Press Releases

Special Interest Roundup: Rep. Rod Blum Shamelessly Caters to His Donors While Iowa Families Pay the Price

Oct 29, 2018

With Election Day just eight days away, End Citizens United (ECU) is highlighting the pay-to-play politics of Rep. Rod Blum. As a member of ECU’s Big Money 20, ECU has identified Blum as one of the worst offenders of the rigged system in Washington.

Here’s a quick snapshot as to why:

  • Blum willingly sold out his constituents to please his donors and give tax breaks to the mega rich. During the health care fight in the spring of 2017, the secret money group American Action Network — which had previously spent nearly $700,000 supporting Blum’s campaign — ran an ad campaign pressuring Blum, who thenflipped his vote from a hard ‘no’ on repeal to a ‘yes.’ In doing so, Blum put more than 40,000 people in his district at risk of losing health insurance.
  • Blum voted for the tax bill, the top priority for Republican mega-donors. It lowered the top tax rate for the wealthiest Americans, while nearly 70% of middle class Americans would pay more in taxes under the bill.
  • Blum voted for a bill backed by the mega-donor Koch brothers that seeks to keep Iowa voters in the dark about funding sources for secret money organizations. He also voted to block a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.
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