Multiple Republican lawmakers plan to attend the annual meeting of the controversial World Economic Forum next week in Davos, Switzerland.
The World Economic Forum draws many of the most powerful government officials and corporate leaders on the planet for its yearly conference, where speakers promote an array of global initiatives that conservatives say infringe on mankind’s fundamental liberties. The group, which is led by German economist Klaus Schwab, is a leading proponent of stakeholder capitalism, an approach to investing that says executives must consider the needs of employees, communities, and other parties in addition to shareholders, and the use of corporate power to advance political agendas in the global economy.
The event includes a panel regarding the “reshaped legislative landscape in the United States as it relates to domestic and foreign policy.” Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) and Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) will speak alongside Governor J.B. Pritzker (D-IL), Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ).
Kemp, who decisively won reelection at the end of last year, will “share with leaders how the state of Georgia’s long record of conservative governance, protecting individual liberty, and championing opportunity can serve as a model for economic success across the country and around the world,” a spokesperson remarked in a statement to Georgia Public Broadcasting.
The World Economic Forum mentioned Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Sen. James Risch (R-ID), and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI) in a list of public figures for this year’s conference alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), and Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY).
A statement from Issa criticized many policies advanced by the World Economic Forum and said the lawmaker would attend the event despite his disagreements with many attendees. “No conservative should be unwilling to go where progressive activists, world leaders, and the mainstream media are gathered and tell them when they are wrong,” Issa commented. “Anyone who thinks Darrell Issa would go anywhere overseas and not have America’s back doesn’t know him at all,” Issa communications director Jonathan Wilcox told The Daily Wire in a separate statement.
A spokesman from Salazar’s team told The Daily Wire that the lawmaker “was invited to participate in a bipartisan congressional delegation to this year’s World Economic Forum to ensure American interests are protected,” adding that “she will highlight American exceptionalism and opportunities available under a free-market economy.” Spokespeople for Risch and Gallagher told The Daily Wire that the lawmakers were invited to the conference but do not plan to attend.
Several officials from the Biden administration, including Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, Trade Representative Katherine Tai, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, USAID Administrator Samantha Power, and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, also plan to attend the conference. The Biden administration has partnered with the World Economic Forum through the First Movers Coalition, a “public-private partnership to commercialize clean technologies through advance purchase commitments.”
The World Economic Forum conference will “reaffirm the value and imperative of dialogue and public-private cooperation, not only to navigate the current cascading crises but, more importantly, to drive tangible, system-positive change for the long term,” according to the event’s website. The conference will feature discussions about renewable energy, economic challenges such as record inflation, and tensions arising from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kerry will speak on a panel about public and private actors using “the power of catalytic philanthropy” for climate investments, while Whitmer is scheduled to discuss the future of global manufacturing.
“Energy transition and climate change are inextricably linked, with its impact being felt in recent months. While a global energy transition is under way, further action is needed to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change,” the website said. “Critical measures to accelerate energy transition include decoupling economic growth from energy consumption, particularly in emerging economies, mainstreaming breakthrough technological innovations and addressing equity.”
Schwab, who has led the controversial organization for decades, garnered worldwide notoriety for suggesting that the lockdown-induced recession presents an opportunity for elites to craft a “Great Reset” of the planet’s economic and social systems. The three components of the plan are governments promoting “fairer outcomes” in the marketplace, channeling investments toward “equality and sustainability” efforts such as those promoted through the ESG movement, and using medical technology to address “health and social challenges.”