The US Chamber of Commerce Is Pre-Clearing What It Is Willing to Do for Our National Security on CISA
Sheldon Whitehouse just attempted (after 1:44) to rebut an epic rant from John McCain (at 1:14) in which the Arizona Senator suggested anyone who wanted to amend the flawed Cyber Intelligence Sharing Act wasn’t serious about national security.
Whitehouse defended his two amendments first by pointing out that McCain likes and respects the national security credentials of both his co-sponsors (Lindsey Graham and Max Blunt).
Then Whitehouse said, “I believe both of the bills [sic] have now been cleared by the US Chamber of Commerce, so they don’t have a business community objection.”
Perhaps John McCain would be better served turning himself purple (really! watch his rant!) attacking the very notion that the Chamber of Commerce gets pre-veto power over a bill that (according to John McCain) is utterly vital for national security.
Even better, maybe John McCain could turn himself purple suggesting that the Chamber needs to step up to the plate and accept real responsibility for making this country’s networks safer, rather than just using our cybersecurity problems as an opportunity to demand immunity for yet more business conduct.
If this thing is vital for national security — this particular bill is not, but McCain turned himself awfully purple — then the Chamber should just suck it up and meet the requirements to protect the country decided on by the elected representatives of this country.
Yet instead, the Chamber apparently gets to pre-clear a bill designed to spy on the Chamber’s customers.
That someone would state that the “Chamber of Commerce” represents “THE” business community is a blaring example of the tunnel speak and tunnel vision of DC. A better title for
this organization is “biggest spending lobbying organization in the US”. Just because they
spend the most money does not mean they represent the business community. They represent the most prolificate buyers of influence in the country.
They represent the multi-national corporations that can afford to buy governments. (And some of them have better security than the US government).
John McCain, mysogynistic demented senior citizen Senator McCain from Arizona, is still pissed about Trump calling him a surrender monkey, white flag waving pussy so he lashes out at those who can’t or won’t fight back. As he’s always done.
LOL. Addled Walnuts McGrumpypants has been incendiary with rage since the PTB foisted Tundra Trash on his Pres campaign and he ignominiously lost to “that one,” you know the blah. Trump’s grandstanding bullsh*t just added icing to the cake.
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McCain, for his “pains” of losing to a “darkie,” was sent over to the ME to appear to help the CIA with recruiting, arming and training ISIS. At least he can have his memories (and payola) of that little foray for the MIC.
If ever there was a Freudian slip, it was Sheldon Whitehouse admitting that he and Congress generally take direction from the radical right wing business association that styles itself the US Chamber of Commerce. It doesn’t just “clear” bills; it rights them, vetoes them, and pays for its courtiers to oppose or to vote for them. All in the manner advocated nearly half a century ago by Lewis Powell, Jr., a sometime Richmond attorney who went from tobacco lobbying to Supreme Court Justice . In an earlier era, Jay Gould, Collis Huntington, Ed Doheny or the original JP Morgan would call that bribery. Powell and others turned it into routine legalized lobbying.
now that is callin’ it like it is.
Excellent comment. Too bad most of the peons aren’t paying attention and/or there’s little we can do about it. The US Chamber of Commerce is merely a mouthpiece/front for the super rich who run the multinational mega-corporations. Ya know: the front for corporate fascism that runs this nation and many others.
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Whatever the CoC is doing for alleged national “security” has nothing to do with what is beneficial to/for the average US citizen or for average small to mid sized businesses in the USA. Of that, we can rest assured.