grothman, glenn Rep 4%
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NO MERRI
mofo splc chlorination covid qanon?
ALEC TAX $
https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/glenn-grothman
13 4% bump from non sedition? gt lakes, shark fin
Wisconsin, District 6
Phone: 202-225-2476
2020 Score
Lifetime Score
5%
3%
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RWW 5 26
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rww
04/03/2014
by
Wisconsin Republican state senator Glenn Grothman announced today that he is launching a primary challenge against US Rep. Tom Petri. [Update: On April 11, Petri announced that he would retire]. Grothman has higher national name recognition than your typical state lawmaker because of his record of making outrageous statements and pushing extremist positions. In honor of Grothman’s bid for federal office, we’ve collected ten highlights from his time in the Wisconsin legislature.
1. Claims women earn less because “money is more important for men.”
When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker repealed the states equal pay law, Grothman explained pay dispartiesby saying, “You could argue that money is more important for men. I think a guy in their first job, maybe because they expect to be a breadwinner someday, may be a little more money-conscious. To attribute everything to a so-called bias in the workplace is just not true.”
2. Advocates for seven-day work weeks.
This year, Grothman has pushed to undo a state law that requires businesses to give their employees at least one day off a week. Grothman also backed efforts to block paid sick leave requirementsand require state employees to work on Martin Luther King Day. In 2011, when protesters were occupying the state capitol in protest of Gov. Walkers’ union-busting laws, Grothman called the protesters “a bunch slobs” and “college students having a fun party.”
3. Worries gays are using sex-ed classes for recruitment.
After Wisconsin passed a comprehensive sex education bill in 2010 in an effort to combat a growing rate of STIs among teenagers, Grothman told a reporter that the sex ed classes would be used to recruit kids into homosexuality.
“Did people even know what homosexuality was in high school in 1975?” he asked. “I don't remember any discussion about that at the time. There were a few guys who would make fun of a few effeminate boys, but that's a different thing than homosexuality…Homosexuality was not on anybody's radar. And that's a good thing.”
He added: “Why sit down with 7th graders and say to some you will be heterosexual, some homosexual? Part of that agenda which is left unsaid is that some of those who throw it out as an option would like it if more kids became homosexuals.”
4. Warns of a “war” on white men.
In a 2010 speech to a Tea Party rally warned, “in a lot of ways, I’m afraid our country is in the process of committing suicide” through welfare, diversity, and a “war on men.” In particular, he was upset about businesses making an effort to hire “gals”: “In this country, can we continue to exist if we have a government that is actively discouraging businesses from hiring men? Our country is not going to survive if we continue this war on men.” In a 2009 press releaseon diversity programs at the University of Wisconsin, he asked, “Does the university hate white men?”
5. Wants to classify single parenthood as child abuse.
In 2012, Grothman introduced a bill that would have required state agencies to list single parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse. He later claimed that single mothers scheme to have children out of wedlockand are “trained” to say that their pregnancies are unintended. He wrote in a newsletter the same year that “the Left and the social welfare establishment want children born out of wedlock because they are far more likely to be dependent on the government.”
6. Thinks low-income people are fleecing taxpayers.
In the same newsletter, Grothman writes that he “frequently” hears store clerks say that “the people on food stamps eat more generously than people not on food stamps…some may say this is harsh, but we cannot continue to have the single mom buy food that the married clerk at the food store could not afford.”
He also reported complaints that “sometimes apartments available with Section 8 vouchers are superior to apartments people pay for themselves as well as boyfriends illegally staying in these apartments.”
7. Champions voter suppression.
Grothman was the chief sponsor of a bill to limit early voting and prohibit weekend votingin Wisconsin, a direct assault on turnout efforts in Democratic-leaning districts. Grothman also proposed a measure to weaken campaign finance reporting requirements and another to make it more difficult for the elderly to seek assistance in voting, and even tried to end same-day voter registration in the state, which in 2012 had the nation’s second-highest turnout rate.
Last year, Grothman co-sponsored a bill that would weaken local courts that had ruled against voter suppression measures. He supported a state voter ID law in 2012, which he admitted he thought would help Romney “in a close race” and implied that voters without ID probably didn’t want to vote anyway. After the election, he claimed that President Obama and Sen. Tammy Baldwin both won their elections due to fraud.
8. Opposes water sanitation.
National Journalreports that “in 2011, Grothman sponsored a bill to do away with municipal water disinfection. For context: in 1993, a Cryptosporidium outbreak in the Milwaukee area's water supply led to the deaths of at least 69 people.”
9. Thinks Planned Parenthood is targeting Asian Americans.
In an interview last year, Grothman called Planned Parenthood“the most racist organization” in the country and suggested that it was “aggressively promoting” sex-selective abortions to Asian Americans. Last year, Grothman backed Planned Parenthood funding cuts that closed four clinics in Wisconsin. This year, he is sponsoring several bills meant to restrict access to abortion.
10. Will not abide by Kwanzaa.
Grothman issued a press release last year declaring that “Almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa -- just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people's throats in an effort to divide Americans.”
On the Watchlist
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e and e
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House Republicans blast OSHA heat rule
By Ariel Wittenberg | 05/16/2025
The proposed regulation would force employers to provide workers with water and a cool place to rest when temperatures climb.
House Republicans and industry representatives on Thursday slammed a federal plan to protect workers from heat — and said the proposed regulation would be too onerous for employers to follow.
The draft rule, released last summer by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, would require employers to provide workers with water and a cool place to rest when the heat index hits 80 degrees. When combined heat and humidity reached 90 degrees, the proposal would require 15-minute paid rest breaks for all employees after two hours.
But Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections said the proposal’s “one-size-fits-all” approach to heat illness prevention ignored the diversity of workplaces the proposal would apply....$
Climatewire
House Republicans blast OSHA heat rule
By Ariel Wittenberg | 05/16/2025 06:15 AM EDT
...
“It’s the type of thing that causes people to hate government, right?” Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) said.
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5 26 see below older Glenn Grothman - Wikipedia
committee assignments
- Committee on the Budget
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Joint Economic Committee
Caucus memberships
- Republican Study Committee[16]
- Second Amendment Caucus
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption[17]
- Congressional Taiwan Caucus[18]
- Congressional Motorcycle Caucus[19]
- Rare Disease Caucus[20]
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duck
The Capital Times
Plain Talk: For Glenn Grothman, the 'Marxists' — not QAnon — are the ...
Grothman, a proud member of the Donald Trump-worshipping wing of the Republican Party, was a guest on the Feb. 7 WKOW-TV Sunday morning talk show, " Capital City Sunday," in which host A.J. Bayatpour asked him about President Joe Biden's stimulus package and about his votes not to punish conspiracy theorist and 9/11 denier Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Media Matters for America
QAnon, Plandemic, and the right-wing media's conspiracy theory spiral
During a hearing earlier this month, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) questioned whether Mikovits should give testimony to Congress to provide a less "gung-ho" perspective on potential coronavirus ...
Wikipedia
- The Hill
https://thehill.com › homenews › house › 4721685-wisconsin-republican-defends-trump › mlite
Wisconsin Republican defends Trump: 'There was nothing I found offensive'
Jun 14, 2024Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) defended former President Trump after reporting surfaced that he called Milwaukee a "horrible city" in a closed-door meeting with Republicans earlier Thursday. "W…
Raw Story
https://www.rawstory.com › glenn-grothman-voter-fraud
'No, we don't have evidence': GOP lawmaker makes admission on his ...
Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI) admitted that he had no evidence of his claims of voting fraud regarding federal elections.During a Thursday appearance on C-SPAN's Washington Journal program, callers ..
peoplefor.org
Wisconsin GOP House Candidate Glenn Grothman's 10 Most Outrageous ...
- Opposes water sanitation. National Journal reports that "in 2011, Grothman sponsored a bill to do away with municipal water disinfection. For context: in 1993, a Cryptosporidium outbreak in the Milwaukee area's water supply led to the deaths of at least 69 people." 9. Thinks Planned Parenthood is targeting Asian Americans.
OnTheIssues.org
https://www.ontheissues.org › House › Glenn_Grothman.htm
Glenn Grothman on the Issues
Glenn Grothman on the Issues on Glenn Grothman; House of Representatives issue stances; Tired of media reports of fundraising and poll results instead of policy issues? At OnTheIssues.org, you can see the view of every candidate on every issue.
VICE
https://www.vice.com › en › article › why-are-governments-putting-fluoride-in-our-water-sheeple
A Deep Dive into the Conspiracy Theory That Governments Are ... - VICE
If you dig into why water fluoridation began, you find a convoluted, suspicious mess. According to the conspiracy theory, the name of the company with the biggest profit to be made from water ...
Food and Drug Administration (.gov)
Salon.com
Why anti-fluoride conspiracy theories have persisted for over 70 years
Sep 13, 2022There are some conspiracy theories that defy traditional ideological classification, and the anti-fluoride theories are among the oldest that still have currency. Though it is well-established ...
AN 2 25
During President Donald Trump's first month back in the White House, many right-wing media outlets — from Fox News and its sister channel Fox Business to Newsmax TV — aggressively championed his policies, including mass layoffs at a wide range of federal government agencies.
Trump's alliance with SpaceX/Tesla/X.com CEO Elon Musk, who heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), receives plenty of favorable coverage at Fox News. And the most controversial members of Trump's administration are being championed in right-wing media.
But the Washington Post's Philip Bump, in his February 24 column, stresses that Republican politicians are running into a disconnect between right-wing media coverage and public responses to Trump's policies.
READ MORE:[We've reached the moment of maximum peril for our nation and our freedoms
For example, Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wisconsin) — who won reelection by 22 percent in his district — was "booed upon his arrival at a town hall event near Oshkosh" on Friday, February 21. Many attendees were angry over the Trump Administration/DOGE layoffs.
"Why the divide? Unquestionably in part because Trump supporters exist in a disinformation bubble, to paraphrase a prominent foreign leader," Bump explains. "They don't see it that way, of course; in their view, their news diet represents an escape from falsehoods propagated by left-leaning elites. But the falsity of that framing is easily demonstrated."
Grothman and other GOP lawmakers who are being booed at town hall events, according to Bump, "often spend most of their lives within the right-wing media universe, where Trump and Musk are treated with fervently policed admiration."
"That Republican legislators are now facing complaints from constituents is a reminder of the limits of the extent of the right's propaganda machine," Bump argues. "The mechanism Watters celebrates may reaches millions of people, but tens of millions of people voted against Trump in November despite that. Most Americans reject the idea that firing hundreds of thousands of government employees is necessary to fight waste and fraud."
READ MORE:**Revealed: Emboldened terrorists 'quickly rebuilding' as MAGA takes over the DOJ**
*Philip Bump's full Washington Post column is available at this link (subscription required).
===
021427Supporting Tribal Management of BisonWildlife, Environmental Justice, Public Lands/Forests
2021385Transformative Climate, Jobs, and Justice Investments (2x Score)Climate Change, Air, Clean Energy, Environmental Justice, Transportation, Public Lands/Forests, Water, Other
2021385Transformative Climate, Jobs, and Justice InvestmentsClimate Change, Air, Clean Energy, Drilling, Environmental Justice, Public Lands/Forests, Transportation, Water, Other
2021379Censuring Paul GosarJustice and Democracy
2021272Taking Action on PFAS ContaminationToxics/Public Right to Know
2021260Restoring the Voting Rights ActJustice and Democracy
2021247Pro-Environment Funding PackageOther, Climate Change, Clean Energy, Clean Air, Clean Water, Environmental Justice
2021217Protecting People from PFASToxics/Public Right to Know; Water
2021208Investing in Transportation and Water InfrastructureClimate Change, Transportation, Water, Clean Energy, Environmental Justice
2021206Building Climate-resilient Wastewater InfrastructureWater, Climate Change
2021201Investing in Climate-Smart and Pro-Wildlife InfrastructureTransportation, Climate Change, Wildlife
2021196Removing Confederate Statues from the U.S. CapitolLands/Forests, Justice and Democracy
2021185Repealing Assault on Methane Pollution SafeguardsClimate Change, Dirty Energy
2021169Corporate Climate Risk Disclosure RequirementsClimate Change; Other
2021145Increasing Awareness and Reporting of Hate CrimesOther, Justice and Democracy
2021132Washington, D.C. StatehoodJustice and Democracy
202191Protecting Dreamers and Immigrants Fleeing DisastersJustice and Democracy, Other
202170Protecting the Rights of Workers to OrganizeOther, Justice and Democracy
202162Voting Rights and Democracy ReformsJustice and Democracy
202145Protecting Public Lands and Waters Across the WestPublic Lands/Forests
202117Impeachment for Incitement of InsurrectionJustice and Democracy
202111Certifying Pennsylvania’s Electoral VotesJustice and Democracy
202110Certifying Arizona’s Electoral VotesJustice and Democracy
2020242Phasing Out Harmful Fishing GearOceans, Wildlife
2020203Increasing Funding for Renewable Energy Research & DevelopmentClean Energy, Climate
2020182Protecting the U.S. Postal ServiceJustice and Democracy
2020166Pro-Environment Funding PackageOther, Environmental Justice, Water, Dirty Energy, Drilling, Lands/Forests
2020164Slashing EPA FundingOther, Water, Air, Environmental Justice
2020163Blocking Trump’s Inadequate Soot StandardAir, Environmental Justice
2020156Removing Confederate Statues from the U.S. CapitolOther
...2020
155Great American Outdoors ActLands/Forests
2020147Protecting the Grand Canyon and Colorado’s public landsPublic Lands/Forests, Dirty Energy
2020142Maintaining Suspension of Nuclear Weapons TestingDirty Energy
2020138Investing in Climate-Ambitious InfrastructureClimate Change, Clean Energy, Transportation, Water, Environmental Justice
2020136Eliminating Lead Service Lines to Protect Public HealthWater, Environmental Justice
2020135Harming Workers by Rolling Back Wage ProtectionsOther
2020122Washington D.C. StatehoodJudiciary, Justice and Democracy
2020109Heroes Act COVID-19 Relief PackageOther
202069Protecting Wilderness Across the WestLands/Forests
202054Emergency and Climate Disaster Aid for Puerto RicoClimate Change
202050Protecting the Rights of Workers to OrganizeOther
202036Great Lakes Restoration InitiativeWater
202013Protecting People from PFAS PollutionToxics/Public Right to Know; Water
202011Closing the PFAS Clean Water LoopholeToxics/Public Right to Know, Water
2019701USMCA Trade DealClimate Change, Other
2019666Attack on Marine Mammal Protections from Harmful Air Gun BlastingWildlife, Oceans, Drilling
2019654Protecting the Right to VoteOther, Justice and Democracy
2019634Shark Finning BanOceans, Wildlife
2019609Protecting Colorado's Public LandsLands/Forests
2019602Protecting the Grand Canyon from Toxic Uranium MiningDirty Energy, Lands/Forests
2019597Protecting Chaco Canyon from Oil and Gas DevelopmentDirty Energy, Drilling, Lands/Forests
2019530Restoring Protections for the Arctic RefugeDirty Energy, Lands/Forests, Drilling
2019525Banning Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific OceansDirty Energy, Drilling, Oceans
2019521Stopping Future Drilling in the Eastern Gulf of MexicoDirty Energy, Drilling, Oceans
2019408Pro-Environment Funding BillClimate Change, Lands/Forests, Clean Energy
2019395Preserving the Mercury & Air Toxics StandardsClean Air, Toxics/Public Right to Know
2019390Eliminating EPA's Chemical Hazard Assessment Program, IRISToxics/Public Right to Know, Clean Water, Clean Air
2019385Methane Pollution SafeguardsClimate Change, Dirty Energy, Drilling
2019384Halting Oil Drilling in the Arctic RefugeDrilling, Dirty Energy, Lands/Forests, Wildlife
2019383Blocking the EPA from Reducing Carbon PollutionClimate Change
https://podtail.com/en/podcast/drilled/the-anti-esg-campaign-gets-a-boost-from-raga/
no lnx
The Anti-ESG Campaign Gets a Boost from RAGA - Transcripts
June 13, 2023
Ever since the Securities and Exchange Commission announced its intention to make Environmental Social and Governance metrics actually mean something to investors, polluting industries have suddenly turned on ESG. Now that fight has a legal strategy, being carried out by the Republican Attorneys General Association.
