![]() ![]() The NRA, Planned Parenthood and similar groups also spend millions of dollars in outside spending that goes towards electing certain politicians. While direct contributions are certainly important, they are far from the only way money can influence politics. The Carpenters and Joiners Union donated $11,075 to the Democratic Representative James McGovern, while Uline gave $18,900 to Republican Senator Marco Rubio. Comparatively, the candidate that received the most donations from Planned Parenthood was the Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill, who received $18,475. The candidate to whom the NRA gave the most money this year was Republican Representative Paul Ryan, who received $9,900 from them. In addition to this, the amount that these organizations donate to individual candidates also differs greatly. Every one of the previously mentioned organizations donated the most money to outside groups and party committees. Not all the money these groups contribute is spent in the same way, however. Checking the numbers from 2016, The Carpenters and Joiners Union spent $27,239,959 in contributions, while the American Federation of Teachers spent an incredible $33,596,605. Another powerful union, The American Federation of Teachers, has spent $7,643,255 in contributions in 2018. One of the most generous unions, the Carpenters and Joiners Union, has contributed $15,634,927 dollars this year alone. Overall in 2018, labor unions have already spent over $64 million in direct contributions. The Center for Responsive Politics claims on its website that the labor sector’s political power has been decreasing recently, but the amount of money large unions spend to elect candidates is still massive. While these seem like very large numbers, both the NRA and Planned Parenthood are absolutely dwarfed by the direct contributions made by labor unions. Looking back, the NRA spent $1,085,200 in direct contributions in 2016, while Planned Parenthood spent $4,070,102. This means that Planned Parenthood has spent a little over $200,000 more than the NRA this year in direct contributions. This total represents all money donated directly to candidates and party committees by the organization, as well associated individuals and families.Ĭomparatively, Planned Parenthood has spent $569,637 on contributions this year, according to the Center. Campaign contributionsĪccording the the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, the NRA has spent $357,668 in direct contributions so far in 2018. When not focused entirely on one entity, it’s easy to see that the NRA or Planned Parenthood are not nearly as influential as they may seem. On top of that, money is very complicated in politics. There are many powerful organizations that use money in efforts to sway politicians, including labor unions, corporations, and PACs. It is entirely fair to be suspicious about the money spent by organizations as powerful as the NRA or Planned Parenthood, but it is important to note that they are far from the only major organizations making political donations. ![]()
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