September 30, 2021
Dear Senator Rubio,
Americans are sick and tired of corporate America engaging in political fights totally unrelated to running their businesses, not to mention the blatant hypocrisy of their political posturing.
Independent Women’s Voice (IWV), which fights to enhance people’s freedom, opportunities, and well-being, has serious concerns about the politicization of corporations. An increasing number of corporate executives are prioritizing their own personal political preferences and policy agendas over the fiduciary responsibilities that they have to their shareholders. Shareholders find many of these corporate executives’ actions (which often counter their own beliefs) disturbing, as it appears these decisions are not made with the long-term financial interests of the business in mind nor to serve their workers, customers, and communities.
Worse still, many of these “woke” corporations routinely engage in selective outrage, seeking to silence those with whom they disagree while continuing to turn a blind eye to those causing real damage. This past summer, for example, Major League Baseball punished Georgians over false claims that the Election Integrity Act of 2021 suppresses voter rights (the law actually makes it easier for citizens to vote) while continuing to do business with China, despite its grievous human rights abuses.
It isn’t good for so many aspects of American life to become explicitly political. It doesn’t bring us together and doesn’t encourage unity. It divides us.
Thank you, Senator Rubio, for bringing this important issue into the spotlight and for encouraging a discussion about how policy changes could encourage business to stop politicizing American life. We look forward to continuing to work with you on innovative policy ideas and to ensure that this issue gets the attention it deserves.
Respectfully,
Hadley Heath Manning
Director of Policy
Independent Women’s Voice