Transcript: https://www.steno.ai/drilled/the-anti-esg-campaign-gets-a-boost-from-raga
Hello and welcome back to Drilled, I'm Amy Westervelt. We've talked before on this show about the growing backlash against taking environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, factors into consideration when it comes to investing. The watchdog group Documented first revealed last year that state treasurers were getting in on the action, kicking woke investment firms likeBlackRock out of their states. Back then I wondered when the attorneys general would show up to join the fray, and now sure enough, they are here. The Republican Attorneys General Association, RAGA, our old favorite, has come to play in the anti-ESG space. But first, a quick reminder, why all this upset about ESG all of a sudden in the first place? Good question. For a really long time, oil companies actually kind of loved ESG. It was all very loose and self-reported, and it gave them a way to unlock so-called green capital. But in 2021, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the SEC, looked around and went, huh, there are all these different SEG ratings, and some of them seem a little scammy, and no one knows what these disclosures even really mean. These are the kinds of things it's our job to clean up. So we are going to provide formal guidance on climate risk disclosure.
And that is when you start to see corporate interests, fossil fuel companies, and right-wing politicians lose their minds over ESG. Because all of a sudden, they couldn't just write whatever they wanted to in a report, they might have to actually disclose what their real climate risks are.
Speaker 5 00:02:16
Here is Jesse Coleman withDocumented. I think that a lot of this, both the legislative side, this legal strategy, the strategy of using state treasurers to pressure asset managers into attack climate disclosure, all of this is really mostly aimed at SEC scope three emissions disclosure requirements coming, you know, supposedly coming soon
Speaker 4 00:02:43
in the next couple of months, even. Wait, sorry, I'm gonna pause to define scope three. That means how your product's actually being used, not how you're making it, which is a big deal for especially heavy polluting industries
Speaker 5 00:02:58
like oil and gas companies, for example. Yeah, yeah, it's a really big deal. Whereas ESG, having a non-standardized ESG disclosure is no big deal to a major company. The SEC coming and saying, how much carbon emissions are you really responsible for? Not just, you know, what you're claiming you're responsible for, but if you're an oil company, for example, how much carbon are you actually putting in the atmosphere from everything that you've gotten from underground? What is your real impact? And that is a really big deal. It's probably one of the biggest climate policy issues in play right now. So, you know, in my opinion, a lot of this anti-ESG stuff, which doesn't make a lot of sense on its face, you know, these state bills that have passed in some states and been introduced in a ton of states, the actual thing that those bills are gonna do, they're not gonna have a really big impact. And sort of this antitrust stuff is very similar in the sense that, you know, the claims are kind of weak and it's hard to say exactly what the impact is gonna be specifically. But at the same time, it's building up all of this pressure and it's building up all of this political inertia that is all aimed at opposing, disclosing climate emissions. And that's what this SEC rule would do when it comes out, is that it would require publicly traded companies to disclose those emissions.
So, you know, in my opinion,
that's the real goal, is to keep that from happening. You may have heard Jesse mention there the words antitrust. That is where the Republican Attorney's General Association comes into the picture. Back in June, 2021, a guy named Jason Isaac, who spearheads the Texas Public Policy Foundation's work on energy, went to a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC, with an idea for a legal strategy that he thought could take ESG down.
Speaker 7 00:05:04
Documented shared audio from that meeting with us. Yes, so earlier, a couple months ago,our state affairs committee voted nine to nothing. So, broad bipartisan support, every single member voted in support to give the committee subpoena authority.
Speaker 6 00:05:16
So, they have sent out a couple months ago,
Speaker 7 00:05:24
our state some paper documents to find out where this collusion is happening. We anticipate truckloads of documents being delivered. And so, we look forward to the Texas Public Policy Foundation to going through those meticulously, because we believe that there is, and we actually partner with C. Boyden Gray, Boyden Gray Associates law firm out of Washington, D.C. Corporate collusion, liability risk for the ESG agenda to charge higher fees and rig the market. We believe that there's antitrust violations. This is really kind of geared towards our attorneys general to lay the foundation for antitrust violations on this corporate collusion. Find out the connections with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for net zero, which has over, I think, $100 trillion under managed assets in there. And there are the connections with the glad zero, this Paris Accord, which is net zero. So, I hope our committee gets a ton of paper back
Speaker 1 00:06:23
from these large financial institutions.
Speaker 7 00:06:28
Hope our committee gets in the courts and our attorneys generalaround the country filed antitrust violations.
Speaker 4 00:06:34
So, yeah, cartels colluding for decarbonization.What the hell is he talking about here?We're gonna try to answer that question right after this quick break. And we're back. So, after COP26 in Glasgow, insurers and asset managers, both formed groups focused on ESG. In both cases, these firms were saying, look, all sorts of environmental and social factors can impact our bottom line, and we would like to know what those risks might be so we can factor that into our decision-making around what to ensure and what to invest in. But according to Isaac, these firms talking to each other, issuing joint statements about what kind of information they'd like to see from companies, that's colluding to rig the market. In the wake of that 2021 ALEC meeting you heard Isaac talking at before, not only did Texas continue with the investigation Isaac mentioned, but Arizona Attorney General, Mark Bernovich, opened an investigation into ESG investing. And Raga coordinated a letter to various asset managers and politicians with more than a dozen attorneys general signed on, stating their concern that ESG investing might actually be an antitrust violation.
