Explore companies, lawmakers and prominent individuals that matter to you and see how they're influencing the political system
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Influence Explorer now includes regularly updated campaign finance data straight from the Federal Election Commission. As the 2012 election heats up, you can be certain that you're getting up-to-date fundraising information for all federal candidates. (The FEC releases data within one week of the candidate filing.)
The raw FEC data is available by selecting 2011-2012 from the election year drop down menu on any federal politician page. You can follow fundraising in the presidential race by visiting the pages for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney, or SuperPACs such as Restore Our Future. Or search for any senator or representative running for office in the search box at the top of this page.
Standardized campaign finance data from the Center for Responsive Politics is also still available to view and/or download for all federal candidates.
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Influence Explored
regularly updated news and analysis using Influence ExplorerTariff bill opens the floodgates for lobbyists
In the three months before congressional leaders announced that they are once again opening the process to suspend tariffs, at least 71 private companies have already lobbied to get their own exemption and nine more have registered. Each one has a product they’d like to import a little more cheaply. So far this year, the companies report lobbying expenditures of $14 million on issues including this one – but if history is any guide, it may be well worth the expense.
The last time Congress passed a miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB), in 2010, it cost taxpayers $298 million in lost revenue over three years, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Members have until tonight to send in provisions they want included in this year’s legislation, according to House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont.
In short, the MTB is legislation written for corporations, by corporations to save them money on products they import and use in manufacturing. The companies solicit members of Congress to introduce bills reducing their tariffs and those bills eventually get rolled into the MTB, a long green eyeshade document that few members of Congress likely ...
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