Hinson Endorser Americans For Prosperity lobbying Congress against legislation to help Iowa ethanol production and American manufacturing
DES MOINES – Ashley Hinson’s big dollar backers are having a busy week pushing their anti-worker agenda. On Monday, the Koch-Brothers group Americans for Prosperity implored lawmakers to vote against the Moving Forward Act, a key transportation and infrastructure package that will fund billions in Iowa road and bridge improvements.
Predictably, the extreme-conservative group opposes the bill to crack down on enforcement of existing laws that require local governments to purchase American-made materials for building and infrastructure projects. Hinson’s backers are worried about their bottom line, and using Big Oil resources to fight the bill that “strengthens expensive Buy America requirements,” rather than the status-quo of allowing local governments to buy Chinese steel and concrete from Mexico.
Hinson’s record of supporting corporate interests over Iowa workers speaks for itself:
In May, Ashley Hinson proudly bragged about winning the endorsement of Americans for Prosperity on her website.
Americans for Prosperity is unambiguously and repeatedly on the record opposing the Renewable Fuel Standard — despite its bipartisan support across Iowa and the Midwest.
Earlier this year, Americans for Prosperity led a letter to President Trump urging him to waive the RFS — a Big Oil giveaway that hurts farmers, shutters factories and costs jobs in Iowa.
In 2018, the group supported legislation in Iowa that would have cut ethanol supports in the state.
The Americans for Prosperity lobbyist who wrote the op-ed announcing AFP’s endorsement of Hinson — is on the record denouncing the RFS and biofuels.
In 2017, Hinson and the Iowa GOP opened up a loophole in state law allowing local governments to dodge Buy American and fair-wage requirements on transportation projects. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer is advancing legislation now to close that loophole.
When it comes to big dollar donors, Hinson has a record of telling voters one thing and doing another. In 2017, she denied taking money from the Koch Brothers but soon flip-flopped and reported $1,500 for her statehouse reelection campaign in 2018, and $5,000 for her congressional run in 2019.
“Support from the Big Oil billionaire Koch Brothers may be good for Hinson’s campaign fundraising, but it’s terrible for Iowa farmers, biofuels producers, manufacturers and workers. Hinson’s silent support for corporate interests speaks volumes as she continues to take money from Big Oil while refusing to tell working Iowans where she stands,” said IDP Communications Director Mandy McClure.