Speaker 5 00:08:13
Here's Jesse Coleman again. We started to see some of the bright lights of the Republican Attorneys General Association file various kinds of legal attacks on ESG issues, whether that's going directly after asset managers and asking them questions about their net zero commitments, or that's going directly after ratings agencies
Speaker 4 00:08:38
and saying that you're boycotting fossil fuels. And they seem to have coalesced around this idea of painting ESG as some sort of corporate collusion, you know, building an antitrust case. Can you explain what the thinking is there,
what they're trying to prove?
The allegation is that a lot of large asset managers get together in a shadowy cabal and they plan to collude to reduce carbon emissions. The reason these groups are alleging antitrust violations is that antitrust violations are very scary to companies. If a jury finds you guilty of an antitrust violation, it's very expensive. And it's a pretty hard bar to meet. And most experts are saying that the antitrust allegations that are coming from these people that are opposing climate policy, they probably don't have a leg to stand on, but a lot like slap suits and other kinds of legal tools that are used to silence people, just defending against the antitrust allegation is very, very expensive. So, you know, you see companies really backing away from participation in these kind of global groups that are trying to address climate emissions and trying to address investment
10:08
in the fossil fuel industry by large asset managers. In 2022, Alec once again held a meeting with a session on how to handle ESG at the state level. And again, the antitrust strategy was front and center. This time, Isaac was in the room cheering on new proponents of the strategy, including Will Hild with Consumers Research, which is funded by former Federalist Society President Leonard Leo, Paul Watkins, who used to work in the Arizona Attorney General's office and now runs an outfit called Fusion Law, advising on these sorts of strategies. Andy Puzder, former CEO of the Food Conglomerate that is home to Wendy's and Hardee's, and Catherine Gonzalez with the Heritage Foundation. Puzder kicked things off by comparing ESG investors
11:03
to, not kidding here, the Nazis. I wanna tell you, ESG investing is socialism in sheep's clothing. I mean, this is the challenge of your generation. My father's generation's challenge was the Nazis, who, by the way, were, of course, very proud socialists. The challenge of my generation was the communists, who were, of course, very committed socialists. The challenge of your generation is ESG investing, and it's more insidious than communism or the Nazis. It's the thing they're doing it. So ESG, Environmental Social and Governance. Like, how bad could that be, right? It sounds so innocuous, but it's a ruse. It's a ruse to conceal the fact that it's a direct threat to our founding principles.
11:53
It's a threat to our democracy. How bad could that be, right?
Speaker 4 00:11:55
It's a threat to our democracy.
Speaker 6 00:12:02
Hild and Watkins kept it focused on the litigation strategy. They get in rooms and they talk about they're gonna set a policy across the market. Now, it's been a while since I was in law school,
but when I was there, that was antitrust 101. And that's why you see U.S. senators saying this is potentially criminal antitrust liability.
Speaker 4 00:12:22
You see AG saying that they're going to investigate. And again,I have yet to speak with a single legal expert who thinks that this strategy could actually win in court. But like we said before, that is not necessarily the point. It's already having a chilling effect on investment firms and insurance companies in these net zero groups. And now that Republicans have control of the House, it's the focus of a series of oversight committee hearings too. The first one happened back in May and featured the attorneys general of Utah and Alabama as witnesses.
Speaker 1 00:13:00
Here'sSean Reyes, attorney general of Utah. But ever since the signing of the Paris Agreement, there's been anopen conspiracy to bypass Congress using the power of horizontal agreements by key players in our financial system. Some of these groups are Climate Action 100, the Glasgow Alliance for Net Zero, which include the largest asset managers, banks and insurance companies globally. These horizontal organizations seek to use their collective market power over tens of trillions in assets
to force burdensome changes on American companies.
amy: The Democrats witnessed during this hearing, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs gave a great and completely non-climate related example
of where ESG can safeguard profits. The more data we as investors have, the better informed our decisions are when selecting investments over the long term. ESG is about looking at a wider range of risks and value opportunities that could have a material financial impact on investment performance. For example, if you're investing in apharmaceutical company, it's thinking about whether that company has exposure to massive lawsuits because of its role in the opioid epidemic. Our approach is to integrate material ESG factors into investment decisions along with many other considerations. We are not ignoring traditional financial factors like profitability and credit worthiness. We are integrating more data into our decisions
to give us a better idea of risk and growth prospects. Frerichs also pointed out that limiting the information investors can get about the companies they're investing in
is the exact opposite of a free market idea. This pushback is anti-free market and anti-investor. It is misleading and it is harmful. It harms retirement savers, pensioners, working people, businesses, and it harms America. This coordinated campaign is focused on ESG investing. Most people don't know what ESG is. ESG is data. ESG is simply additional information that investment professionals use to assess risk and return prospects. It is about value, not about values. In order to maximize returns, an investor must be able to manage and mitigate risk. The more data we as investors have, the better informed our decisions are when selecting investments over the long term. ESG is about looking at a wider range of risks and value opportunities.
It could have a material financial impact
on investment performance. Last week, the House Oversight Committee held its second hearing on this subject,
calling on none other than Jason Isaac himself to testify. I'm Jason Isaac. I'm the director of LifePowered, a national initiative of the Texas Public Policy Foundation to raise America's energy IQ. And I live a high carbon lifestyle. And I think the rest of the world should too. That's why I refer to the ESG agenda as the China ESG agenda. It does very little to help Americans. It does everything to help the Chinese Communist Party. And again, making energy expensive, scarce and government controlled. This body, the United States Congress has not ratified the Paris Treaty. It is not the law of the land here in the United States, butto force an American entrepreneur to admit that his company will comply with that
is just mind blowing to me.
Whether the committee will hold a third hearing remains to be seen. I'm not sure the anti-ESG bench of experts rolls that deep. Plus, while these ideas might get folks at an ALEC meeting riled up, they're remarkably unpopular with American voters, including the majority of Republican voters. New Mexico rep Melanie Stansberry
made that point at last week's hearing. What I find particularly strange about this conversation is that over 63% of American voters actually oppose, directly oppose, any kind of government interference in investing strategies. And the vast majority of Republicans oppose it as well. And when you look at the bigger picture, when you look at what the American people are actually asking Congress to do, asking businesses in the private sector to do, almost 70% of Americans are in support of actions to address climate change,
to transition to a clean energy economy. Whether the SEC will be swayed by the antitrust argument remains to be seen.
That's it for this week. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next time. Drilled is an original critical frequency production. Our producer is Sarah Ventre. Sound design, mixing, and mastering are by Peter Duff, who also wrote our original score. Our first amendment attorney is James Wheatman at the First Amendment Project. And the show is reported, written, and hosted by me, Amy Westervelt.
==
https://newrepublic.com/article/172636/esg-house-oversight-conspiracy
may 11 no lnx
QANON REBOOT
Republicans Are Truly Losing Their Minds Over ESG
Right-wingers at a House Oversight Committee hearing Tuesday insisted this boring investment strategy is some kind of global conspiracy.
Steve Marshall speaks at a podium in front of the Supreme Court building.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, who testified at Tuesday’s hearing on ESG, speaks to members of the press in October 2022.
