Political profile of William Keating

The Big Picture

Let’s begin with an unpleasant but glaring truth – nobody is going to easily “flip” Bill Keating’s seat.

As the following political profile shows, William R. (“Bill”) Keating has solid numbers at the voting booth, and his centrist positions are exactly what voters in Massachusetts’s oldest, whitest, less-educated, military-friendly Congressional district appear to want. As a long-time member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Keating is a major beneficiary of the defense industry’s largesse, but he receives far greater support from organized labor. It’s not clear how the union money spigot could be shut off, but this is the thing that would hurt him the most.

Congressional District 9

Massachusetts Congressional District 9 is older and whiter than most of Massachusetts. The median age is 47.3 (20% higher than both US and MA averages) but the mean is 60-69. Likewise, 83% of the district is white (43% higher than the national average and 13% higher than the state average). CD9 is in fact one of the whitest parts of the state. 9.8% of the District is foreign-born, half the rate in the rest of Massachusetts and two-thirds the rate in the US. 6.4% of the population of CD9 are veterans, 1.5 times the rest of Massachusetts and only slightly higher than the national average. 43.3% of the District has a college degree. This is 20% higher than the national average but 10% less than the state average.

Keating’s background

William R. Keating was born in Norwood, Norfolk County, Massachusetts on September 6, 1952. Keating received his B.A. from Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass. in 1974, an M.B.A. from Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass. in 1982, and his J.D. from Suffolk University, Boston, Mass. in 1985. After passing the bar Keating went to work for the law firm Keating & Fishman. Keating was a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1977-1984, having been elected at the ripe old age of 24. He has been a career politican literally his entire adult life.

After Joseph Timility resigned from the state Senate, Keating won his seat, remaining in the state Senate from 1985-1998. Keating ran on a tough anti-crime platform. He also joined the Joint Public Safety Committee, where he wrote a drug sentencing “reform” package which lowered thresholds for possession “with intent to distribute.” Keating’s legislation was pilloried for being both unncessarily draconian and vague. But his voters loved it.

Keating then advanced his political careerism as Norfolk County, Mass. District Attorney from 1998-2010. Upon taking his oath of office, a third of the Norfolk DA staff either resigned or was fired. He served two terms as DA.

In 2011 Keating was elected as a Democrat to U.S. Congress, where he remains today. He is considered a typical “Massachusetts liberal” and in the 118th Congress Keating voted with President Joe Biden 100% of the time. Keating’s 2022 election cost him $1.36 million and he won 59.2% of the vote, beating Republican challenger Jesse Brown. Keating enjoys donor support from not only defense contractors who benefit from his votes in Congress, but receives support from numerous Massachusetts unions.

Keating sits on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Committee on Armed Services, including the Armed Services Subcommittee on Intelligence and Special Operations.

In the current (119th) Congress, Keating has sponsored a number of bills and resolutions, many related to Russia and Ukraine. See Keating’s full list of sponsored legislation at the end of this report.

Democracy and Transparency

  • Despite the tremendous amount of money now being spent on elections at all levels and ballot questions in 2012 and 2014 which showed over 70% of Massachusetts voters supporting a Constitutional amendment to restrict rights to natural persons and to take money out of elections, Keating was not a co-sponsor of H.J.Res.48, which would have addressed “Citizens United.”
  • Other members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation — JIm McGovern and even Seth Moulton — co-signed Representatives Bill Pascrell and Debbie Dingell’s letter urging the U.S. Trade Representative’s office to ensure that the NAFTA renegotiation process remains open and transparent. Bill Keating did not.

Health Care

  • One hundred and sixteen Democrats co-sponsored H.R.676, John Conyers’ Medicare for All Act. Keating was not one of them.
  • Keating has not endorsed any other public healthcare option.

Worker’s Rights

  • Keating did not support Worker Rights: H.R.15 – Raise the Wage Act.

Women’s Rights

  • The Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH Woman) Act of 2017, H.R.771, sought to defend a woman’s right to choose. Keating did not support it.
  • Former DNC chair Tom Perez and former DCCC chair Ray Lujan, as well as some in the New Democrat Coalition, of which Keating and Seth Moulton are members, argue for “flexibility” on abortion and against abortion as a litmus test.

