House and Senate lawmakers have received nearly $2 million in campaign contributions this election cycle from organizations for which they had sponsored earmarks, according to a new report by two nonpartisan watchdogs.
Over half of the members of the House and Senate accepted money for the November elections from recipients of their earmarks, according to the report, released Thursday by the Center for Responsive Politics and Taxpayers for Common Sense. Thirteen senators and nine House members received more than $20,000 from companies and organizations that were beneficiaries of their earmarks.
"In too many cases campaign contributors are able to donate thousands of dollars and get millions of dollars back in earmarks," said Steve Ellis, vice president of the taxpayers' group. "This isn't altruism that is driving their behavior."
In total, lawmakers spent $15.9 billion on earmarks in the current fiscal year, only a fraction of which went to campaign contributors, according to the group. That figure is less than the $19.9 billion spent in fiscal 2009.
Earmarks, which direct spending to specific recipients, have become a political issue as the federal deficit has ballooned. Critics charge that the spending is directed to lawmakers' pet projects, bypassing competitive bidding and other fairness safeguards. Democratic leaders said this year that they will allow earmarks only for nonprofit organizations. Republican leaders said they would seek to ban all earmarks.
The report also found $269 million in lobbying last year by earmark recipients, though that figure includes amounts spent on other issues as well. "Even with all of the scrutiny that we've seen in the last couple of years, earmarks are still a big business," Ellis said.
Showing posts with label lobbying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lobbying. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Democrat lobbying firm Raben Group boasts about Obamacare deals it scored for clients
The clients of Democrat lobbying firm The Raben Group made out so well in the Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare bill law that the firm decided it needed to brag about it. The Raben Group took a victory lap in an email sent to their Washington allies this morning with the subject line “Some Say Waterloo; We Say Success” and included a long list of special deals they scored for their clients.
The Raben Group is a veritable cornucopia of former staffers for Democrats and liberal causes. The lobbyists at the firm include alumni of: the Democratic National Committee, the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, the Clinton administration, the 2000 Gore campaign, Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Xavier Beccera (D-CA), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA), the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, the Nevada State Senate Democratic Caucus, the National Education Association, NOW, People for the American Way and Planned Parenthood.
(snip)
Among the special deals Raben Group lobbyists took credit for were:
A $1.5 billion “home visitation grant program” to benefit the Nurse Family Partnership.
$6.3 billion in Medicaid funding for U.S. territories, $1 billion in subsidies for insurance exchanges in Puerto Rico, and provisions to give Puerto Rico “new flexibility” on “how to best use funding to expand coverage” for Latinos United for Healthcare, an organization created by The Raben Group
Provisions to ease the approval of biotech drugs for pharmaceutical giant Amgen
Provisions for training and development for direct care workers, a “health care workforce commission,” and the inclusion of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act in the healthcare bill on behalf of the Direct Care Alliance
A provision that “requires health insurers in the public exchange to offer enrollees information on resources available for advanced care planning” on behalf of Compassion & Choices
The Raben Group is a veritable cornucopia of former staffers for Democrats and liberal causes. The lobbyists at the firm include alumni of: the Democratic National Committee, the 1992 Clinton-Gore campaign, the Clinton administration, the 2000 Gore campaign, Rep. Joe Baca (D-CA), Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rep. Xavier Beccera (D-CA), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D-TX), Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the late Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI), Rep. Chris Murphy (D-CT), Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Diane Watson (D-CA), the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association, the Nevada State Senate Democratic Caucus, the National Education Association, NOW, People for the American Way and Planned Parenthood.
(snip)
Among the special deals Raben Group lobbyists took credit for were:
A $1.5 billion “home visitation grant program” to benefit the Nurse Family Partnership.
$6.3 billion in Medicaid funding for U.S. territories, $1 billion in subsidies for insurance exchanges in Puerto Rico, and provisions to give Puerto Rico “new flexibility” on “how to best use funding to expand coverage” for Latinos United for Healthcare, an organization created by The Raben Group
Provisions to ease the approval of biotech drugs for pharmaceutical giant Amgen
Provisions for training and development for direct care workers, a “health care workforce commission,” and the inclusion of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act in the healthcare bill on behalf of the Direct Care Alliance
A provision that “requires health insurers in the public exchange to offer enrollees information on resources available for advanced care planning” on behalf of Compassion & Choices
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Rent seeking is the new game; lobbying is the key to winning the game; GE is leading the league
From Washington Examiner
"Steve Milloy, a pro-free market investor at the Free Enterprise Action Fund, obtained this e-mail and says it reveals General Electric for what it really is. "GE is lobbying to become the biggest rent seeker this country has ever seen," Milloy told this column. Rent seeking is using government legislation or regulation to generate private profits the free market wouldn't provide.