On Tuesday, the House Oversight Committee convened a hearing on environmental, social, and governance, or ESG, investing criteria. For over a year now, Republicans have been trying to turn this obscure three-letter acronym into a full-fledged culture war.So far, the right has expressed its complaints about ESG via a word salad whose components don’t share much of a relationship either to reality or one another. This pattern persisted on Tuesday, when the word “cabal” was used at least three times in reference to allegedly “woke” investors.
ESG criteria, in reality, refer to the broad set of data that investors look at to determine a company’s impact on the world and the impact the world might have on it. In other words, it’s not just about whether a company is “good” according to some abstract set of values. It represents another way of factoring risk exposure into investment—something financiers have been doing for centuries.
“Elites from around the globe have formed alliances to coordinate together to implement woke climate policy.”
The two witnesses Republicans summoned to this week’s committee hearing weren’t economists or investment professionals, who might be familiar with these criteria or risk assessment in general, but attorneys general from Utah and Alabama, respectively: Sean Reyes and Steve Marshall. Whatever ESG actually means, to them and other anti-ESG crusaders, is mostly irrelevant. For those trying to understand their crusade, the hearing showed that it’s best to think of ESG as a canvas onto which the right projects its own plans and anxieties.
If you’ve heard of Marshall, it may well be because he’s spent considerable time since 2020 trying to overturn the results of that year’s presidential election, and shield other Republicans from accountability for spreading lies about it. Both he and Marshall joined fellow red states attorneys general in filing a brief with the Supreme Court supporting Trump’s claims about election fraud. Marshall, for his part, was serving as head of the Rule of Law Defense Fund that year, which sent out robocalls encouraging Trump supporters to flock to the Capitol on January 6.RLDF—whose donors include the Edison Electric Institution and the Judicial Crisis Network—is also a sister organization of the Republican Attorneys General Association, or RAGA, which Marshall was appointed chair of after continuing to deny, in 2022, that Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Generous RAGA donors have included Koch Industries, Chevron, Exxon, Fox, andTikTok. ProPublica recently reported that companies that initially withdrew funds from RAGA over its role in the January 6 attack are back, including Amazon, Walmart, and JPMorgan Chase’s PAC. Overall, RAGA revenues jumped 68 percent in 2022.
In his testimony, Marshall—who chairs a secretive organization pushing a clandestine political agenda through undemocratic means—accused a “cabal of global elites” of being “clearly connected through various alliances” to try to force an ESG agenda onto an unwilling public. Reyes similarly accused “woke investors” like Blackrock of being part of an “organized syndicate of pressure” that is engaged in an “open conspiracy to bypass Congress.” Answering big policy questions like decarbonization, he argued, “is the role of the people’s elected representatives in a democracy—including each of you in Congress, state elected officials, and local leaders—not unelected bureaucrats or foreign governments.”
In other words, someone who’s spent the last several years attempting to overturn the results of a democratic election took to the Capitol on Tuesday to accuse an ill-defined set of actors of trying to sidestep democracy by asking companies if climate-fueled droughts, floods, and fires (for instance) might have some impact on their operations.And while claiming only to want investors to adhere to fiduciary duty, Republicans failed to mention that much of Wall Street’s wariness around investing in new fossil fuel production has nothing to do with a “woke” agenda: Before the pandemic, energy companies on the S&P 500 were underperforming every other sector on that index, and had spent a decade lagging behind as they binged cash on rapid drilling through the shale boom. Its fortunes have changed in recent years, but investors and oil and gas industry managers themselves are urging modesty on exploration and production precisely so that they can make more money.
“People don’t like men. People don’t like people with a European background, that sort of thing.”
“Elites from around the globe have formed alliances to coordinate together to implement woke climate policy,” Marshall said in his opening statement. “These schemes undermine our system of government because unelected elites are making policy decisions outside of democratic processes.” The footnote on that sentence in his pre-written testimony references Consumers Research, which is funded by millions of dollars in undisclosed donations and advised by right-wing legal guru Leonard Leo.
Republicans on the committee responded enthusiastically to this opening salvo. Wisconsin Republican Glenn Grothman asked Marshall whether “ESG” might influence decisions over who companies hire or put on corporate boards. “Right now there’s certain disfavored groups in our society,” Grothman mused. “People don’t like men. People don’t like people with a European background, that sort of thing. Could this be something where you’re encouraging businesses not to hire or promote people from certain unfavored groups.” In a moment dripping with irony, Texas Representative Pete Sessions decried “activist government making decisions on behalf of free people” in service of his larger point, supporting efforts to limit financial institutions’ decision-making power—and even what kind of data can be made available to them—in order to curb the spread of ESG.
It would be a fool’s errand to try to find much coherence in the right’s screeds against supposedly woke investors—who don’t really seem to exist. But today’s Oversight hearing might have accidentally illustrateda good rule of thumb: Whatever Republicans accuse the “ESG movement” of doing is something they’re probably already doing themselves.
Kate Aronoff @KateAronoff
Kate Aronoff is a staff writer at The New Republic.
an 5 23
right-wing Republican members of the United States House of Representatives have drummed up an extensive list of excuses about why they oppose the deal struck by Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-California) and President Joe Biden to raise the debt ceiling.
The latest example came from Congressman Glenn Grothman (R-Wisconsin) late Tuesday afternoon when Grothman groused that the bill is too lenient toward economically disadvantaged Americans.
"They left low-income housing untouched. I think as far as discouraging work and discouraging marriage, I think low-income housing is even a more dangerous program than, uh, than the food stamps," Grothman asserted.
"So I'm including low-income housing in the mix of having work requirements. The amendment is drafted, just includes Section Eight housing, which is an error on my part cuz there are other low-income housings as well. But that's what we have before us," Grothman continued. "I would appreciate if you'd let that to the floor because I don't think our team fought on the low-income housing front at all."
Watch Grothman's remarks below or at this link.
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Top House Republicans are planning to threaten to shut down the U.S. Government by refusing to raise the debt ceiling next year in a scheme to force Democrats to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, should they win the House in November critics warn, pointing to a Bloomberg report.
“Social Security and Medicare eligibility changes, spending caps, and safety-net work requirements are among the top priorities for key House Republicans who want to use next year’s debt-limit deadline to extract concessions from Democrats,” Bloomberg Law reports. “The four Republicans interested in serving as House Budget Committee chairman in the next Congress said in interviews that next year’s deadline to raise or suspend the debt ceiling is a point of leverage if their party can win control of the House in the November midterm elections.”
U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), chair of the Joint Economic Committee Democrats, an advisory committee created by law, blasted House Republicans, warning they “plan to hold the U.S. economy hostage with the threat of a catastrophic default to try to force cuts to Social Security and Medicare.”
Aaron Fritschner, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Rep. Beyer tweeted: “House Republicans saying out loud that holding the debt limit hostage to demands for cuts to Social Security and Medicare is a ‘top priority.'”
“If Republicans regain control of Congress, they are planning to threaten a global financial meltdown if they don’t get their way on cutting Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” writes Media Matters for America’s senior fellow Matthew Gertz.
“If Republicans regain power, they are coming for your Social Security and Medicare,” he adds.
READ MORE: House Republicans Visited Trump After FBI Raid to Urge Him to Announce Run for President
“The Republican plan to fight inflation is to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” writes journalist and former Vox editor and co-founder Matthew Yglesias.
