One GOP consultant who discussed the matter with Koch officials told NBC News that there’s concern in the company that a default over Obamacare would be a “disaster” for the economy.
The Koch Brothers aren’t jumping on the Tea Party bandwagon to defund Obamacare.
A rep from Koch Industries, the giant privately held conglomerate owned by major conservative donors David and Charles Koch, sent a letter to Senate lawmakers on Oct. 9 saying it had not taken a position on some GOPers’ attempt to tie the government shutdown to defunding Obamacare.
Philip Ellender, the president of government and public affairs for the company, said Koch believes Obamacare isn’t a good program but “Koch has not taken a position on the legislative tactic of tying the continuing resolution to defunding ObamaCare nor have we lobbied on legislative provisions defunding ObamaCare.”
Instead, the company says Congress should focus on other initiatives like reigning in spending and balancing the budget.
The billionaire brothers, of course, bankrolled the campaigns of many Tea Party lawmakers. The letter appears to distance the brothers from the “aggressive tactics pushed by the Tea Party and affiliated groups,” said NBC’s Michael Isikoff.
One GOP consultant who discussed the matter with Koch officials told NBC News that there’s concern in the company that a default over Obamacare would be a “disaster” for the economy.
The letter also singled out Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Earlier this week, the Nevada Democrat said the Kochs “have been raising and spending hundreds of millions of dollars to get us to where we are right now”
“Indeed, there was false information presented about Koch on the Senate floor by Senate Majority Leader Reid,” said Ellender.
Perhaps ironically, Generation Opportunity, which has financial ties to the Koch Brothers, put out the now notorious “Creepy Uncle Sam” ads, which criticize Obamacare. The president last month called the groups out.
“Some of the Tea Party’s biggest donors, some of the wealthiest men in America, are funding a cynical ad campaign trying to convince young people not to buy health care at all,” he said. “I mean think about it: These are billionaires several times over—you know they’ve got good health care,” said Obama.
