McConnell Urges GOP Senators to Brace for Repercussions if they Support Hawley Bill to Restrict Corporate Donations in Political Campaigns
Mitch McConnell cautions GOP senators against supporting Hawley's bill to restrict corporate funding in campaigns, citing the influence of his own super PAC that helped many of them secure their seats
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell delivered a cautionary message to Republican senators during a private meeting, advising them against endorsing a bill proposed by Sen. Josh Hawley. This bill aims to restrict the financial support that corporations provide to influential external organizations. McConnell emphasized that many senators owe their electoral victories to the significant financial backing of the super PAC that he has long overseen. Sources familiar with the lunch meeting reported that McConnell warned his fellow GOP senators about potential backlash from the "center-right" if they were to support Hawley's bill. In addition, he shared a list of senators who secured their seats with substantial financial assistance from the Senate Leadership Fund, an external group connected to McConnell that invests heavily in television advertisements for critical Senate races. Interestingly, Hawley himself was included on this list, as stated by insiders familiar with the situation.
McConnell has consistently opposed stricter campaign finance regulations, and his relationship with Hawley, who has been critical of him and called for new leadership within their conference, is strained. Hawley recently expressed his disapproval of McConnell aligning with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, in their push to link Ukraine aid to an Israel funding package.
Hawley's new legislation, known as the Ending Corporate Influence on Elections Act, aims to overturn the Supreme Court's 2010 Citizens United decision, which relaxed campaign finance laws. This effort aligns Hawley, a conservative Republican from Missouri, with many Democrats. The bill would prohibit publicly traded corporations from making independent expenditures and political advertisements, as well as prevent them from donating money to super PACs.
Hawley argued against his bill and emphasized the need to restrict corporate influence in elections during an interview.
"I strongly disagree," declared Hawley in his conversation with CNN. "From my perspective, it is fundamentally incorrect. I believe it distorts our political landscape, and I fail to comprehend why conservatives should support it. The original intent of the Constitution suggests that it is unacceptable. It has detrimental effects on our elections and voters. Overall, I firmly believe that we should prioritize this issue."
McConnell specifically targeted numerous lawmakers who received support from his external organization in the past three election cycles, as per a CNN-acquired roster of senators. The beneficiaries mentioned include Mike Braun of Indiana, Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Dan Sullivan of Alaska, Joni Ernst of Iowa, Roger Marshall of Kansas, Susan Collins of Maine, Steve Daines of Montana, Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Katie Britt of Alabama, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Eric Schmitt of Missouri, Ted Budd of North Carolina, JD Vance of Ohio, and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin.
In 2018, Hawley received a financial boost exceeding $20 million from McConnell's group.
McConnells office declined to comment.