“Extreme MAGA Republican leaders openly threatening to cause economic catastrophe in order to achieve their dreams of slashing Medicare, Medicaid & Social Security,” is how Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s communications director, Henry Connelly, responds.
Images of House Budget Committee Republicans, from top, left to right: Jason Smith, Blake Moore, Tom McClintock, Glenn Grothmann, Lloyd Smucker, Michael Burgess.
3 22 trade vote ukraine
The vote was 424-8.
Here are the eight “no” votes – all from Republicans:
Lauren Boebert (CO)
Thomas Massie (KY)
Matt Gaetz (FL)
Andy Biggs (AZ)
Marjorie Taylor Greene (GA)
Dan Bishop (NC)
Chip Roy (TX)
Glenn Grothman (WI)
https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/glenn-s-grothman/summary?cid=N00036409
glenn S Grothman
Representative (R - WI)
- Budget
- Education and the Workforce
- Oversight and Government Reform
| Uline Inc | $11,600 | $11,600 | $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speed Systems Inc | $11,200 | $11,200 | $0 |
| Clos De La Tech | $5,800 | $5,800 | $0 |
| Continental Properties | $5,800 | $5,800 | $0 |
| Goldleaf Development | $5,800 | $5,800 | $0 |
Top Industries, 2021 - 2022
| Industry | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retired | $141,518 | $141,518 | $0 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $28,330 | $27,330 | $1,000 |
| Insurance | $17,495 | $7,995 | $9,500 |
| Beer, Wine & Liquor | $11,300 | $5,800 | $5,500 |
| Real Estate | $10,350 | $9,350 | $1,000 |
| line Inc | $21,200 | $21,200 | $0 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern Mutual | $20,250 | $8,250 | $12,000 |
| Koch Industries | $20,000 | $0 | $20,000 |
| Oshkosh Corp | $14,004 | $4,004 | $10,000 |
| Prosperity Action | $12,000 | $0 | $12,000 |
Top Industries, 2019 - 2020
| Industry | Total | Individuals | PACs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retired | $315,444 | $315,444 | $0 |
| Real Estate | $81,474 | $74,474 | $7,000 |
| Insurance | $73,938 | $30,165 | $43,773 |
| Misc Manufacturing & Distributing | $69,500 | $60,500 | $9,000 |
| Leadership PACs | $68,700 | $0 | $68,700 |
2020 top contrib
| Northwestern Mutual | $18,250 | $8,250 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Oshkosh Corp | $14,004 | $4,004 | $10,000 |
| 3 | Prosperity Action | $12,000 | $0 | $12,000 |
| 4 | **Uline Inc** | $11,200 | $11,200 | $0 |
| 5 | Marcus Foundation | $11,198 | $11,198 | $0 |
| 6 | **Western National Group** | $11,096 | $11,096 | $0 |
| 7 | Station Casinos | $10,976 | $10,976 | $0 |
| 8 | **Koch Industries** | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 9 | Majority Cmte PAC | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 10 | Brunswick Corp | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 11 | American Crystal Sugar | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 12 | Asian American Hotel Owners Assn | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 13 | **UBS AG** | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 14 | Thrivent Financial | $10,000 | $0 | $10,000 |
| 15 | Bk2 Holdings | $8,400 | $8,400 | $0 |
| 16 | Weimer Bearing & Transmission | $8,350 | $8,350 | $0 |
| 17 | Speed Systems Inc | $8,000 | $8,000 | $0 |
| 18 | American Bankers Assn | $7,750 | $250 | $7,500 |
| 19 | Continental Properties | $7,600 | $7,600 | $0 |
| 20 | Charter Communications | $7,500 | $0 | $7,50 |
wiki
Glenn S. Grothman /:{ˈɡroʊθmən:(style="border-bottom:1px dotted"):}:/ (born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. Representative from Wisconsin's 6th congressional district. He was first elected in 2014.
Grothman represented the 58th district in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 1993 until 2005 and was vice chair of the Assembly's Republican caucus from 1999 to 2004. He represented the 20th district in the Wisconsin Senate from 2005 to 2015, and was Assistant Majority Leader from 2011 to 2015.
Contents
- :{1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Early life and education:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Wisconsin legislature:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{2.1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Elections:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{2.2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Tenure:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{2.3:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{2011 Wisconsin budget protests:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{U.S. House of Representatives:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Elections:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.1.1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{2014:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.1.2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{2016:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.1.3:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{2018:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Committee assignments:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.3:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Caucus Memberships:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{3.1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Elections:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Political positions:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{4-year-old kindergarten:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Concealed carry:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.3:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Equal pay:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.4:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{LGBT rights:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.5:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Kwanzaa:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.6:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Martin Luther King Jr. Day:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.7:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Municipal water chlorination:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.8:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Raw milk:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.9:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Marriage:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.10:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Smoking:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.11:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Welfare reform:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{4.12:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Controversy:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{5:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Public image:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{6:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Personal life:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{7:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Electoral history:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{7.1:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Wisconsin Assembly, 59th district (1992–2000):(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{7.2:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Wisconsin Assembly, 59th district (2002):(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{7.3:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{Wisconsin Senate (2004, 2008, 2012):(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{7.4:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{U.S. House of Representatives (2014–2020):(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{8:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{References:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
- :{9:(style="display:table-cell;padding-left:0px;padding-right:0.5em"):}::{External links:(style="display:table-cell"):}:
Early life and education:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman graduated from Homestead High School in Mequon in 1973. In 1978, he graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a bachelor of business administration degree.[1] He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1983, was admitted to the bar, and became an attorney with a firm in West Bend, Wisconsin.
Wisconsin legislature:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Elections:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman was elected to the Wisconsin 58th Assembly District in a special election in December 1993, and was reelected five times, from 1994 to 2002. From 1999 to 2004, he was the Assembly Majority Caucus Vice Chair.
In 2004, Grothman ran for the state senate seat in the 20th district, challenging State Senate Majority Leader Mary Panzer in the Republican primary. The district included the city of West Bend, other parts of Washington County, and parts of Fond du Lac, Dodge, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee Counties.
Running well to Panzer's right,[2] Grothman won the nomination with 79% of the vote to Panzer's 21%.[3] He was unopposed in the general election in the heavily Republican district,[4] and reelected in 2008 and 2012.
