{"id":1124491,"date":"2021-12-16T08:58:32","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T13:58:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1124491"},"modified":"2021-12-16T08:58:36","modified_gmt":"2021-12-16T13:58:36","slug":"nike-executives-funneled-money-to-democrat-who-just-blocked-uyghur-forced-labor-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nike-executives-funneled-money-to-democrat-who-just-blocked-uyghur-forced-labor-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Nike Executives Funneled Money To Democrat Who Just Blocked Uyghur Forced Labor Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnike-executives-funneled-money-to-democrat-who-just-blocked-uyghur-forced-labor-bill%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1124491&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><ul>\n<li><strong>Several top Nike executives funneled more than $60,000 to the re-election campaign of Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden over the course of just days in September.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>On Wednesday evening, Wyden blocked the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act which the House passed unanimously Tuesday and the Senate was expected to overwhelmingly approve.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Nike, which has been linked to the Chinese forced labor the bill targets, is one of several corporations to lobby against the bill, The New York Times reported.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Several top Nike executives funneled more than $60,000 to the re-election campaign of Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden over the course of just 16 days in September.<\/p>\n<p>On Wednesday evening, Wyden <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/12\/15\/ron-wyden-blocks-uyghur-slave-labor-bill-child-tax-credit\/\">blocked<\/a> the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act which the House <a href=\"https:\/\/www.axios.com\/congress-uyghur-forced-labor-bill-d4699c95-16ea-4b42-bda4-eb5baa29326a.html\">passed unanimously<\/a> Tuesday and the Senate was expected to overwhelmingly approve. President Joe Biden vowed to sign the bill once passed by both chambers and work with Congress to \u201censure global supply chains are free of forced labor,\u201d White House press secretary Jen Psaki <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/briefing-room\/statements-releases\/2021\/12\/14\/statement-by-press-secretary-jen-psaki-on-the-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act\/\">said<\/a> in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>Nike, a major benefactor of Wyden, was one of several corporations to lobby against the bill, The New York Times previously <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/11\/29\/business\/economy\/nike-coca-cola-xinjiang-forced-labor-bill.html\">reported<\/a>. A&nbsp;March 2020 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cecc.gov\/sites\/chinacommission.house.gov\/files\/documents\/CECC%20Staff%20Report%20March%202020%20-%20Global%20Supply%20Chains%2C%20Forced%20Labor%2C%20and%20the%20Xinjiang%20Uyghur%20Autonomous%20Region.pdf\">report<\/a> from the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) concluded that the Oregon-based athletic apparel giant was one of several corporations suspected to either directly employ forced labor or source materials from suppliers using forced labor in Xinjiang.<\/p>\n<p>Between Sept. 15-30, 20 Nike executives including CEO John Donahoe and Executive Chairman Mark Parker each made two $2,900 contributions to Wyden, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?committee_id=C00308676&amp;committee_id=C00436998&amp;contributor_employer=nike&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2022&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to federal elections campaign data. Scott Uzzell, the CEO of Nike subsidiary Converse, made a single contribution of $2,900.<\/p>\n<p>Altogether, the executives gave $60,900 to Wyden\u2019s campaign in the span of about two weeks. Wyden is running for re-election in November 2022. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/04\/24\/apple-retail-groups-lobbying-chinese-slave-uyghur-labor-bill\/\">(RELATED: Apple, Retail Groups Continue Lobbying Congress On Chinese Slave Labor Bill)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_7338400\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" readability=\"33\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-7338400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Ron Wyden prepares to speak at outside the Capitol on Nov. 16. (Jemal Countess\/Getty Images for SEIU)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cNike is committed to ethical and responsible manufacturing and we uphold international labor standards,\u201d Nike said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/purpose.nike.com\/statement-on-xinjiang\">statement<\/a> last year following the NYT report. \u201cWe are concerned about reports of forced labor in, and connected to, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNike does not source products from the XUAR and we have confirmed with our contract suppliers that they are not using textiles or spun yarn from the region,\u201d it continued.<\/p>\n<p>The company also denied ever lobbying against the forced labor legislation that Wyden blocked. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/12\/13\/china-xinjiang-uyghurs-solar-panel-forced-labor-human-rights\/\">(RELATED: Green Energy Push Is Contributing To Forced Labor, Slavery)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Senate lobbying <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/dd2185a7-ce68-4ffa-9199-064925d2f444\/print\/\">disclosures<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/cad24a10-9495-415d-b8d2-260f562451f4\/print\/\">released<\/a> over the last 12 months <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/16f6c230-b7d1-4f09-b371-a53701167232\/print\/\">showed<\/a> that Nike has engaged in efforts related to \u201cinternational trade, global sourcing and labor,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/6c116fb3-1dd8-4541-aed4-876040ef0808\/print\/\">specifically<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/lda.senate.gov\/filings\/public\/filing\/796f9149-b607-49ee-b888-72a5a12f1592\/print\/\">naming<\/a> the forced labor bill, but don\u2019t detail the company\u2019s exact actions. Nike has spent more than $1.2 million on lobbying in the Senate, according to the filings.<\/p>\n<p>The forced labor bill <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/12\/14\/house-senate-come-to-agreement-on-uyghur-forced-labor-bill-after-reports-of-biden-administration-opposition\/\">would require<\/a> companies that import products from factories in the Xinjiang province of China to provide \u201cclear and convincing evidence\u201d to U.S. customs authorities that the products had no ties to forced labor.<\/p>\n<p>Wyden explained Wednesday that he would object to the legislation until Congress approved an extension of the <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/12\/07\/child-tax-credit-driving-americans-toward-entrepreneurship-little-effect-on-workforce\/\">child tax credit<\/a>, a social spending program which no Senate Republican supports. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin has also <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/12\/15\/senate-democrats-push-bidens-spending-bill-2022-instead-pass-voting-bill\/\">pushed back<\/a> on the program\u2019s inclusion in Biden\u2019s budget bill making its way through Congress.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"7.1394230769231\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Senator Rubio spoke again on the Senate Floor after Democrats object to passage of his Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dFRjyS73lA\">pic.twitter.com\/dFRjyS73lA<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenRubioPress\/status\/1471256339821346818?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 15, 2021<\/a> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Republican Sen. Marco Rubio \u2014 a sponsor of the bill and member of the CECC and Foreign Relations Committee \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SenRubioPress\">slammed Wyden\u2019s actions<\/a>, saying he was preventing passage of a popular law that could be signed into law this week for the sake of a contentious program. Even if the Senate were to pass a child tax credit extension, Rubio noted, the House would vote on it in January at the earliest.<\/p>\n<p>Throughout Wyden\u2019s Senate career, Nike has been his top contributor, donating an estimated $188,119 to his campaigns since 1989, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.opensecrets.org\/members-of-congress\/ron-wyden\/contributors?cid=N00007724&amp;cycle=CAREER\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">according<\/a> to OpenSecrets. More than $151,000 has come from individuals while the remainder was contributed through political action committees.<\/p>\n<p>Nike executives previously gave large sums of cash to Wyden\u2019s campaign. In December 2015, amid another Wyden re-election campaign, Parker, the company\u2019s CEO at the time, and 11 other Nike executives gave contributions totaling $39,000 to the Oregon Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, nine Nike employees donated a total of $3,062 to Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley, the other senator from Oregon, during his re-election campaign in 2019-2020, election data <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/receipts\/individual-contributions\/?committee_id=C00437277&amp;contributor_employer=nike&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2020&amp;two_year_transaction_period=2022&amp;max_date=12%2F31%2F2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">showed<\/a>. None of the employees were executives.<\/p>\n<p>Merkley, another Foreign Relations Committee and CECC member, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rubio.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/2021\/1\/rubio-merkley-colleagues-re-introduce-uyghur-forced-labor-prevention-act\">joined Rubio<\/a> in sponsoring the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/11\/16\/joe-biden-china-xi-jinping-meeting-debate-no-breakthroughs\/\"><strong>(RELATED: Company\u2019s Profits Plummet In China After Consumers Boycott Forced Labor In Xinjiang)<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Wyden\u2019s office and Nike didn\u2019t immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/p>\n<p>Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact <a href=\"mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Several top Nike executives funneled more than $60,000 to the re-election campaign of Democratic Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden over the course of just days in September. On Wednesday evening, Wyden &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":181,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1124491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1124491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/181"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1124491"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1124491\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1124491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1124491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1124491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}