Education

  • Twenty-seven Democrats co-sponsored H.R.1880, the College for All Act. Keating was not one of them.

Taxation

  • The Inclusive Prosperity Act, H.R. 1144, a Wall Street Speculation fee, is a fraction of a percent tax on stocks, bonds, and financial derivatives that can be used to fund public university tuition and would be offset by tax credits. Keating did not support this.

Consumer

  • Keating voted YEA with Blue Dog Democrats on H.R. 3192, a Republican bill which reduces transparency for mortgage lending institutions. This bill was a hit with the American Bankers Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Home Builders lobby, but it prohibited consumers from suing mortgage lenders who violated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau disclosure requirements under the Truth in Lending Act. Keating doesn’t believe in amnesty for immigrants. Why then an amnesty for mortgage lenders?
  • Keating also voted YEA with conservative Democrats on H.R. 1737, a Republican bill which neutered the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s oversight of Indirect Auto Lending and Compliance with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. Keating and a minority of House Democrats broke with his own party to vote for Republican sponsored H.R.1737, the Reforming CFPB Indirect Auto Financing Guidance Act. This bill prohibited consumers — particularly minorities — from suing auto lenders who violated Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules against discrimination in lending. The bill takes the unusual step of preventing disclosures of violations with Freedom of Information Act requests. The NAACP, the Urban League, La Raza, the Consumers Union, and many others, were opposed.

Immigration

  • Keating is a hard-liner on immigration. From “On the Issues”: “Bill Keating opposes amnesty. As a District Attorney, Bill Keating enforces our laws and believes that everyone must obey them. His office has prosecuted thousands of criminal cases that resulted in defendants being detained for immigration and deportation action. Bill believes that we must secure our borders, and wants to punish and stop corporations that hire workers here illegally. Bill does not support giving people who are here illegally access to state and federal benefits.”
  • Keating and five other Democrats voted for H.R. 3009, the “Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act,” a Republican bill to withhold funding for states and municipalities with “sanctuary” policies.
  • Keating and Blue Dog Democrats voted for H.R. 4038, the “American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act of 2015.” The Republican bill added additional obstacles to the already-onerous screening and vetting of Syrian refugees.
  • Keating voted YEA on H.R. 3004, “Kate’s Law,” a Republican bill which expands indefinite detention of migrants who repeatedly cross the border. The bill will do nothing to prevent future actions by desperate people but it will increase the number of private prisons in the United States.
  • During the January Shutdown, only Keating and Stephen Lynch voted for a stopgap spending bill that kept the military happy but threw Dreamers under the bus. The other seven Massachusetts congressman and both U.S. senators voted against it.

Civil Liberties

  • Keating is no friend of the Fourth Amendment and gets only middling ratings: “Keating supported ‘cybersecurity’ legislation, and opposed defunding the government’s Section 702 surveillance programs (PRISM and Upstream); however, he supports banning backdoor searches on US persons.
  • Keating voted for the USA FREEDOM Act, which reformed the small amount of government surveillance that occurs under Section 215 of the PATRIOT Act, and continued to support it even after its reforms were watered down to the point where there was much debate about whether it would do more harm than good to pass it.”
  • Voted for extending FISA in 2018 – https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/115-2018/h16

Private Prisons

  • The Justice is Not for Sale Act, H.R.3227, places restrictions on private prisons. At a time Republicans are trying to re-institute discredited justice and prison practices, and pushing privatization, including prisons, schools, and even the war in Afghanistan, Keating did not support this.

Voting Rights

  • The Automatic Voter Registration Act, H.R. 2840, would make voter registration easier and automatic. Keating did not support this.

Foreign Policy

Politically, Keating is liberal on some domestic issues. However, when it comes to foreign policy, Keating is a pro-NATO, “anti-terror” war hawk who voted to expand both the Patriot Act and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Keating has worked on providing Ukraine with more weapons and on legislation to sanction Russia and Russian parliamentarians. He has lobbied the EU to have Iran classified as a sponsor of state terror and advocated imposing additional sanctions on it. When Donald Trump ordered the assassination of Iranian General Qassim Soleimani, Keating told Radio Boston it was indeed a US “escalation” but no one was going to mourn the death of a war criminal.

In keeping with Keating’s across-the-aisle militarism and adventurism, he signed a resolution sponsored by far-right Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen in behalf of the Falun Gong, which claimed that Chinese political prisoners from the religious community were having their organs harvested by China. These claims were debunked by the Washington Post and denied by lawyers from the Falun Gong itself.

Keating’s Foreign Policy webpage describes him as a “staunch advocate of human rights and freedom of expression and press.”

Militarism and Foreign Policy

  • Keating voted NAY on a resolution to bar President Obama from using an AUMF to invade Libya. The resolution would have required Congress to declare war — per the U.S. Constitution. Keating did, however, vote YEA on ending the war in Afghanistan.
  • Keating was reluctant to support Obama’s and Kerry’s Iran deal (though he was critical of Trump for backing out of it) and has courted the MEK, an exile group which until 2012 was designated a terrorist organization seeking to overthrow and replace the Iranian government with its own “government-in-exile.” Republican and Democratic hawks managed to lift the designation.
  • Keating is pro-Israel. He has fought international efforts to support a Two State Solution, advocated moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, opposed the use of the word “Palestine” and threatened to cut off U.S. contributions to the U.N. and funding for U.N. refugee efforts because of the international body’s criticism of Israel’s land theft and occupation.
  • Keating, along with Democratic hawks, sent a letter to Rex Tillerson affirming their support for Trump’s policies on NATO and for Tillerson’s office. Keating shares Republicans’ view that NATO needs to be stronger to oppose Russia and joined Democratic war hawks in passing legislation to prevent a US President from leaving NATO.

Bombing

When President Donald Trump sent 50 Tomahawk missles into Syria on April 6th, 2017, the top five American newspapers ran 18 editorials praising the attack. There was not a single criticism. Sending a barrage of missiles into another nation is without question an act of war. The War Powers Act requires the President to report to Congress within 48 hours of initiating “hostilities.” Defense hawk and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised Trump’s attack and urged him to take out Assad’s airfields.

By bombing Syria, CNN’s Farid Zakaria said, Donald Trump had finally “become president.” MSNBC’s Brian Williams called the missiles flying off to do their lethal work “beautiful.” For the most part Democrats didn’t even bother to question whether the Syrian government deserved the attack. The Liberal Atlantic Monthly ran a piece titled Why America Should have Hit Assad Four Years Ago. Keating hopped on the militarist bandwagon, cheering Trump’s deployment of the Raytheon tomahawk missiles, which was in violation of both the AUMF and the U.S. Constitution.

Israel-Palestine

After October 7th, Keating condemned Hamas’s “senseless terrorist attacks” and promised Israel that America had its back. He pooh-poohed any dissention among Democrats over President Biden’s immediate military aid, telling the Boston Globe that the “vast majority” of Democrats support Joe Biden’s stance on helping Israel bomb Gaza.

Rep. Keating has rarely sponsored legislation with the words “Palestine” or “Palestinian” in it. Only one of his resolutions, H.Res.872, which appears to have been authored by the ADL, refers to contemporary Israel. Two other co-sponsored bills commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, in which Jews built bunkers, smuggled in weapons, and fought the Nazis who had locked them into a section of Warsaw turned into a concentration camp. Otherwise Keating is focused on Europe, particularly Russia and Ukraine.

Donors

Much of Keating’s support comes from organized labor since his domestic policies are much more liberal than his foreign policies. However, ignoring what goes on in the rest of the world, organized labor views the Democratic Party as a partner in transactional politics. This philosophy may be changing, but the union movement is still quite conservative overall.

OpenSecrets tracks Congressional donors. Of the thousands of donors to Keating’s campaigns between 2015 and 202, two defense contractors appear in hi top 20 donors – BAE Systems and Raytheon. Two pro-Israel lobby groups also show up – JStreet and AIPAC. Both AIPAC and BAE are tied for fourth place, along with a number of unions.