Tenure:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
From 2007 to 2008, Grothman was the Senate Minority Caucus Chair. He became the assistant Republican leader in 2009, serving as assistant minority leader from 2009 to 2010 and as assistant majority leader from 2011 to 2015.[1]
Grothman was a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
2011 Wisconsin budget protests:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Further information: 2011 Wisconsin budget protests
Grothman was a vocal proponent of SB11, a controversial bill proposed by Governor Scott Walker in early 2011. He said he supported the so-called budget repair bill because it was fiscally responsible. In a press interview, he said he did not "find it impressive" that over 70,000 protesters had marched on the Capitol.[5]
During the protests, Grothman was cornered by almost 200 pro-union protesters yelling "Shame! Shame!" outside the Capitol. He said he was not concerned about violence at the time, adding, "They're loud, they'll give you the finger, and they yell at you, but I really think deep down inside they're just mostly college kids having fun, just like they're having fun sleeping with their girlfriends on air mattresses. That's the guts of that crowd." He also called the protesters "a different breed of person" and "a bunch of slobs taking up the building."[6][7]
During this time, Grothman advocated that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hire more business-friendly people. In doing so, he went out of his way to single out one University of Wisconsin campus as a target: "Maybe you look to hire those people who know what the real world is like, rather than a recent graduate from UW-Stevens Point who doesn't know what the real world is like." This was only days before he appeared at UW–Stevens Point with the Joint Finance Committee for a day of hearings on Walker's budget bill.[8]
Grothman was subject to a recall effort in the spring of 2011, but the effort failed, collecting only 75% of the required signatures.[9]
U.S. House of Representatives:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Elections:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
2014:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
See also: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin § District 6
On April 3, 2014, Grothman announced he would run in that year's Republican primary for Wisconsin's 6th congressional district against 17-term incumbent Tom Petri. He positioned himself well to Petri's right; in his campaign announcement he called Petri a "decent, genial person" who lacked the "sense of urgency" to put more curbs on "a federal government that seems to be out of control."[10] Grothman did not have to give up his state senate seat to run for Congress; state senators serve staggered four-year terms, and he was not up for reelection until 2016. Shortly after Grothman entered the race, Petri dropped out.
Grothman's longtime home in West Bend was in the 5th District, represented by Jim Sensenbrenner, but his state senate district included much of the southeastern part of the 6th congressional district. In the summer of 2014, Grothman moved to Campellsport, a suburb of Fond du Lac, which is in the 6th District.[11]
In the general election, Grothman defeated the Democratic nominee, Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris, with 57% of the vote to Harris's 41%.
2016:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
See also: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin § District 6
Grothman was reelected over Democratic nominee Sarah Lloyd, getting 57% of the vote to Lloyd's 37%.
2018:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin § District 6
Grothman was reelected over Democratic nominee Dan Kohl, getting 55.5% of the vote to Kohl's 44.5%.[12]
Committee assignments[
- Committee on the Budget
- Committee on Education and the Workforce
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Joint Economic Committee
Caucus Memberships:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Political positions[
The Washington Post has described Grothman as "a shambling, strident conservative with a Trumpian tell-it-like-it-is streak who typically votes with the House GOP leadership".[14] According to Axios in October 2020, Grothman had a "Trump Loyalty Index" – measuring both his congressional votes and public reaction to certain statements from President Donald Trump – of 93, higher than any other member of Congress.[15]
4-year-old kindergarten:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman said Governor Scott Walker should defund Wisconsin's kindergarten program for 4-year-olds, saying that any academic benefits disappear by fourth grade. Politifact rated this "False", writing, "Some studies reached that conclusion. But Grothman is citing one small portion of a much broader debate and declaring the whole matter settled when there is considerable evidence on the other side."[16]
Concealed carry:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman is a longtime supporter of concealed carry legislation, but does not advocate allowing concealed weapons in taverns. He believes concealed carry laws will deter criminal behavior, with permits being given to law-abiding citizens who pass a gun safety course.[17]
Grothman co-introduced 2011 SB 93, which Walker signed into law.[18] This bill made Wisconsin the 49th state to legalize concealed carry.[19]
Equal pay:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Speaking in support of Walker's decision to repeal the Wisconsin Equal Pay Act, Grothman said that the alleged pay differential is explainable: "Once you break it down by married and unmarried, the differential disappears."[20] A study by the American Association of University Women in 2007 found that life choices and family circumstances explain only part of the difference in pay between genders. Grothman rejected that study and added, "You could argue that money is more important for men. I think a guy in their first job, maybe because they expect to be a breadwinner someday, may be a little more money-conscious. To attribute everything to a so-called bias in the workplace is just not true."[20]
LGBT rights:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman opposed a provision in a 2010 sex education law that prohibited teachers from promoting bias based on sexual orientation, saying he did not believe the topic should be discussed at all in public schools. According to the Capitol Times, Grothman's opposition was based on the belief that instructors who lead these talks would have what he called an "agenda" to persuade students to become gay.[21] He postulated that "Part of that agenda which is left unsaid is that some of those who throw it out as an option would like it if more kids became homosexuals."[21]
In April 2014, Grothman said that he was concerned about what God might think of the United States after Secretary of State John Kerry announced plans to send scientists to Uganda in response to a new law against homosexuality; Grothman described Kerry's plans as a way "to say how wonderful the homosexual lifestyle is"[22] and said Republicans, conservatives, and church leaders were not confronting the issue of homosexuality and were "losing the issue": "We had such a great country in the relatively recent past. Now America, supposed to be the light of the world, instead we're the light going in the opposite direction."[22][23]
Kwanzaa:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
In a December 2012 press release, Grothman said that Kwanzaa is not a real holiday: "Of course, almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa—just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people's throats in an effort to divide Americans."[24][25]
Martin Luther King Jr. Day:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman has argued that Martin Luther King Jr. Day should not be a state employee holiday, calling it "an insult to all the other taxpayers around the state." He has expressed doubts that "state workers would be 'checking out DVDs or reading books' about King", saying they "would probably just be out shopping or watching television instead."[26]
Municipal water chlorination:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman co-sponsored Senate Bill 19 (2011), which removes the requirement of mandatory chlorination of groundwater in municipal water systems.[27][28] The bill was supported by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.[29]
Raw milk:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman is a vocal supporter of decriminalizing raw milk sales.[30][31]
Marriage[
In February 2012, Grothman introduced Senate Bill 507, which would amend Wisconsin statutes to emphasize non-marital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.[32] Politifact investigated his claim that kids living with a parent and parent's partner are "20 times" more likely to be sexually abused, and rated it True.[33]
He also sponsored State Bill 202, which would have repealed the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, saying that the "Left and the social welfare establishment want children born out of wedlock because they are far more likely to be dependent on the government."[34]
Smoking:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
Grothman opposed a bill that would increase funding for anti-smoking programs from $10 million to $30 million,[citation needed] saying that anti-smoking campaigns do not work and are no longer necessary. "Everybody knows you're not supposed to smoke!", he wrote.[35] Grothman also voted against the ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other small business that became effective in July 2010.[36][37][38] After the bill passed, he introduced new legislation to allow lodging establishments, such as hotels, to designate certain rooms as smoking rooms; the bill failed.[39] He also co-sponsored a bill to exempt electronic cigarettes from the smoking ban.[40]
Welfare reform[
In June 2013, Grothman proposed changing Wisconsin's welfare system to require that nondisabled single adults either work 20 hours per week or attend 20 hours of job training per week to continue receiving FoodShare benefits.[41]
Controversy:{:(style="margin-right:0.25em"):}:[edit:{]}:
During a debate on the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, Grothman declared on the House floor that Black Lives Matter supporters do not care about the old-fashioned family. He also claimed that President Joe Biden′s inauguration speech was divisive.[42][43][44]
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In October 2016, Grothman was featured in the "People Who Somehow Got Elected" segment on HBO's program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver. The segment made reference to Grothman's controversial comments about women and race during his time as an elected official.[45]
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By the start of his fourth term, Grothman had moved to Glenbeulah, near Sheboygan.[46]
Electoral history
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Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, an ALEC alumnus on whom CMD has done a great deal of reporting, won relection with 52% of the vote against challenger Trek executive Mary Burke's 46%.
