Congress: Corporate America puppet

By Jim Atteberry

Through their lobbyists, wealthy corporations and special-interest groups appear to have too much influence over Congress.

This has been especially true in the past (25) years as the stock market has made tremendous gains and special-interest groups have shown their strength at the ballot boxes. Middle Americans have lost out as good manufacturing jobs have disappeared due to relocation of industries to China and Mexico.

During this period America’s multinational corporations made tremendous strides in convincing the American Congress that America’s future growth would depend on a government policy advocating a global economy and free trade. The success of gaining Congress’s approval of this policy depended on building a strong lobbyist group to push the new agenda! Lucrative deals were made to members of Congress which were very successful. Hiring the ex-congressmen and top government workers has opened the doors of the halls of Congress to the wealthy multinational corporations. With this influence and control over Congress, corporate America has profited enormously.

The passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a free-trade agreement with Mexico and Canada, was a significant victory for the business world as it was passed during the Clinton administration with a pro-labor Democratic Party in power. This was the death knell for America’s textile industry as it moved south to the cheap labor market in Mexico. Thousands of Americans lost well-paying jobs in the textile industry.

Also, the recent passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement enlarged NAFTA as it took in most Central American countries.

Congress’ approval of the World Trade Organization allowing the globalists an entry into China was another big win as they moved a significant part of America’s manufacturing industry to the Orient to take advantage of cheap skilled labor and no government regulations. Having free access to America’s consumer markets, the globalists are profiting handsomely from this strategy. Again thousands of well-paying American jobs have been lost.

The lobbyist groups have gained such strength and influence that they have gone so far as to actually help write some of the legislation of particular interest to them. Good examples are the recent energy bill, which was a no-brainer, and the new drug laws affecting Medicare, which require a Philadelphia lawyer to decipher.

Other examples include the Iraq war, which has greatly benefited the defense industry, and ignoring the illegal-alien problem, permitting American businesses to break the law and hire illegal aliens at a cheap wage rate.

Regardless of party, Republican or Democrat, the lobbyists are very effective in taking care of Big Business. So much we have a “puppet” Congress that reacts to the strings pulled by corporate America.

Jim Atteberry
retired city-parish civil engineer
Baton Rouge