Rank Contributor Total Indivs Pacs
1 Democracy Engine $15,500.00 $15,500.00 $0.00
2 Thornton Law Firm $12,600.00 $12,600.00 $0.00
3 JStreetPAC $10,600.00 $8,100.00 $2,500.00
4 American Federation of State/Cnty/Munic Employees $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 American Israel Public Affairs Cmte $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 BAE Systems $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 Laborers Union $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 Nelson, Mullins et al $10,000.00 $2,000.00 $8,000.00
4 Operating Engineers Union $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 Plumbers/Pipefitters Union $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 Teamsters Union $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
4 United Parcel Service $10,000.00 $0.00 $10,000.00
13 National Assn of Realtors $8,000.00 $0.00 $8,000.00
14 Cape Cod Healthcare $7,950.00 $7,950.00 $0.00
15 American Crystal Sugar $7,500.00 $0.00 $7,500.00
15 American Federation of Teachers $7,500.00 $0.00 $7,500.00
15 National Beer Wholesalers Assn $7,500.00 $0.00 $7,500.00
15 Raytheon Technologies $7,500.00 $0.00 $7,500.00
15 Sheet Metal, Air, Rail & Transportation Union $7,500.00 $0.00 $7,500.00
15 United Food & Commercial Workers Union $7,500.00 $0.00 $7,500.00

According to the Federal Election Commission, which tracks the details of each donation, Keating took money from defense contractors BAE, Boeing, General Dynamics, General Electric, L3 Harris, Lockheed-Martin, Northrop Grumman, OSI Systems, and RTX/Raytheon. This the total haul from these defense contractors and also the Israel Lobby:

Donor Amount
AIPAC $22,900
JStreet $4,000
BAE $100,500
Boeing $44,000
General Dynamics $86,000
General Electric $27,000
L3 Harris $1,000
Lockheed-Martin $326,000
Northrop Grumman $178,000
OSI Systems $2,000
RTX / Raytheon $178,000
TOTAL $969,400

The American Friends Service Committee’ Investigate project has researched the role of each in either the carpet bombing of Gaza or corporate complicity in Israel’s occupation and Apartheid system.

