First quarter lobbying reports: Millions spent to influence Congress

June 29, 2010

The House Office of the Clerk publicly released first quarter lobbying reports yesterday detailing how much money companies spent on lobbying efforts from January to April of this year. The biggest spenders? You can probably guess - health care, defense, energy, and financial services companies spent millions of dollars in just four short months, trying to influence key legislation.

General Electric spent $7.14 million during the first quarter, almost $3 million more than they spent during last year's first quarter.

Health care: As a major manufacturer of medical imaging and electronic medical software, GE spent a lot of time in the offices of members of Congress who played major roles in crafting health care legislation.

Defense: GE has been working to build Congressional support for the second F-35 fighter jet engine program (the first engine is being built by Pratt & Whitney, a separate company). Defense Secretary Robert Gates publicly opposes the second program, and President Obama has indicated that he would veto any defense spending bill that included funding for the second engine.

Goldman Sachs spent $1.15 million during the first quarter, lobbying bills related to financial and housing regulation. This is 72% more than the amount they spent on lobbying during the first quarter of last year.

Boeing spent $4.1 million during this year's first quarter, 69% more than they spent during the first quarter of 2009.

Defense: Being has spent money wooing members of Congress, in hopes that they'll vote in favor of Boeing's bid to build the Air Force's new aerial tanker. Support is currently split between Boeing and European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co, Airbus' parent company.

PG&E spent $25.8 million during the first quarter of 2009 - nearly all of it in support of Proposition 16 in California. Prop 16 would have altered the state Constitution to require two-thirds vote of the electorate before a public agency could enter the retail power business.

 

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