Young espouses reckless policies of special interests, putting his political agenda ahead of Hoosiers

INDIANAPOLIS – If you want to find out how Congressman Todd Young would vote in Washington, look no further than the Koch Brothers who are showering Young with more than two million dollars for his campaign.

The reason for the Koch’s multi-million dollar support is clear:  Congressman Todd Young has been quick to fall in line with their agenda, recently voting in support of their interests 94% of the time.

From his tone deaf plans for Hoosier seniors and students, to turning his back on Indiana’s autoworkers, farmers, and manufacturers, Todd Young has prioritized his special interest backers like the Koch brothers over Hoosiers.

But don’t take our word for it. Check it out yourself:

– As of October 2016, Koch Industries has spent more than $56 million lobbying on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement Congressman Young long championed before he flip flopped two months ago when he saw his campaign in danger.

– The Koch brothers strongly opposed the auto rescue that saved 100,000 Hoosier jobs. Not surprisingly, Congressman Young said he would have voted against the auto rescue, called it “a waste,” and said the auto industry should have gone “belly up.”

– Congressman Young, like the Koch brothers, opposes the Renewable Fuel Standard that supports Indiana’s ethanol industry, voting multiple times to weaken it. The ethanol industry supports 25,000 jobs in Indiana alone and contributes nearly $1 billion to the Hoosier economy.

– The Koch brothers support a radical plan that would end Medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher program. So would Todd Young’s plan. His plan to end Medicare as we know it would cause steep hikes in health care costs for more than one million Hoosiers counting on the benefits they’ve earned—raising prescription drug prices for Hoosiers by $120 million over the next decade and increasing out-of-pockets costs for seniors by $6,400. For too many seniors that means having to choose between their medications and other essential bills.

– The Koch brothers called Social Security the “ultimate pyramid scheme” and advocated for the privatization of Social Security. Just as bad, Congressman Young, who has called Social Security a “Ponzi” scheme, has voted multiple times against protecting Social Security from privatization, and said he was “proud” to cosponsor a bill that would significantly cut Social Security. 800,000 Hoosier seniors depend on Social Security.

– Consistent with his pattern of voting against Hoosiers and with special interests like the Koch brothers, Young voted to cut more than $100 million in Pell Grant funding in Indiana, which would have impacted more than 200,000 Hoosier students. If Todd Young’s plan became law, 32,000 Hoosier students would lose access to Pell grants while others could see their awards cut by an average of $1,600. In a further insult to Hoosier students, Young voted to allow student loan interest rates to double from 3.4% to 6.8%, an increase that would cost Hoosier students approximately a semester’s worth of tuition at Indiana State University, Indiana University, Purdue, and Ball State.

“Congressman Todd Young has proven he won’t stand up for Hoosiers in Congress. Instead, he’ll look out for himself and the special interests bankrolling his campaign like the Koch Brothers, whom he votes with 94% of the time,” said John Zody, Chairman. “The Koch/Young Agenda supports job-killing trade deals, opposes the auto rescue, cuts Pell Grant funding, and puts Hoosiers’ retirement security at risk. Congressman Young has been in Washington the past six years and has nothing to show for it. Instead, Congressman Young is only a follower of the Koch brothers and their reckless agenda against Hoosier families.”

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