Contractor Role in Gaza genocide (AFSC)
BAE The world’s seventh largest weapons manufacturer, UK company BAE Systems manufactures the M109 howitzer, a 155mm mobile artillery system that the Israeli military has been using extensively, firing tens of thousands of 155mm shells into the Gaza Strip. Some of these shells are white phosphorus bombs, the use of which is forbidden in densely populated civilian areas and potentially amounts to a war crime. BAE also manufactures electronic missile launching kits and other components for Israel’s F-15, F-16, and F-35 fighter jets, which the Israeli Air Force has used extensively in all of its attacks on Gaza, including in 2023. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments) see our company profile on the Investigate database.
Boeing The world’s fifth largest weapons manufacturer, Boeing manufactures F-15 fighter jets and Apache AH-64 attack helicopters, which the Israeli Air Force has used extensively in all of its attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, including in 2023. Boeing also manufactures multiple types of unguided small diameter bombs (SDBs) and Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, which convert these bombs into precision-guided munitions. Israel has been using these bombs extensively, including in a Nov. 1 bombing of Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp, which killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians and could amount to a war crime, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. On Oct. 10 and 22, the Israeli military used bombs equipped with Boeing JDAM kits to carry out what Amnesty International calls “unlawful air strikes on homes full of civilians in the occupied Gaza Strip.” The attacks, which could amount to a war crime, killed 24 people of the al-Najjar family and 19 people of the Abu Mu’eileq family. Immediately after Oct. 7, Boeing expedited delivery of 1,000 smart bombs, and another 1,800 JDAM kits, to Israel. Both deliveries were part of a 2021 order that Israel made during its previous large-scale attack on Gaza. Headquartered in Chicago, the company has important production facilities outside of Los Angeles, Seattle, and St. Louis. For more locations, see this map. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.
General Dynamics The world’s sixth largest weapons manufacturer, General Dynamics, supplies Israel with artillery ammunition and bombs for attack jets used in Israel’s assault on Gaza. The company developed the F-16 fighter jet, although it has been manufactured by Lockheed Martin since 1993. General Dynamics is the only company in the U.S. that makes the metal bodies of the MK-80 bomb series, the primary weapon type Israel uses to bomb Gaza. The bodies of the bombs are filled with explosives by the U.S. military, and then can be made into a guided bomb using Boeing‘s JDAM kits. It is also the only company in the U.S. that makes 155mm caliber artillery shells, which have been used extensively to attack Gaza. One source reported that, by Nov. 25, one Israeli brigade fired some 10,000 such shells using BAE’s M109 howitzer. 155mm shells have been part of the U.S.’s recent weapons shipments to Israel. The U.S. is planning to send “tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells that had been destined for Ukraine” to Israel. Their use by Israel, according to Oxfam, is “virtually assured to be indiscriminate, unlawful, and devastating to civilians in Gaza.” On Nov. 13, more than 30 organizations issued a letter opposing the transfer. General Dynamics also partnered with Flyer Defense (see above) to develop an armored patrol vehicle that Israel is testing. On an Oct. 25 call with investors, General Dynamics CFO, Jason Aiken, said, “I think if you look at the incremental demand potential coming out of [the attacks on Gaza], the biggest one to highlight and that really sticks out is probably on the artillery side.” General Dynamics is based outside of Washington, D.C., in Fairfax, Virginia. For more locations, see this map. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.
General Electric The world’s 25th largest weapons manufacturer, General Electric manufactures T700 Turboshaft engines for Boeing’s Apache helicopters. GE is headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.
L3 Harris The world’s ninth largest weapons manufacturer, L3Harris manufactures components that are integrated into multiple weapons systems used by the Israeli military in Gaza, including Boeing‘s JDAM kits (see above), Lockheed Martin’s F-35 warplane (see below), Northrop Grumman‘s Sa’ar 5 warships (see below), ThyssenKrupp’s Sa’ar 6 warships (see below), and Israel’s Merkava battle tanks. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.
Lockheed-Martin The world’s largest weapons manufacturer, Lockheed Martin supplies Israel with F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, which Israel has been using extensively to bomb Gaza. Israel also uses the company’s C-130 Hercules transport planes to support the ground invasion of Gaza. Lockheed Martin manufactures AGM-114 Hellfire missiles for Israel’s Apache helicopters. One of the main weapon types used in aerial attacks on Gaza, these missiles have been used extensively in 2023. Some 2,000 Hellfire missiles were delivered to Israel sometime between Oct. 7 and Nov. 14. On Dec. 28, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $10.5 million contract for continued support for Israel’s fleet of F-35 warplanes. On Dec. 11, the Israeli Air Force used a Lockheed Martin C-130-J Super Hercules aircraft to drop approximately seven tons of equipment to Israeli soldiers engaging in ground attacks in Khan Younis, located in the southern Gaza Strip. This was the “first operational airdrop” that Israel has carried out since the 2006 Lebanon War. On Nov. 9, an Israeli missile hit journalists sitting near Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The missile was reportedly a Lockheed Martin–made Hellfire R9X missile, a version of the Hellfire that was developed by the CIA for carrying out assassinations. Instead of exploding, the missile shreds its target using blades, allowing for a direct hit without collateral damage. The target in this case was not a military one. The Israeli military also uses Lockheed Martin’s M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). Used to fire Elbit Systems’ high-precision AccuLAR-122, the weapon was used by Israel for the first time, since the 2006 war in Lebanon, on Oct. 6, according to the Israeli military. On an Oct. 17 call with investors, Lockheed Martin CEO, Jim Taiclet, “highlighted the Israel and Ukraine conflicts as potential drivers for increased revenue in the coming years.” Lockheed Martin is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and has key production sites in Denver, Houston, New Orleans, and San Diego. For more locations, see this map. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.
Northrop Grumman The world’s sixth largest weapons manufacturer, Northrop Grumman supplies the Israeli Air Force with the Longbow missile delivery system for its Apache attack helicopters and laser weapon delivery systems for its fighter jets. It has also supplied the Israeli Navy with Sa’ar 5 warships, which have participated in the assault on Gaza. On Dec. 15, Northrop Grumman was awarded an $8.9 million contract for 30mm MK44 Stretch cannons for the Israeli military, funded by U.S. taxpayers’ money. The weapons will be manufactured in Mesa, Arizona, with an expected completion date of March 2025. Israel uses these guns on its Namer Armored Personnel Carrier, which has been used extensively in Gaza. Northrop Grumman is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, and its most important production sites are located in and around Baltimore, Denver, Los Angeles, and San Diego. For more locations, see this map. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.
OSI Systems Israel has installed OSI scanners in several of its illegal military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to Who Profits, as of 2020, Rapiscan scanning machines and full body scanners are installed at three military checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, as well as at the entrance to the Western Wall area in occupied East Jerusalem. This equipment is provided through OSI’s exclusive representative in Israel, G1 Secure Solutions (formerly G4S Israel).
RTX / Raytheon In addition, since 2016, Rapiscan metal detectors have been installed at 10 offices operated by the District Coordination and Liaison Offices (DCO), a unit of the Israeli Ministry of Defense that administers the civilian aspects of the military occupation of the West Bank, such as issuing travel permits to Palestinians.The world’s second largest weapons manufacturer and largest producer of guided missiles, RTX supplies the Israeli Air Force with guided air-to-surface missiles for its F-16 fighter jets, as well as cluster bombs and bunker busters, which have consistently been used against Gaza’s civilian population and infrastructure. RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney manufactures engines for F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. As part of a joint venture with Israeli state-owned weapons manufacturer Rafael, RTX makes interceptors for Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system, which have been part of the U.S.’s recent weapons shipments to Israel. On an Oct. 24 call with investors, RTX CEO, Greg Hayes, said, “I think really across the entire Raytheon portfolio, you’re going to see a benefit of this restocking.” RTX moved is headquarters from Waltham, Massachusetts to Arlington, Virginia in 2022. For more locations, see this map. For more information on this company (not including these latest developments), see our company profile on the Investigate database.