"On climate change," Rice wrote, "we were able to work closely with key authors of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives. If this bill is enacted into law it would benefit many GE businesses."
Most of all, Waxman-Markey would profit a GE joint venture called Greenhouse Gas Services, which deals in greenhouse gas credits, products that have value only if a cap-and-trade bill like Waxman-Markey passes.
The leaked e-mail shows how tightly GE connects PAC contributions and lobbying efforts. "Our Company is heavily impacted by a number of issues pending in Washington this fall," Rice wrote.
GE spent more on lobbying in the second quarter of this year than did any other company, according to federal lobbying files. Since 1998, GE has been the king of lobbying expenditures, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, outpacing its runner-up by 40 percent.
Last election, GEPAC spent $2.4 million, with a slim majority going to Democrats. So far this year, two-thirds of GEPAC money has gone to Democrats."
"Steve Milloy, a pro-free market investor at the Free Enterprise Action Fund, obtained this e-mail and says it reveals General Electric for what it really is. "GE is lobbying to become the biggest rent seeker this country has ever seen," Milloy told this column. Rent seeking is using government legislation or regulation to generate private profits the free market wouldn't provide.
"On climate change," Rice wrote, "we were able to work closely with key authors of the Waxman-Markey climate and energy bill, recently passed by the House of Representatives. If this bill is enacted into law it would benefit many GE businesses."
Most of all, Waxman-Markey would profit a GE joint venture called Greenhouse Gas Services, which deals in greenhouse gas credits, products that have value only if a cap-and-trade bill like Waxman-Markey passes.
The leaked e-mail shows how tightly GE connects PAC contributions and lobbying efforts. "Our Company is heavily impacted by a number of issues pending in Washington this fall," Rice wrote.
GE spent more on lobbying in the second quarter of this year than did any other company, according to federal lobbying files. Since 1998, GE has been the king of lobbying expenditures, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, outpacing its runner-up by 40 percent.
Last election, GEPAC spent $2.4 million, with a slim majority going to Democrats. So far this year, two-thirds of GEPAC money has gone to Democrats."
Friday, January 23, 2009
Firms that lobby got bailouts
"Many of the large American companies that received billions of taxpayer bailout dollars by pleading that they didn't have enough money to lend to customers were, at the same time, spending millions of dollars dispatching lobbyists to influence the federal government.
A Washington Times review of lobbying disclosure reports found that 18 of the top 20 recipients of federal bailout money spent a combined $12.2 million lobbying the White House, the Treasury Department, Congress and federal agencies during the last quarter of 2008.
For instance, the government bought $3.4 billion in American Express Co. stock on Jan. 9 as part of an aid package. In the last quarter of 2008, the company spent more than $1 million on federal lobbying.
American Express spokeswoman Joanna Lambert said the company did not lobby for the bailout funds. At the same time, disclosure forms say, the company was lobbying the Federal Reserve, the Treasury and Congress, all active players in dispensing the multibillion-dollar rescue financing."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/23/top-bailout-recipients-also-major-lobbyists/
A Washington Times review of lobbying disclosure reports found that 18 of the top 20 recipients of federal bailout money spent a combined $12.2 million lobbying the White House, the Treasury Department, Congress and federal agencies during the last quarter of 2008.
For instance, the government bought $3.4 billion in American Express Co. stock on Jan. 9 as part of an aid package. In the last quarter of 2008, the company spent more than $1 million on federal lobbying.
American Express spokeswoman Joanna Lambert said the company did not lobby for the bailout funds. At the same time, disclosure forms say, the company was lobbying the Federal Reserve, the Treasury and Congress, all active players in dispensing the multibillion-dollar rescue financing."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jan/23/top-bailout-recipients-also-major-lobbyists/
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