“Koch bought cattle feedlots. Then it developed its own retail brand of beef called Spring Creek Ranch. Dean Watson oversaw a team that worked to develop a system of ‘identity preservation’ that would over time select which cattle had the best-tasting meat. Koch held blind taste tests of the beef it raised. Watson claimed to win nine out of ten times.

 

“Then Koch studied the grain and feed industries that supplied its feedlots. Watson worked with experts to study European farming methods because wheat farmers in the Ukraine were far better at raising more grain on each acre of land than American farmers…”

 

Pps.196-197

 

“...But on March 22 [2017], Charles and David Koch went public with their desire to change a specific legislative outcome. Americans for Prosperity and Freedom Partners (a clearinghouse organization for many of Koch’s donations) announced that they would support any member of Congress who voted against the healthcare bill…The two organizations announced they were compiling a “seven-figure reserve fund” that obstructionist Congressmembers could draw on if they voted no…In a private meeting with Donald Trump at the White House, the members [of the Freedom Caucus] said they still were not ready to support the bill. On Friday, March 24 [2017], Paul Ryan admitted defeat. He pulled the bill…”

 

“...When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Citizens United, the court emphasized that it was still illegal to engage in quid pro quo corruption, meaning the explicit trade of money for a vote. (If the announcement from Freedom Partners and Americans for Prosperity was not a promise of money for a specific vote, then it is unclear what it is).”**

 

“...changed in minor ways…The change that appeared … was curiously minute. An amendment introduced by Republican Congressmen Tom McArthur allowed states to request a waiver from certain obligations imposed by Obamacare, essentially punting hard decisions about cutting healthcare coverage to state governors.* 

 

“...The bill was defeated by Arizona Senator John McCain, who voted no.”

 

Pps. 537-541

 

Leonard, Christopher. "Koch Land: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America.” Simon & Schuster. New York, NY. 2019.

 

Acquired Nov. 7, 2021.

 

*You mean like state COVID-19 waivers beginning in March of 2020 depending upon the Declaration of Emergency by the Governor per state?

 

**I changed the punctuation on this from the original. The author of the book used brackets but I have changed it to parentheses here to identify it as distinct from MY use of brackets to put the years for the attendant dates. The first use of parentheses in the citation was the author’s.

 

11:53 am CST proofread