Wisconsin's outspoken, gaffe-prone state Senator Glenn Grothman has been a member of ALEC's Education and International Relations Task Forces, having paid for his ALEC membership with taxpayer money. When U.S. Rep. Tom Petri (R-6) announced that he would not run for reelection, Grothman announced his candidacy, although Petri refused to endorse him. Grothman ran against Democratic Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris in a district drawn up to be "safe" for Republicans. Grothman won with 56% of the vote.
- See more at: http://www.prwatch.org/node/12654#sthash.DkN3oZ13.dpuf
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If there is a silver lining to be gleaned from a night of storm clouds for liberals, it’s this: they will no longer have to utter the words “Rep. Michele Bachmann.” Nor “Congressman Steve Stockman.” Nor a host of other lawmakers with fringe right-wing views on gay people, science, poverty, and other important issues.
However, with every election comes a host of new politicians looking to fill their shoes. Unsurprisingly, there is no shortage of new Tea Party blood in Congress this year.
Incoming:
REP. TOM EMMER (R-MN) — Bachmann is leaving an outsized role to fill, but if anyone is up to the task, it’s the man succeeding her in Minnesota’s sixth congressional district. While running for governor in 2010, Emmer didn’t argue that the minimum wage was too low, but rather too high. He proposed slashing the minimum wage for waiters, a slightly more moderate version of his 2005 plan to eliminate the minimum wage for everyone. Emmer also promised to veto anti-bullying legislation, despite the fact that a number of gay teens had recently committed suicide in Minnesota. Finally, Emmer spearheaded a conservative push to “nullify” Obamacare, a unconstitutional tactic used that nearly triggered a civil war three decades before the actual war of secession.
REP. BARBARA COMSTOCK (R-VA) — As if the Koch Brothers didn’t have enough influence over American politics already, they now have one of their own former lobbyists in the halls of Congress. (Comstock has also lobbied for the military contractor Blackwater and the private prison giant GEO Group.) In the Virginia House of Delegates, Comstock led the push for a mandatory ultrasound law, which would have originally required women who wanted an abortion, even victims of rape or incest, to first undergo a transvaginal ultrasound. She was also one of the most stringent staff investigators during 1990s-era Republican-led inquiries into Bill Clinton.
REP. GLENN GROTHMAN (R-WI) — Grothman’s views are as prolific as they are extreme. He believes that women are paid less because “money is more important for men.” He thinks Martin Luther King Day shouldn’t be a holiday, nor should Kwanzaa because “almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa — just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people’s throats in an effort to divide Americans.” Grothman also doesn’t believe teachers should be allowed to mention homosexuality in the classroom, doesn’t believe workers should have a guaranteed weekend, and argued that voter IDmight help Republicans win a close presidential election.
REP. ALEX MOONEY (R-WV) — A former Maryland state senator who also once ran for the New Hampshire House, Mooney has settled on West Virginia as his new political base. During his stint as state senator, Mooney garnered a virulently anti-gay reputation, warning that LGBT people were attempting to be legally recognized as minorities, according to TPM. He also warned that advocates of gay rights were trying to curb free speech. “If you actually speak against the homosexual lifestyle, maybe from the pulpit if you’re a pastor then you’re in trouble,” he said in 2008.
REP. KEN BUCK (R-CO) — In 2010, Buck was one of a host of Tea Party Senate candidates, along with Christine O’Donnell and Sharron Angle, who helped Republicans snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Republicans didn’t make the same mistake this year, ushering in a deal for Buck to run in a conservative House district more suited to his extreme views. Those include the belief that being gay is a choice, just like being an alcoholic. He also declared in 2010 that voters should support him because, unlike his female opponent, “I do not wear high heels.” Finally, despite being a heavy military state with thousands of veterans, Buck once called for privatizing their health care.
REP. JODY HICE (R-GA) — If Hice had his druthers, the more than 100 women currently elected to Congress better have permission from their husbands to be there. “If the woman’s within the authority of her husband, I don’t see a problem,” he declared in 2004 when asked about the growing number of women in politics. Unsurprisingly, Hice’s radical views aren’t confined to gender equality. He doesn’t believe Muslims should be protected by the First Amendment because Islam is “not” a religion, but rather “a totalitarian way of life with a religious component.” He also believes homosexuality is a choice, states can (unconstitutionally) nullify federal laws like Obamacare, and the cause of the Civil War is still an open debate.
Outgoing:
REP. STEVE SOUTHERLAND (R-FL) — Southerland was one of just two incumbent Republican congressmen to lose in the general election, and it’s not difficult to see why. Even in the Republican-leaning Florida panhandle, Southerland’s antics were too much. He earned notoriety for his tireless crusade against food stamps, in which he sought to cut billions from assistance for poor people. Southerland also grabbed headlines for hosting a men-only fundraiserfor his campaign.
REP. STEVE STOCKMAN (R-TX) — Stockman is leaving Congress following his unsuccessful primary bid against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). His decision to bring Ted Nugent, who once threatened President Obama’s life, to the 2013 State of the Union is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his outrageous comments and actions. Some of the craziest include a campaign bumper stickerthat read “If babies had guns, they wouldn’t be aborted”, raffling off an AR-15 assault rifle shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting (during which time he also threatened to impeach Obama), and mocking transgendered people as “change gender” and “that.”
REP. MICHELE BACHMANN (R-MN) — Bachmann, a perennial Tea Party favorite, chose not to run for re-election this year. She earned a highly-controversial reputation during her stint in Congress, leading an anti-Muslim witch hunt that even unfairly targeted a top State Department official, propagating the false notion that Obamacare includes “death panels,” running a counseling center with her husband that utilized “ex-gay therapy,” and signing a pledge to ban all pornography.
REP. JOHN BARROW (D-GA) — Barrow, the last white Democrat from the Deep South, relished playing a Joe Lieberman-esque role among House Democrats, frequently giving bipartisan cover for conservative causes. For example, he insinuated in a 2012
that liberals were going to come and take people’s guns away. He also spearheaded an effort to prevent action that would curb the coal industry’s ability to emit greenhouse gasses without limits. Barrow was the most conservative Democrat in Congress, voting with Republican leaders on approximately half of all bills.
REP. PAUL BROUN (R-GA) — Broun departs Congress after losing Georgia’s crowded Republican Senate primary, though not without leaving quite the legacy. Less than a week after the 2008 election, Broun said that he was afraid that Obama would create a Marxist dictatorship. He also compared the IRS to al-Qaeda, wanted to defund the Voting Rights Act, NPR, the Department of Education, and the Department of Energy, and was one of a small handful of Republicans who refused to consider any version of the Violence Against Women Act. Broun also said he would only consider legislation that fits “Judeo-Christian Biblical principles,” called evolution and the Big Bang Theory “lies straight from the pit of hell,” and came out as a birther.
REP. PHIL GINGREY (R-GA) — Like Broun, Gingrey ran for, and lost, the Republican Senate nomination. Gingrey will be remembered for a number of controversies, including defending former Rep. Todd Akin’s (R-MO) infamous “legitimate rape” comments, calling them “partly right,” dismissing pre-existing medical conditions as nothing more than “hang nails and fever blisters,” and denouncing the very concept of reaching out to minority voters as “worse than sad.”
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