Individual donors in the network have donated significant sums to President Donald Trump and super PACs backing him. | Getty

A combination of hope and concern infused the summer seminar meeting of the Koch brothers' network of conservative groups.

By Kevin Robillard

06/26/2017 01:13 PM EDT

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Conservative donors see a major opportunity this year to achieve years-old Republican goals of reforming the tax code and passing a new health care law. But they are also consumed with worry that the GOP will somehow blow the chance it has been waiting for whether because of an unfocused President Donald Trump or fretful congressional Republicans.

That combination of hope and concern infused the summer seminar meeting of the Koch brothers' network of conservative groups. Before a gathering of over 400 donors at the luxury Broadmoor Resort, Koch officials spoke of an enticing but narrow window to pass major tax and health care legislation, even though Republicans control the presidency and both chambers of Congress.

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We have a window of about 12 months until the 2018 election grinds policy to a halt, said Tim Phillips, the president of Americans for Prosperity, the networks grassroots organizing group.

After waiting eight years for another Republican president, some Koch network donors now worry that the current one could end up being an obstacle.

Trump doesnt have a core philosophy that we have, said Colorado energy executive Chris Wright. Wright, who said he voted for Libertarian presidential nominee Gary Johnson in 2016, added: We dont have a clear, consistent direction from the top.

I think we have 10 months and a rare opportunity to shrink the influence of the government on the economy, Wright said. The one we have now who can sell the public is Paul Ryan, but he doesnt have the bully pulpit. The person with bully pulpit is not a great seller of ideas and progress.

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The Koch network, organized by brothers Charles and David Koch, is a collection of conservative donors who have donated billions over the decades to everything from Republican politicians to school choice efforts to university think tanks in an effort to move the country in their ideological direction. The groups allies and former staffers hold key positions throughout the Trump administration, and the network announced plans earlier this weekend to spend nearly $400 million on politics and policy over the next two years.

The Koch network declined to directly back Trump's candidacy in the election last year. Top network officials have been pleased with his administrations court appointments and work on tax reform, and were ecstatic about legislation he signed last week reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs. But they were sharply critical of Attorney General Jeff Sessions stance on criminal justice reform and the GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare, arguing the Senate bill doesnt do enough to lower premiums and totally repeal the law. (The network isnt officially opposing the Senate proposal, but is working to make it more conservative.)

But individual donors in the network have donated significant sums to Trump and super PACs backing him, including Doug Deason, a Texas-based donor who is the son of IT billionaire Darwin Deason.

Deason was more bullish on Trump, particularly praising his pick of Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch. Anything other than Gorsuch is gravy, Deason said. Even if he just tweeted and pissed people off now, Id be happy.

But he also said he and a group of about ten other Dallas-area donors planned to withhold checks from out-of-state Senate and House GOP incumbents until Trumps agenda, including Obamacare repeal and tax reform, made it through.

Deason said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell needed to grow a pair. We want to send a message about how important this is, he said.

At the same time, Deason said he had recently met with leaders from America First Policies, a nonprofit backing Trumps agenda that launched attacks on Nevada Sen. Dean Heller for opposing the Senate health care bill, arguing it cut Medicaid too harshly and did too little to lower premiums.

Deason wasnt the only donor who worried about whether congressional Republicans will ultimately pass major legislation.

Bob Fettig, a Wisconsin metal fabrication company owner, was optimistic about the chances for tax reform. It looks like theyre serious, and theyre actually going to do something to simplify it, he said.

But Fettig added: The big question is, when it gets down to vote time, are they going to introduce all kinds of amendments to undo the simplicity of it?

A lot of people are frustrated with our government in general because politicians dont do what they say theyre going to do, Fettig continued. Im confident that Trump will continue to push forward. Politicians are continuing to be politicians.

Despite the apprehension, none indicated they were ready to shut off the money faucet into GOP campaign wallets. Even Deason, who said he had organized Texas donors to deny Republicans campaign cash until Trumps agenda is passed, admitted he might not be able to follow through.

When a reporter asked if he would donate to Republican senators next summer when McConnell called even if the presidents agenda flopped, he responded with a shrug: Yeah.

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Koch network donors eye Trump and Congress warily on health care, taxes - Politico