Even Lobbyists Are Giving up on Congress
July 24, 2012 at 8:10 AM Leave a comment
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I can’t think of a better indication as to how paralyzed and dysfunctional Washington is than this:
An increasingly idle Congress is causing atrophy in many of the nation’s most muscular political forces.
The 50 largest lobbying spenders, including big corporations like AT&T and trade groups like the National Association of Realtors, collectively spent about $168 million lobbying Congress between April and June — a $30 million decline from their first quarter efforts, a POLITICO analysis of new lobbying disclosures indicates.
In some cases, the quarter-to-quarter lobbying dips are measured in seven-figures: AT&T spent $7.05 million during the year’s first quarter and $3.49 million during the second, while ExxonMobil dropped from $4.17 million to $2.77 million.
For the same time periods, pharmaceutical companies Pfizer ($3.6 million to $2.3 million), Novartis ($2.75 million to $1.44 million) and Johnson & Johnson ($2.27 million to $1.2 million) are among those who also reported notable spending decreases.
An across-the-board dip is a “direct reflection of the lack of any meaningful action by Congress to address the major issues facing our economy,” said Tita Freeman of the Business Roundtable, an association of leading corporate chief executives.
Washington fiddles while Rome burns.
Entry filed under: Democrats, Including Blue Dogs & "Liberals", Republicans, Including Wingers & "Moderates". Tags: .
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