percent of the vote, making him the first Republican to represent the 1st District in over a century. The large victory margin was not surprising, since the 1st had been increasingly friendly to Republicans since the 1960s even though Democrats still have a substantial majority of registered voters. It has supported the official Democratic candidate for President only once since 1956.

In the subsequent five re-election campaigns, Wicker has cruised to re-election. Most recently, in 2004, he was reelected with 71 percent of the vote. He is currently a Deputy Majority Whip.

2006 elections

In 2006, the Democrats nominated James Kenneth Hurt to face Wicker in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006) [1] Wicker retained his seat.

Senate appointment

Gov.**Haley Barbour**appointed Wicker as Senator Lott's successor on December 31, 2007. The appointment by Barbour on the last day of the year was to prevent the need for a special election. In the announcement, Barbour said that "Congressman Roger Wicker made an enormous difference as Mississippi sought unprecedented federal assistance after Hurricane Katrina. Senator Cochran rightly gets first credit for leading the fight for our state in the Senate, but Congressman Wicker was indispensable in our prevailing in the House." Wicker would still need to run for re-election in 2008.^[5]

Special election

Barbour had set November 4 as the date for a special election to choose Lott's successor, but Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood filed a complaint that the governor has exceeded his constitutional authority. Hinds County Circuit Judge Bobby DeLaughter ruled on January 15, 2008 in Hood's favor. Barbour said the final decision would be made by the Mississippi Supreme Court.^[6]

Money in politics

This section contains links to – and feeds from – money in politics databases. cid=N00003280&cycle=2006

• Revolving door profile for Roger Wicker from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
• 2006 privately funded travel profile for Roger Wicker from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.
• Personal finance profile for Roger Wicker from the Center for Responsive Politics' OpenSecrets.org website.

Committees and affiliations

Committees

• House Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Defense
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, Ranking Member

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

• House Appropriations Committee
• House Budget Committee

Caucuses and coalitions

• National Republican Policy Committee, 2001
• Congressional Human Rights Caucus
• Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus
• House Task Force for a Drug-Free America
• Co-Chair, Interstate 69 Caucus
• National Republican Congressional Committee
• Tennessee Valley Authority Congressional Caucus

Boards and other affiliations

• Community Development Foundation
• Chair of the Deacons, First Baptist Church
• Former Vice-President, Lions Club
• National Guard and Reserve Components Congressional Members Organization
• Rural Health Care Coalition

More background data

• Background information on Roger Wicker from Project Vote Smart

• Interest group scorecard ratings for Roger Wicker from Project Vote Smart

• Voting record for Roger Wicker from the Washington Post database

• Information on Roger Wicker from Congress Merge

Wikipedia also has an article on Roger Wicker. This article may use content from the Wikipedia article under the terms of the GFDL.

===

First Elected:1994

Leadership PAC (1): 

Responsibility & Freedom Work PAC

Career Fundraising

1989 - 2012 Total Receipts:	$13,977,537
1989 - 2012 Total Spent:	$11,650,997
Debts:	$0
Last Report:	Saturday, June 30, 2012

Top 5 Contributors, 1994 - 2012

...view more data

Top 5 Industries, 1994 - 2012

...view more data

Source of Funds

	Individual Contributions	$7,612,051	(54%)
	PAC Contributions	$5,301,090	(38%)
	Candidate self-financing	$0	(0%)
	Other	$1,064,396	(8%)