Like Keating’s donations from unions, he has received money from the Human Rights Campaign PAC, a group with an LGBTQ+ focus, and NARAL PAC, which has a reproductive rights focus. And like the Democratic Party, the center of gravity for both unions and liberal causes, many progressive organizations apparently can’t see beyond the borders of the United States.

Israel Lobby

According to OpenSecrets Keating has received a total of $26,395 from pro-Israel lobbies (mainly AIPAC and JStreet) since entering Congress. For context, the average of 1404 (past and present Congressional) lifetime Israel lobby donations is a shocking $93,450. On average, Massachusetts Congresspeople received average lifetime totals of $51,740.

As things go, Keating is hardly the worst offender. The suprise in the numbers is now-Senator Ed Markey. As a Representative he received considerable money from AIPAC.

Massachusetts Representative Total pro-Israel receipts
Auchincloss, Jake $261,761
Clark, Katherine $230,549
Markey, Ed $137,171
Kennedy, Joe III $97,067
Neal, Richard E $84,300
Moulton, Seth $61,636
McGovern, James P $56,725
Trahan, Lori $41,688
Capuano, Michael E $27,500
Frank, Barney $27,324
Kennedy, Joseph P II $26,600
Keating, Bill $26,395
Olver, John W $21,250
Tsongas, Niki $14,200
Blute, Peter (Republican) $9,000
Conte, Silvio (Republican) $5,000
Moakley Joe $3,050
Mavroules, Nicholas $2,550
Tierney, John F $2,000
Atkins, Chester Greenough $1,500
Studds, Gerry E $1,000
Pressley, Ayanna $5
   
Average $51,740

Organized Labor

In terms of the scope of Keating’s donations from unions, the FEC database is the place to look. If Keating has one obvious vulnerability it is the uncritical support he receives from organized labor.

Keating’s Personal Investments

In October 2023 RAWStory investigators Dave Levinthal and Alexandria Jacobson published an article, “Busted: Dem lawmaker with military oversight is playing the market with a military supplier.” The Democratic lawmaker was William R. Keating and the defense contractor was Boeing.

In a House financial disclosure filed the previous month, Keating reported he had purchased up to $50,000 of stocks in Boeing and $848.75 in Caterpillar. Boeing manufactures the Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) that have been used extensively in Gaza, while Caterpillar notoriously and in flagrant violation of international law provides demolition equipment used to destroy Palestinian homes and infrastructure. Readers may recall that Rachel Corrie was a US activist who was crushed to death by a militarized Caterpillar D9 bulldozer in 2003 when she attempted to block the destruction of a Palestinian home with people still inside it.

When asked about Keating’s investments, a spokesperson said that they “do not influence the congressman’s policy positions.” But Jessica Tillipman, associate dean for government procurement law studies at The George Washington University, described Keating’s investments as a “raging conflict of interest.”

Legislation

Keating has either sponsored or co-sponsored the following legislation throughout his time in Congress:

Resolutions

Keating has either sponsored or co-sponsored the following resolutions throughout his time in Congress: