The world, along with corporate America, was watching when members of the House and the Senate trooped back after the U.S. Capitol was besieged by rioters. They watched as members of Congress voted to certify the results of the November 3 elections, which state-level officials have repeatedly said were free and fair. Corporate America was also watching as a number of Senators and members of the House voted against certifying the results of the elections — and businesses are now saying enough is enough.
On Tuesday, January 12, retail giant Walmart announced it will indefinitely suspend donations to U.S. lawmakers who voted against certifying the results of the November 3 polls which recognized President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, stating that in the aftermath of the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6, its “political action committee is indefinitely suspending contributions to those members of Congress who voted against the lawful certification of state electoral college votes.” A total of 147 Republican members of the House and Senate chambers voted to challenge Biden’s victory (via Reuters).
Corporate America has taken a stand
Walmart isn’t the first company that has said it would reconsider who it will be supporting after last week’s violence. The list of big companies who have said they will not support politicians like Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) reads like a who’s who of corporate America and includes Airbnb, Amazon, American Express, AT&T, Disney, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Commerce Bank, Comcast, and Marriott. Some companies have said they will suspend donating to all politicians altogether including Bank of America, Google, Hallmark, and Coca-Cola (via CNN).
America’s best-known CEOs have come forward to denounce the violence, including Apple’s Tim Cook, who said: “Today marks a sad and shameful chapter in our nation’s history. Those responsible for this insurrection should be held to account, and we must complete the transition to President-elect Biden’s administration.” Others, like the National Association of Manufacturers, which had long supported President Donald Trump, called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment “to preserve democracy.”
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