"Senator Kerry, we've just fired another 'Hellfire' missile at some Afghan civilans!" "Hot Damn, that ought to shoot my stock up!!!"

151 members of Congress have up to $195 million invested in major defense contractors

Congress Invested in Defense Contracts

The nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics has calculated that more than 151 members of Congress have up to $195 million invested in major defense contractors that are earning profits from the US military occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lawmakers with the most money invested in companies with DoD contracts include Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass), with up to $38,209,020; Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), with $49,140,000; Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC), with $37,105,000; Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis), with $7,612,653; Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif), with $6,260,000; Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich), with $8,360,000; Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa), with $2,000,002; Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis), with $5,800,000; Rep. Kenny Ewell Marchant (R-Texas), with $1,163,231; and Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), with up to $5,000,000.

Forty-seven members of Congress (or 9 percent of all members of the House and Senate) in 2006 were invested in companies that are primarily in the defense sector. The average share price of these corporations today is nearly twice what it was in 2004. Lawmakers’ investments in these contracting firms yielded them between $15.8 million and $62 million in income between 2004 and 2006, through dividends, capital gains, royalties and interest, the Center found.

Companies with congressional investors received more than $275.6 billion from the government in 2006. The minimum value of Congress members’ personal investments in defense contracting firms increased 5 percent from 2004 to 2006, but because lawmakers are only required to report their assets in broad ranges, the value of these investments could have risen as much as 160 percent—or even dropped 51 percent.

Each time a Predator drone sends a Hellfire missile screaming into an Afghan wedding party or some Pakistani village, do these ghouls say "KA-Ching!"

When the evening news reports of more American kids killed fighting these wars for 'Wall Street and Israel,' do they check the latest stock prices and pat themselves on the back for being so astute with their investments?

If they need some more money for that all expenses paid, 1st class only, 5 Star hotel tour of Europe, do they use some of our tax dollars to fund more mayhem and destruction so they can cash in some of their rising stock portfolio?

Will Glenn Beck take time off from stirring up a race war to comment on these blood-soaked vampires? Will Rush Limbaugh bring this up on his nationwide radio show or will he be too busy dreaming about that football franchise?