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Microsoft ends donations to lawmakers who refused to certify election

Microsoft announced Friday it will suspend contributions for the rest of the 2022 election cycle to all members of Congress who voted to object to the presidential election results.

Driving the news: The decision comes after Microsoft held listening sessions with employees to discuss the future of its political action committee after the Capitol riot.

The big picture: Businesses are seriously reconsidering their approaches to political giving following the riot, and future giving will surely not go without scrutiny.

Yes, but: It's possible regular giving resumes after this election cycle, once businesses feel enough time has passed since the riot and emotions aren't as high.

What's happening: In addition to suspending of giving to certain members of Congress, state officials and organizations who said the presidential election should be overturned, Microsoft will now allow employees to donate directly to causes like campaign finance reform and voting rights.

  • The company is also renaming its PAC to the Microsoft Corporation Stakeholders Voluntary PAC.
  • Microsoft had previously suspended all political giving pending the review that led to Friday's announcement.

What they're saying: "We believe these steps are appropriate given the importance of these issues for the stability and future of American democracy," Fred Humphries, VP of U.S. government affairs for Microsoft, wrote in a blog.

Go deeper

Axios Events
Updated Feb 2, 2021 - Axios Events

Watch: A conversation on corporate America's climate impact

On Tuesday, February 2, Axios' Mike Allen, Ben Geman, and Aja Whitaker-Moore hosted a conversation on corporate America’s climate impact following the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda, featuring Microsoft's Chief Environmental Officer Lucas Joppa and The Rockefeller Foundation President Rajiv Shah.

Rajiv Shah discussed increasing global inequities as a result of the pandemic, and how these economic divides can be crossed with respect to energy and climate change policies.

  • On the growing gap between the world's wealthy and poor: "COVID-19 is an accelerant of that [economic] divergence. We're now living through the greatest divergence we've seen since World War II and the living standards of people and inequality and inequity as a result of that."
  • On how corporate America has stepped up their commitment to climate change initiatives: "It is going to take much more than a series of corporate commitments to get to net neutrality by 2050. And in fact, I'm optimistic because I've seen companies since [the beginning of 2020] do more."

Lucas Joppa unpacked climate change commitments within the private sector, and how companies have the potential to collectively create change.

  • On the progress Microsoft has made around reducing carbon emissions: "A year ago we committed that by 2030, we'd reduce our emissions by half or more and remove the rest. Over the past calendar year...if we keep on track, we'll see us meeting or achieving our commitments."
  • On setting an example as a large company and modeling scalable solutions: "It's incumbent upon [Microsoft] to do more, but it's also incumbent that we do more in a way that makes it easier for everybody to follow. We know with carbon reduction and carbon removal there's a lot of market maturation and a lot of other societal scale changes that need to happen [around it]."

Thank you Bank of America for sponsoring this event.

Stef W. Kight
6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Home confinees face imminent return to prison

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Thousands of prisoners who've been in home confinement for as long as a year because of the pandemic face returning to prison when it's over — unless President Biden rescinds a last-minute Trump Justice Department memo.

Why it matters: Most prisoners were told they would not have to come back as they were released early with ankle bracelets. Now, their lives are on hold while they wait to see whether or when they may be forced back behind bars. Advocates say about 4,500 people are affected.

Go deeper (2 min. read)Arrow
Kadia Goba
6 hours ago - Politics & Policy

The "essential" committee that still doesn't exist

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Nearly five months after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced the creation of the bipartisan Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth, it's not been formed much less met.

Why it matters: Select committees are designed to address urgent matters, but the 117th Congress is now nearly one-quarter complete without this panel assembling. When she announced this committee, Pelosi described it as an "essential force" to "combat the crisis of income and wealth disparity in America."

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow