Tom Emmer Pushes ESG LGBTQ Agenda as He Vies for House Majority Whip

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN), who is vying for House Republican leadership, has voted for legislation that has advanced Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives and received funding from Wall Street giant BlackRock.

Emmer said last week he is running for House Majority Whip. This follows after he led the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) to an underwhelming midterm performance to take back the House majority from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).

As House Republicans consider Emmer and other congressional Republicans’ credentials for House Republican leadership, many conservatives and others have raised issues with Emmer’s political agenda.

Emmer, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, has received $5,000 this cycle from BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager. Under Emmer, BlackRock donated $15,000 to the NRCC.

In contrast, the current members of the House Republican leadership, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Republican Policy Committee Chairman Gary Palmer (R-AL), have not received donations from BlackRock this cycle. To note BlackRock’s influence, the Wall Street asset manager has donated to 43.37 percent of House Republican candidates, and 56.53 percent of House Democrat candidates.

BlackRock, with its undue influences as the world’s largest asset manager, has served as a chief advocate of ESG investing. ESG promotes leftist goals such as more spending on green energy to combat alleged climate change, more diversity on corporate boards and the corporation overall, as well as equity and inclusion.

One lobbyist told Breitbart News that the lawmakers should take donations from BlackRock and should face increased consequences for receiving money from Wall Street asset managers such as BlackRock.

A lobbyist said that BlackRock is only behind George Soros and former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried as one of the largest donors to Democrats.

The lobbyist also emphasized that this issue does not merely relate to the leadership race for House Majority whip; if Emmer does not win the whip race, then he would likely become the next House Financial Services Oversight subcommittee chairman.

The lobbyist said, “Their number one agenda on oversight should be to prosecute BlackRock for these policies. But he got money from them [BlackRock], really?”

The lobbyist said that “there’s got to be a place in hell when it comes to Republicans” that work with corporations that have spent tens of millions of dollars to “cripple small businesses.”

The lobbyist continued, “I’ve heard horror stories about small downstream businesses that are vendors to Fortune 500 companies. They’re getting these mandates shoved down their throats by the Fortune 500 company. BlackRock is doing it to the Fortune 500 company, then the Fortune 500 company goes into the small businessman that sells widgets in Indiana or wherever. Widget maker has to find a trans[gender] safety inspector for a supply chain line.”

Emmer in 2021, voted for H.R. 1443, the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, which would require financial institutions to collect and report application data regarding LGBTQ-owned businesses under the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).

Emmer’s office did not respond to a request for comment regarding his support for H.R. 1443 or his donations from BlackRock.

The American Conservative Union (ACU) explained how the bill would only increase regulatory costs:

The so-called LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act, sponsored by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY ACUF Lifetime 3%), saddles banking and lending firms with even greater regulatory costs and serves as yet another tool for plaintiff attorneys to advance frivolous litigation … ACU opposes this measure which imposes yet another regulatory cost on businesses and is designed to enrich plaintiff attorneys through frivolous litigation and opposed this bill. The House passed the bill on June 24, 2021 by a vote of 252-176.

Conservatives across the political spectrum have raised concerns about Emmer’s opposition to traditionally socially conservative issues on religious issues and transgenderism.

American Principles Project (APP) President Terry Schilling said, “Tom Emmer is far more socially liberal than Barack Obama was in 2008. Emmer has consistently sided with the far left and voted against mainstream House Republicans on religious liberty, transgender, and marriage legislation.”

Emmer sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg expressing support for a multi-million infrastructure grant that allegedly “strives to serve as a social justice measure. Emmer voiced support of the Ankona County, Minnesota, believing it would alleviate alleged disparities of “ethnically underserved” communities.

“The completion of this project means improved economic opportunities for ethnically underserved communities. Currently, Highway 65 is very difficult to travel or cross for people walking or riding bikes, which is often a barrier to economic prosperity for so many living in and around the area,” Emmer explained to the Democrat Transportation secretary.

Emmer also voted to codify same-sex marriage this year and served as one of the nine House Republicans to vote to block the Donald Trump administration’s ban on transgender soldiers in the military in 2019.

The Minnesota Republican voted for an amendment sponsored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY) that would have federal bureaucrats strip contracts from contractors that do not give biological men access to bathrooms designated for women.