In an event so secretive most journalists weren’t even allowed in, Congressman Sean Duffy joined his favorite presidential candidate, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, at a private donor retreat hosted by the arch-conservative Koch brothers.
Duffy and Walker were two of only 15 Republican lawmakers who joined hundreds of wealthy donors (whose identities reporters were forbidden to disclose) at a California seaside resort for the “Koch donor network conference” last weekend.
“Sean Duffy and Scott Walker share the Koch brothers’ agenda to cut Social Security and end Medicare as we know it, oppose equal pay laws that level the playing field for women in the workplace, and remove financial protections that prevent consumers from falling prey to predatory lenders,” said Sacha Haworth of the DCCC. “It’s no wonder Sean Duffy – who has taken nearly $90,000 from payday lenders and voted for the Ryan Budget – doesn’t want voters to know who he’s talking to or taking money from.”
Background:
Headline: Rep. Sean Duffy On 2016: “I’m Backing Scott Walker.” “U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy is throwing his support behind fellow Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker in the 2016 presidential race. ‘I’m backing Scott Walker,’ Duffy told the crowd gathered in Milwaukee Saturday.” [Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal, 4/11/15]
Duffy Voted Against Consideration Of The Paycheck Fairness Act. In April 2015, Duffy voted for blocking consideration of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would end the pay gap between men and women and unsure equal pay for equal work. “The legislation would protect workers from retaliation for sharing information about their wages, require employers to explain any pay disparities among workers performing the same job, and allow employees to seek unlimited punitive damages in wage bias cases.” The previous question passed 240 to 183. A vote against the previous question would have allowed the bill to be considered. [H. Res. 200, Vote #154, 4/15/15; Bloomberg, 4/14/15; Congressional Record, 4/15/15; Democratic Leader – Previous Questions, 4/15/15]
Walker Repealed Wisconsin Equal Pay Law. “A Wisconsin law that made it easier for victims of wage discrimination to have their day in court was repealed on Thursday, after Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) quietly signed the bill.” [Huffington Post, 4/06/12]
Duffy Supported Privatizing Social Security. The Leader-Telegram reported, “Duffy has said his position favoring privatizing Social Security had to do with protecting that money.” [Leader-Telegram, 10/26/10]
Walker Supported Privatizing Social Security. “In a policy memo published in 2000 when he was state representative, Walker urged then-Texas Gov. George Bush (R) to run his presidential campaign on making changes to Social Security that would preserve it for future generations. ‘On Social Security, run an ad with a 50 year old man and his parents talking about how the Bush plan preserves Social Security for his parents and then include the man’s college age son and have him talk about how the Bush plan ensures that there will be something left for him, too,’ Walker wrote at the time. ‘They should all talk about being upset with the politics of the past eight years and that they want a President with the courage to lead.’” [TPM, 4/15/15]
Duffy Voted To “Essentially End Medicare.” Duffy voted for the House Republican budget. “The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills,” wrote the Wall Street Journal. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11; Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11]
Walker Supported Cutting Social Security And Medicare. “Walker said Congress should reduce the budget deficit by paring back spending on Social Security and Medicare … The governor said entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, are expanding the federal budget deficit. Cutting entitlements won’t hurt the economy, he said. ‘I don’t think that has a negative impact on the economy,’ he said.” [Bloomberg, 2/23/13]
Duffy Donations From Payday Lending PACs And Executives
2009-2010 Total $2,500
2011-2012 Total $13,500
2013-2014 Total $22,200
2015 (To Date) $45,950
2015 Q1 Total $14,000
2015 Q2 Total $31,950
Grand Total $84,150 [fec.gov]