The federal lawmakers who regulate Amazon are begging the company to move to their home states

Few things unite a Republican stalwart like Sen Roy Blunt (R-MO) and a Democratic firebrand like Sen Claire McCaskill (D-MO). But the prospect of a political win prompted the two Sens to put aside their differences this week — and practically plead with Amazon to plop its new headquarters in their shared home state of Missouri. In doing so, the duo joined a growing group of federal lawmakers — from Pennsylvania to Texas — who are actively angling for the e-commerce giant’s second corporate outpost, dubbed HQ2.

The new hub could generate 50,000 new jobs and $5 billion in fresh Amazon investment wherever it ultimately lands, at least in the company’s eyes. For members of Congress, though, this sort of race to capture corporate cash and attention always presents an immense contradiction. Enticing new jobs and dollars sometimes means that lawmakers must woo the very businesses that they’re supposed to be regulating with a far more objective eye. And they face a special challenge when it comes to Amazon, a tech behemoth that has long faced criticism for its hyperaggressive tactics as it conquers new industries, from entertainment to cloud computing to smart-home devices.