Hundreds of CEOs, corporations unite to oppose 'discriminatory' voting bills

Hundreds of major companies and executive leaders, including Amazon, Google, Netflix and Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, signed a statement released Wednesday opposing "any discriminatory legislation" that makes it harder for people to vote.

The statement, which appeared as advertisements in The New York Times and The Washington Post, marks one of the largest-ever political mobilizations by the business sector, which is facing growing pressure from the left to take a stance on hot-button issues. 

That includes a slate of new voting laws like Georgia's that are under consideration in several states, which critics say is part of a broader Republican effort to restrict access to the ballot box.

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"We stand for democracy," the statement, which stretches across two full pages, reads. "For American democracy to work for any of us, we must ensure the right to vote for all of us. We all should feel a responsibility to defend the right to vote and to oppose any discriminatory legislation or measures that restrict or prevent any eligible voter from having an equal and fair opportunity to cast a ballot."

Notable corporations that signed the letter include Target, Bank of America, Starbucks, Apple, Facebook, Cisco, Twitter, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, American Airlines and United Airlines. Some executives, including Buffett, Michael Bloomberg and Larry Fink, also opted to put their names on the statement. 

But there were some notable names missing from the list: Coca-Cola and Delta Airlines, which are both headquartered in Georgia, did not sign the statement, even though they issued belated condemnations of the state's new voting law amid pressure from activists. 

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Sources also told FOX Business' Charlie Gasparino that JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon ignored demands by the group to sign the letter, believing that the nation's largest bank has made its stance clear on voting rights and does not need to join every effort. 

The statement does not address specific legislation. More than 350 different voting bills are under consideration in dozens of states, according to a tally from the Brennan Center for Justice, a public-policy think tank.

Companies' political activity is facing growing scrutiny nationwide, with liberals demanding that businesses condemn the voting laws and rebuke the GOP politicians who support them, while conservatives have slammed the sector for kowtowing to the left.

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Outcry over corporate America's stance on some of the most contentious political issues culminated two weeks ago after Major League Baseball moved its All-Star Game out of Atlanta over Georgia's controversial new voting law. Democrats say the law limits access to absentee voting and disproportionately affects minority communities, but Republicans, who drafted the law, say it expands voters' access to early voting.

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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., warned corporate America to "stay out of politics" last week, saying it's "stupid" for businesses to take stances on divisive political issues. But he's since softened his tone, saying the sector is "certainly entitled to be involved in politics," but that they "didn't read the darn bill," referring to the recently enacted legislation in Georgia. 

Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., condemned Wednesday's statement from the businesses, calling it an example of "stakeholder capitalism."

"Stakeholder capitalism produces a ready-made excuse for managers who play politician at the expense of the company’s true owners – its shareholders," he said in a statement to FOX Business.