As Twitchy readers know, DataRepublican has decided to pull the curtain back on Senator John Thune, and what she’s found is less than impressive.
But it might explain a thing or two, especially with how he continues to drag his feet on the SAVE Act.
Let’s go through Thune’s handlers, shall we? The crossover Punchbowl sponsors who also donated to Thune.
Goldman Sachs, $150,000 to Thune:
Top financial-sector H-1B user. Relies on foreign talent pipeline for trading, quant, and tech roles. Primary stake: filibuster…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
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… preservation blocks financial regulation reform. A stricter enforcement ecosystem threatens their workforce model and signals a broader documentation-verification environment that they oppose.
Alrighty then.
Comcast/NBCUniversal, $120,000 to Thune:
Major H-1B user for engineering and tech. Owns MSNBC, the cable network that platforms @AndrewDesiderio himself to amplify Thune’s framing nationally. Comcast’s cable/infrastructure workforce includes significant numbers of undocumented-…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
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…- adjacent workers. Unique dual stake: financial interest in immigration permissiveness AND editorial interest in maintaining the access journalism model.
Starting to see a theme here.
Chevron, $111,000 to Thune:
Uses H-1B visas for petroleum engineers and technical staff. Refinery and pipeline operations rely on immigrant labor at lower skill tiers. Stake in SAVE Act specifically is moderate — primary lobbying focus is energy regulation — but benefits…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
C’mon man.
Merck, $100,000 to Thune:
Top pharma H-1B employer. Approximately 30% of US pharmaceutical researchers are foreign-born on work visas. Merck has actively lobbied for STEM immigration expansion. PhRMA member — same filibuster-dependency rationale: drug pricing reform dies at 60…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
Recommended
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… votes. A tighter identity-verification enforcement environment would disrupt their researcher pipeline.
And we thought it was only Democrats who were protecting illegals. Really?
Wells Fargo, $90,000 to Thune:
Banks undocumented immigrants via ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) accounts — a significant revenue stream. Wells Fargo has an active ITIN mortgage lending program that extends home loans to non-citizens without Social Security…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
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… Numbers. Strict ID verification norms that the SAVE Act signals would threaten this customer base. Also, a major H-1B employer for technology roles.
Grrr.
American Express, $75,000 to Thune:
H-1B user for technology and data science roles. Provides financial services to international travelers and non-citizen customers. Opposes documentation requirements that reduce the size of their serviceable customer base. A confirmed…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
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… Punchbowl event attendee (Brett Loper, Govt Affairs) and consistent Thune donor.
Uh-huh.
Google/Alphabet, $75,000 to Thune:
Among the largest H-1B sponsors in the United States annually. Lobbied against mandatory E-Verify. Employees donated heavily to FWD . us (the Zuckerberg-founded pro-immigration lobbying coalition). Google supported DACA protections.— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
sd
Meta/Facebook, $72,500 to Thune:
Zuckerberg co-founded FWD . us in 2013 — the most prominent pro-immigration corporate lobbying coalition in Washington. Meta subject of a reinstated federal lawsuit (2024) for systematically preferring foreign workers over US citizens in job…— DataRepublican (small r) (@DataRepublican) March 10, 2026
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… postings. Spent $935K+ funding American Edge Project newsletter ads on Punchbowl, Axios, and Politico while lobbying against tech regulation.
As always, follow the money.
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