Meet Four Dem Senators Telling Donors They’re In For 2020

Despite Their Resistance And Obstructionist Posturing, The Far-Left Base Isn't Sold On These 2020 Contenders 

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TOP TAKEAWAYS

• According to Boston Magazine's David Bernstein, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) are informing donors that they plan to run for president in 2020, and all four are trying to appeal to the progressive wing of the party by obstructing the president's agenda.
• The Bernie Sanders wing of the Democrat party has "mobilized" against Senator Harris, because of what has been described as a "Clinton-Esque tendency" to say the right things without following through.
• After being appointed to Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat in 2009, Senator Gillibrand flip-flopped on issues such as immigration and gun control, falling in line with the Democrat establishment, and she now has opposed more of President Trump's nominees than any other Democrat senator.
• Despite a judicial emergency being declared in Minnesota for courts overwhelming caseloads, Senator Klobuchar stalled the confirmation of a U.S. Circuit Court judge, despite in the past saying that not filling vacancies was "failing the people of Minnesota."
• After receiving backlash from Democrats for opposing an amendment which supporters said would lower pharmaceutical drug prices, Senator Booker declared he would no longer accept contributions from the pharmaceutical industry.

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THE 2020 DEMOCRAT FIELD IS TRYING TO STAND OUT BY OBSTRUCTING THE PRESIDENT'S AGENDA

Opposing Trump's Nominees Is Seen As A Way For Senators To Gain Attention From Liberal Activists

According To Boston Magazine's David Bernstein, A Democrat Fundraiser Said Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Kamala Harris (D-CA), And Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Are Informing Donors That They Plan To Run For President In 2020. "FWIW: Per Dem fundraiser, 4 Senators are telling donors they are running #2020: @CoryBooker @SenGillibrand @KamalaHarris @amyklobuchar." (David Bernstein, Twitter Feed , 8/10/17)

Booker, Gillibrand, And Harris Are Part Of A Group Politico Has Dubbed The "Hell-No" Caucus, Which Has Opposed Nearly All Of Trump's Nominees. "Among Senate Democrats' broad opposition to President Donald Trump's Cabinet, six stand out in having voted against nearly all of his nominees - and each senator just happens to be a potential Trump challenger in 2020. The Democrats' latest hell-no caucus includes Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Kamala Harris of California, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Jeff Merkley of Oregon and Vermont independent Bernie Sanders, according to a POLITICO analysis of votes on 35 Trump nominees confirmed this year." (Seung Min Kim and Elana Schor, "Senate Dems Eyeing 2020 Tell Trump 'Hell No,'" Politico , 5/25/17)

Opposing Trump's Nominees Is Seen As A Way To Gain Attention From Liberal Activists Within The Democratic Party. "Nathan L. Gonzales of Inside Elections suggested there is a common theme with this list since the top five Democratic resisters have been frequently mentioned as potential 2020 presidential candidates. 'It's not a secret that more than a handful of Democratic senators believe they can be a better president than President Trump. But they'll have to navigate a competitive primary first, and being known as the chief opponent of Trump could be an asset,' Gonzales told Roll Call. With the level of attention the nominations were getting from liberal activists, Gonzales said, 'confirmation votes could be one important measure of a candidate's dedication to opposing the current president.'" (Ryan Kelly, "Gillibrand Leads Democrats In Opposing Trump's Nominees," Roll Call , 8/7/17)

THE PROGRESSIVE LEFT IS MOBILIZING AGAINST SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS, WHILE CLINTON DONORS AND THE DEMOCRAT ESTABLISHMENT EMBRACE HER

The Bernie Sanders Wing Of The Party Has "Mobilized" Against Harris, Because Of Her "Clinton-Esque Tendency" To Say The Right Things Without Following Through

Senator Harris, Along With Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) And Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick (D) Are Being "Groomed By The Centrist Establishment" As The Left And Center Fight For Control Of The Democratic Party. "The contest for control of the Democratic Party between left and center is continuing apace. The latest battleground is over a handful of minority Democrats being groomed by the centrist establishment to run for office: Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick." (Ryan Cooper, Op-Ed, "Why Leftists Don't Trust Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, And Deval Patrick," The Week , 8/3/17)

Senator Harris Is Not Trusted By The Left Due "Mostly" To Her "Roots As A Prosecutor" And Her "Hillary Clinton-Esque Tendency" To Say The Right Things Without Following Through. "The former attorney general of California, Harris is mistrusted by the left mostly because of her roots as a prosecutor. The Black Lives Matter movement has put anyone with law enforcement history under close scrutiny, and California's criminal justice system is notoriously brutal (though it has improved recently). While she is obviously no Jeff Sessions, Harris has sometimes displayed a rather Hillary Clinton-esque tendency to say the right thing but not follow through in a vigorous way." (Ryan Cooper, Op-Ed, "Why Leftists Don't Trust Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, And Deval Patrick," The Week , 8/3/17)

Yashar Ali, A Contributing Writer To The Huffington Post, Tweeted "Astounding How Quickly The Bernie Sanders Crew Has Mobilized Against Kamala Harris." (Yashar Ali, Twitter Feed , 8/2/17)

RoseAnn DeMoro, The Executive Director Of National Nurses United And The California Nurses Association And An Ally Of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Said That Senator Harris Was Not On Their Radar And There Was Not Any "There" There For Progressives. " 'She's not on our radar,' RoseAnn DeMoro, a Sanders ally and the executive director of National Nurses United and the California Nurses Association, said of Ms. Harris. 'She's one of the people the Democratic Party is putting up. In terms of where the progressives live, I don't think there's any 'there' there.'" (Matt Flegenheimer, "Senator, (Un)Interrupted: Kamala Harris's Rise Among Democrats," The New York Times , 7/6/17)

Nomiki Konst, A Member Of The Democratic National Committee's Unity Commission And A Bernie Sanders Supporter, Said That Democrats Who Liked Harris As A Potential Presidential Candidate Needed To "Follow The Money." " Nomiki Konst, a Bernie Sanders supporter who serves on the Democratic National Committee's Unity Commission had three words for Democrats interested in Harris as a candidate: 'follow the money.' 'The Democrats will not win until they address income inequality, no matter how they dress up their next candidate,' Konst said. 'If that candidate is in bed with Wall Street, you may as well lay a tombstone out for the Democratic Party now. Voters are smart; they can follow the money.'" (Andrew Joyce, "Democratic Rising Star Kamala Harris Has A 'Bernieland' Problem," Mic , 7/31/17)

Brian Fallon, Senior Advisor To Priorities USA And A Former Spokesman For Hillary Clinton, Responded To Criticism Of Senator Harris By Saying "The Problem" Was "Not Her," But The People Attacking Her. "If you are attacking Harris right now, the problem is you, not her." (Brian Fallon, Twitter Feed , 7/31/17)

Neera Tanden, The President Of The Center For American Progress, Said It Was "Odd" That "These Folks Have It In For Kamala Harris And Cory Booker." "So odd, no, that these folks have it in for Kamala Harris and Cory Booker…hhhhmmm." (Neera Tanden, Twitter Feed , 7/31/17)

Harris Has Spent The Summer Raising Money With Hillary Clinton Donors In The Hamptons

On The Weekend Of July 15, 2017, Senator Harris, "The Democrats' Great Freshman Hope," Headed "To The Hamptons To Meet With Hillary Clinton's Biggest Backers ." "The Democrats' 'Great Freshman Hope,' Sen. Kamala Harris, is heading to the Hamptons to meet with Hillary Clinton's biggest backers." (Emily Smith, "Dems' Rising Star Meets With Clinton Inner Circle In Hamptons," New York Post , 7/15/17)

Michael Kempner, A "Staunch Clinton Supporter Who Was One Of Her National-Finance Co-Chairs," Held An Event For Harris In Bridgehampton. "The California senator is being fêted in Bridgehampton on Saturday at the home of MWWPR guru Michael Kempner, a staunch Clinton supporter who was one of her national-finance co-chairs and a led fund-raiser for her 2008 bid for the presidency. He was also listed as one of the top 'bundlers' for Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, having raised $3 million." (Emily Smith, "Dems' Rising Star Meets With Clinton Inner Circle In Hamptons," New York Post , 7/15/17)

Some Of Clinton's "Inner Circle" Attended Kempner's Event Including Margo Alexander, Dennis Mehiel, Steve Gambrel, And Robert Zimmerman. "Guests there to greet Harris are expected to include Margo Alexander, a member of Clinton's inner circle; Dennis Mehiel, a Democratic donor who is the chairman of the Battery Park City Authority, even though he lives between a sprawling Westchester estate and an Upper East Side pad; designer Steven Gambrel and Democratic National Committee member Robert Zimmerman." (Emily Smith, "Dems' Rising Star Meets With Clinton Inner Circle In Hamptons," New York Post , 7/15/17)

Liz Robbins, A Washington Lobbyist, Also Hosted A Hamptons Lunch For Harris . "Washington lobbyist Liz Robbins is also hosting a separate Hamptons lunch for Harris." (Emily Smith, "Dems' Rising Star Meets With Clinton Inner Circle In Hamptons," New York Post , 7/15/17)

On July 21, 2017, Harris Met With A Group Of "Hamptons High Rollers" Including Citigroup Executive Ray McGuire. "Rising Democratic star Sen. Kamala Harris has booked more meetings with Hamptons high rollers for her planned trip this weekend, Page Six has learned. The popular California pol will have a private meeting, we hear, with Hollywood liberal kingmaker Harvey Weinstein and his wife Georgina Chapman, as well as a separate dinner Friday with guests, who will include New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker and former US Attorney General Eric Holder. Also on Friday, we hear she'll meet with a group in Bridgehampton, including ex-Ambassador to the UN Susan E. Rice and business honchos such as Citigroup's Ray McGuire and PepsiCo's Tony West." (Ian Mohr, "Sen. Kamala Harris To Hit Hamptons Power Circuit," New York Post's Page Six , 7/19/17)

• Ray McGuire Is The Corporate Head of Corporate And Investment Banking At Citigroup. " Mr. Raymond J. McGuire, also known as Ray, serves as Global Head of Corporate & Investment Banking at Citigroup, Inc." ("Raymond J. McGuire," Bloomberg , Accessed 7/20/17)
• Since 1999, Ray McGuire Has Contributed At Least $7,500 To Hillary Clinton's Senate And Presidential Campaigns. ( Center For Responsive Politics , Accessed 7/20/17; Federal Election Commission , Accessed 7/20/17)

• McGuire Contributed $50,000 To President Obama's 2009 Inauguration Committee. "Of the hundreds of banks and firms which have received bailout money, Citibank employees have contributed the most to Obama's inauguration fund - at least $113,000 as of Wednesday. Among those contributions is $50,000 from Ray McGuire, Citi's co-head of global investment banking, and $50,000 from Louis Susman, the recently-retired vice chairman of Citigroup." (Marcus Baram, "Bailed-Out Banks Donating To Obama's Inauguration," The Huffington Post , 2/14/09)

AFTER JOINING THE U.S. SENATE, KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND FLIP-FLOPPED ON IMMIGRATION AND GUN CONTROL AS SHE PIVOTED TO THE LEFT

Gillibrand Fell In Line With The Liberal Establishment After Being Appointed To Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate Seat

In 2009, New York Governor David Patterson (D) Appointed Kirsten Gillibrand To Fill Hillary Clinton's Vacated U.S. Senate Seat. "But since her appointment by Gov. David A. Paterson last week to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Ms. Gillibrand has found herself besieged by immigrant advocates and Democratic colleagues who have cast her as out of step with a majority of the state, with its big cities and sprawling immigrant enclaves." (Kirk Semple, "Drawing Fire On Immigration, Gillibrand Reaches Out," The New York Times, 1/28/09)

As A Member Of Congress From Upstate New York, Gillibrand Opposed Illegal Immigration And Amnesty And Supported Deputizing Local Law Enforcement To Enforce Federal Immigration Laws. "During her one term in the House of Representatives, from a largely rural, traditionally Republican district, Kirsten E. Gillibrand was on safe political ground adopting a tough stance against illegal immigration. Ms. Gillibrand, a Democrat, opposed any sort of amnesty for illegal immigrants, supported deputizing local law enforcement officers to enforce federal immigration laws, spoke out against Gov. Eliot Spitzer's proposal to allow illegal immigrants to have driver's licenses and sought to make English the official language of the United States." (Kirk Semple, "Drawing Fire On Immigration, Gillibrand Reaches Out," The New York Times , 1/28/09)

• Gillibrand Began Walking Back Her Positions Back After Being Appointed To The U.S. Senate . "Ms. Gillibrand, who was sworn in as senator on Tuesday, has tried to allay some of the concerns, reaching out to Hispanic elected officials and pledging to reconsider some of her positions. Outside a reception in Washington following her swearing-in ceremony, she acknowledged that she had an obligation to revisit some of these questions as she now 'represents the whole state.'" (Kirk Semple, "Drawing Fire On Immigration, Gillibrand Reaches Out," The New York Times, 1/28/09)

Ultimately, Gillibrand Completely Flipped On Immigration And Became A Co-Sponsor Of The DREAM Act. "She flipped on immigration, too, switching from a congresswoman who opposed all forms of amnesty to a Senator who co-sponsored the DREAM Act." (S.E. Cupp, Op-Ed, "The Flip-Flopping Nature Of Kirsten Gillibrand," MSNBC , 3/12/13)

As A Member Of Congress, Gillibrand Had An "A" Rating From The National Rifle Association And Sponsored Legislation To Delete Background Check Information After 24 Hours, Which Drew Criticism From Michael Bloomberg, When She Was Appointed To The U.S. Senate. "While serving her upstate constituents, on immigration and guns she sounded more like a Texas conservative than a New York liberal. She opposed efforts to extend state drivers' licenses to illegal immigrants, and earned herself an 'A' rating from the NRA, sponsoring a bill to delete background check information after 24 hours. Then, she was appointed to Hillary Clinton's Senate seat in 2008. On the day of her appointment, Mayor Michael Bloomberg publicly criticized her for her staunch opposition to gun control." (S.E. Cupp, Op-Ed, "The Flip-Flopping Nature Of Kirsten Gillibrand," MSNBC , 3/12/13)

Within Two Years Of Being In The U.S. Senate, Gillibrand's NRA Rating Went From An "A" To An "F." "Suddenly, the moderate Gillibrand of 2006 needed a makeover, and quick, if she was going to make it in Bloomberg's New York. So a new-and-improved Gillibrand, one that was more politically palatable to New York liberal elites, was born, practically overnight. Within two years, she had impressively turned that 'A' rating from the NRA into an 'F.'" (S.E. Cupp, Op-Ed, "The Flip-Flopping Nature Of Kirsten Gillibrand," MSNBC , 3/12/13)

• In 2010, The NRA Downgraded Gillibrand's Rating From An "A" To An "F ." "She used to be one of their Democratic darlings but now Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has been flunked by the National Rifle Association. NRA Sources tell NBCNewYork they've downgraded Gillibrand from an A to an F, a move scheduled to be announced later this week." (Melissa Russo, "NRA Shoots Down Gillibrand's 'Grade,'" News 4 [WNBC-New York] , 9/29/10)
• An NRA Spokesman Said Such Change Was Highly Unusual And He Could Not Recall A Similar Instance. "NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam tells NBCNewYork it is highly unusual for a politician's score to change so much in such a short time. He could not recall a similar instance in recent history." (Melissa Russo, "NRA Shoots Down Gillibrand's 'Grade,'" News 4 [WNBC-New York] , 9/29/10)

Gillibrand Has Been Using Profanity To Appear Authentic To The Far-Left

Gillibrand Used Profanity To Suggest Trump Had Not Kept His Promises. "Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) slammed President Trump with colorful language Friday, saying he has not kept his promises." (Julia Manchester, "Gillibrand Rips Trump: 'Has He Kept His Promises? No. F--- No,'" The Hill , 6/9/17)

At The Personal Democracy Forum, Gillibrand Said "F--- No" To Whether Trump Has Kept His Promises. " 'Has he kept his promises? No. F--- no,' she said while addressing the Personal Democracy Forum in New York City." (Julia Manchester, "Gillibrand Rips Trump: 'Has He Kept His Promises? No. F--- No,'" The Hill , 6/9/17)

Gillibrand Continued, Stating That "If We Are Not Helping People, We Should Go The F--- Home." ""If we are not helping people, we should go the f--- home," she continued, repeating a line she used in an April New York magazine interview while talking about paid family leave legislation." (Julia Manchester, "Gillibrand Rips Trump: 'Has He Kept His Promises? No. F--- No,'" The Hill , 6/9/17)

• The Line Was Repeated From A Feature She Did For New York Magazine When She Also Said "If We're Not Helping People, We Should Go The F--- Home." "In early March, Collins and Gillibrand filed legislation to protect seniors against fraud, and Gil librand hopes to persuade Collins to become a Republican co-sponsor of the Family Act, Gillibrand's big paid-family-leave bill. 'I know Susan's worldview is similar to my worldview,' says Gillibrand. 'Which is that we're here to help people, and if we're not helping people, we should go the fuck home.'" (Rebecca Traister, "Kirsten Gillibrand Is An Enthusiastic No," New York Magazine , 4/4/17)

Gillibrand Has Opposed President Trump More Than Any Other U.S. Senators In An Attempt To Appeal To The Left

According To A Roll Call Analysis, Gillibrand Has Opposed More Of President Trump's Nominees Than Any Other Democrat Senator. "On the last day before the August recess, the Senate confirmed 65 of President Donald Trump's nominees with a single bipartisan voice vote. That has been a marked difference from the way Democratic senators have approached Trump's picks for his team. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York leads her colleagues in opposition to the president's nominees, casting recorded votes for only five of 53 of them, according to a Roll Call analysis." (Ryan Kelly, "Gillibrand Leads Democrats In Opposing Trump's Nominees," Roll Call , 8/7/17)

Gillibrand Voted Against FBI Director Christopher Wray, Which Was Only The Second Time A Senator Voted Against A Nominee For FBI Director. "Only once had a US Senator ever voted against a nominee for FBI director -- until today. Five Democrats cast their ballots Tuesday afternoon opposing the confirmation of Christopher Wray, President Donald Trump's nominee to lead the country's top investigative agency. The vote was 92-5. The final list of negative votes included Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Ed Markey, Jeff Merkley, Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden. Historically, lawmakers have aimed for broad bipartisan support on pivotal, nonpartisan nominees, but data shows lawmakers and their constituents are more divided than they've been in decades." (Ryan Sturyk, "Only 6 People Have Ever Voted Against An FBI Director," CNN , 8/2/17)

The "No" Votes Are Seen As A Way To Curry Favor With Liberal Activists. "Political analyst Nathan Gonzales of Inside Elections told the newspaper that the 'no' votes could help the senators as they court liberal activists to support their presidential bids." (Mark Weiner, "Kirsten Gillibrand Tops Senate In Opposing Trump Nominees, Analysis Shows," The Post Standard [Syracuse] , 8/7/17)

Gillibrand's Obstruction Has Earned Admiration From Progressives Who Don't Want Democrats To Work With Republicans. "Yet one month into the Trump administration, Gillibrand had staked out the most defiant position among her colleagues, casting the most 'no' votes against his Cabinet nominees of any senator (although she did vote for Nikki Haley as ambassador to the U.N.), earning admiration from progressives frustrated by other Democrats' initial willingness to 'work with' Republicans." (Rebecca Traister, "Kirsten Gillibrand Is An Enthusiastic No," New York Magazine , 4/4/17)

SENATOR AMY KLOBUCHAR STALLED PRESIDENT TRUMP'S JUDICIAL NOMINEE, A PRACTICE SHE SAID IN THE PAST FAILS THE PEOPLE OF MINNESOTA

Despite A "Judicial Emergency" In Minnesota, Senator Klobuchar Withheld Judicial "Blue Slips" Stalling The Confirmation Of A Circuit Court Justice

Senate Tradition Requires Judicial Nominees Receive A "Blue Slip" From Home-State Senators Before Their Nomination Proceeds, Allowing Senators To Block A Nomination By Withholding The Blue Slip. "Senate Republicans are threatening to change a custom that allows Democratic senators to block some judicial choices from their states, in an effort to speed along a conservative transformation of the federal judiciary. Leaders are considering a change to the Senate's "blue slip" practice, which holds that judicial nominations will not proceed unless the nominee's home-state senators signal their consent to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Republicans say they will make the change if Democrats throw up blanket opposition to President Trump's nominees." (Robert Barnes and Ed O'Keefe, "Senate Republicans Likely To Change Custom That Allows Democrats To Block Judicial Choices," The Washington Post , 5/25/17)

Klobuchar Has Not Returned A Blue Slip For David Stras Who's Been Nominated To The 8^th Circuit Court Of Appeals. "Minnesota Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken have also yet to return their blue slips for Minnesota Supreme Court Judge David Stras, who's been nominated for the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals." (Lydia Wheeler, "Trump Quietly Putting his Stamp On The Courts," The Hill , 8/14/17)

According To The White House, They Spoke To Klobuchar Five Times Regarding Stras' Nomination. "Mr. Franken talked three times with the Trump administration, and Ms. Klobuchar had five conversations prior to Justice Stras' nomination, the White House said." (Alex Swoyer, "Senate Democrats Hold Blue Slips, Delay Trump's Federal Judicial Nominees," The Washington Times , 7/9/17)

Minnesota's Federal Judicial Vacancies Are Considered "Emergencies" Because Of The Large Caseloads Being Handled Per Sitting Judge. "The Judicial Conference considers Minnesota's vacancies emergencies because the state's federal district court has a caseload of more than 600 'weighted filings' per judgeship. It also is the first time in at least 20 years that Minnesota has had two federal court vacancies at the same time, said Tom Heffelfinger, a former U.S. attorney and co-chair of the Franken-Klobuchar task force, which has been reviewing possible nominees since last month." (Stephen Montemayor, "Trump;s Election Could Affect Minnesota's Search To Fill Two Federal Judge Vacancies," Star Tribune [Minneapolis] , 12/9/16)

In 2016, Klobuchar Said Failing To Fill A District Court Vacancy At The Time Was "Failing The People Of Minnesota." "I would add that this nomination is particularly important to the District of Minnesota. The U.S. Judicial Conference has deemed the current vacancy in our State to be a judicial emergency. Our district caseload has increased significantly in recent years. In 2014, the district saw a 57-percent jump in case filings, with nearly 6,000 Federal cases currently pending. Judge Davis assumed senior status last August, vacating the position for which she has been nominated. Failing to fill this judicial vacancy is failing the people of Minnesota." (Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Congressional Record , 1/19/16, p. S85)

BOOKER TRIES TO HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, TAKING MONEY FROM BIG INDUSTRIES WHILE SPEAKING AGAINST THEM, DRAWING CRITICISM FROM THE LEFT

Booker Stopped Accepting Campaign Contributions From The Pharmaceutical Industry After The Left Criticized Him For Siding With The Industry

In January 2017, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) And Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) Introduced An Amendment To Lower Pharmaceutical Drug Prices. "The one vote that broke this trend was perhaps the most interesting one of the night. That was the vote on the amendment by Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) to lower drug prices by allowing for the importation of prescription drugs from Canada." ("Bernie Sanders And Amy Klobuchar Want To Lower Drug Prices," The Daily Kos , 1/12/17)

On January 11, 2017, Booker Opposed The Amendment, Claiming The Bill Did Not Address Consumer Protections For Imported Drugs. "Seven of the Democrats who voted against the Sanders-Klobuchar plan ― Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Bob Menendez of New Jersey, Chris Coons of Delaware, Robert Casey of Pennsylvania, Tom Carper of Delaware, Maria Cantwell of Washington and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota ― all defended their opposition by arguing the bill didn't address consumer protections for imported drugs.." (Zach Carter And Ryan Grim, "Cory Booker And A Bunch Of Democrats Prove Trump Right On Big Pharma," The Huffington Post , 1/12/17)

As Of April 30, 2017, Andrea Devereux, A Small Business Owner Of Peprotech, Contributed $250 To Cory Booker For Senate, Bringing Her Total Contributions In The 2018 Cycle To $1,050. (Cory Booker For Senate, July 15 Quarterly Report, Federal Election Commission , Filed 7/14/17)

On May 8, 2017, Malli Desireddy, A Senior Vice President Of Operations At Granules Pharmaceuticals Inc. Contributed $1,000 To Cory Booker For Senate. (Cory Booker For Senate, July 15 Quarterly Report, Federal Election Commission , Filed 7/14/17)

On June 20, 2017, Pharmavite PAC Contributed $1,000 To Cory Booker For Senate, Bringing Its Total Contributions In The 2018 Cycle To $2,000. (Cory Booker For Senate, July 15 Quarterly Report, Federal Election Commission , Filed 7/14/17)

As Of June 30, 2017, Susan Hart White, An Attorney At Sanofi US, Contributed $1,280 To Cory Booker For Senate. (Cory Booker For Senate, July 15 Quarterly Report, Federal Election Commission , Filed 7/14/17)

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The Daily Kos Criticized Booker's Vote And Pointed Out That The $267,338 He's Received From The Pharmaceutical Industry Was The Most Of Any Senate Democrat. "A Kaiser Health tracking poll last year found that 72 percent of Americans favor allowing drugs to be imported from Canada. Ya know who doesn't favor that: pharmaceutical companies. And 13 Democrats. Booker, who has gotten more money from the pharmaceutical industry over the past six years than any other Democratic senator ($267,338), did issue an explanation." (Kerry Eleveld, "Why Exactly Did Cory Booker And A Dozen Other Democrats Vote Against Lowering Drug Prices?," The Daily Kos , 1/12/17)

• Daily Kos Is A Liberal Blog And "Activist Hub." "Daily Kos is a liberal blog that describes itself as a national political 'news organization, community and activist hub.'" ("Daily Kos's File," Politifact , Accessed 7/25/17)

AUDIO: In A June 30, 2017 Interview, Booker Said "We Put A Pause On Even Receiving Contributions From Pharma Companies Because It Arouses So Much Criticism And Just Stopped Taking It." NPR's RACHEL MARTIN: "You're in politics, so you know that optics matter. And you yourself have faced some criticism for taking donations from drug companies. Last month you suggested you might give some of those back. Have you done that?" SENATOR CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): "Well, we put a pause on even receiving contributions from pharma companies because it arouses so much criticism and just stopped taking it. And the other thing that we're trying to do which I'm very proud of is just focus on individual contributions from people around the country. And I'm proud that the majority of my contributions come from individual contributors, often small-dollar contributors." (NPR's "Morning Edition," 6/30/17)

In 2012, The Left Criticized Booker For Taking Money From The Financial Industry And Calling Obama's Attacks On Mitt Romney's Private Equity Firm "Nauseating"

During The 2012 Presidential Cycle, Senator Booker Called President Obama's Attacks On Bain Capital "Nauseating." "During the 2012 presidential campaign, he described as 'nauseating' the Obama campaign's attacks on Bain Capital, the private equity fund founded by Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Booker also complained about Republican attacks on Obama and later released a video calling it 'reasonable' to discuss a business record Romney made "a centerpiece of his campaign.'" (Jonathan D. Salant, "The No.1 Problem That Could Hurt Booker's VP Chances," The Star-Ledger [New Jersey] , 5/23/16)

Think Progress Highlighted That In Booker's 2002 Mayoral Run, He Received $565,000 From Bain Capital And The Financial Industry. "He and his slate also jointly raised funds for the 'Booker Team for Newark' joint committee. They received more than $450,000 for the 2002 campaign from the sector - including a pair of $15,400 contributions from Bain Capital Managing Directors Joshua Bekenstein and Mark Nunnelly. It appears that for the initial campaign and runoff, the slate raised less than $4 million - again making this a sizable chunk. In all - just in his first Mayoral run - Booker's committees received more than $565,000 from the people he was defending. At least $36,000 of that came from folks at Romney's old firm." (Josh Israel, "Bain And Financial Industry Gave Over $565,000 To Newark Mayor Cory Booker For 2002 Campaign," Think Progress , 5/21/12)

• Think Progress Is A Progressive News Offshoot Of The Center For American Progress Action Fund. "ThinkProgress is a news site dedicated to providing our readers with rigorous reporting and analysis from a progressive perspective. Founded in 2005, ThinkProgress is an editorially independent project of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Over the past decade, the site has evolved from a small rapid response blog to a newsroom of reporters and editors covering the intersections between politics, policy, culture, and social justice." ("About," Think Progress, Accessed 7/25/17)

Princeton University Professor Julian Zelizer Said That Booker's Ties To The Financial Industry Could Become A "Major Liability." "What could affect that tryout is Booker's support from Wall Street donors at a time when Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has fueled his insurgent Democratic presidential campaign through attacks on the securities industry. 'Booker's ties to the financial community might cause some concerns in the same way that they have with Hillary,' said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. 'So the Wall Street money that has been crucial to his congressional campaign could become a major liability as people think of him as VP.'" (Jonathan D. Salant, "The No.1 Problem That Could Hurt Booker's VP Chances," NJ.Com , 5/23/16)

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