This is one of those times where the numbers speak for themselves.
In 2008, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent $62 million lobbying Congress. In the fourth quarter of 2009, Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, the Chamber spent $71 million.
Total for 2009: $123 million spent on lobbying.
In a recession.
While the Chamber, and its climate denying president and CEO Tom Donahue, continue to call comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation too expensive, the “world’s largest business federation” doled out $123 million to lobby in 2009. That is enough to cover
For all of 2009, the Chamber fought against legislation, with one official calling for a “scopes-monkey trial,” on the science behind climate change.
It paid the price too, losing many large businesses for its stance on the legislation. But it hasn’t stopped the spending. And that is just lobbying, which doesn’t include advertising or campaigning.
Now, it is about to get worse. Donahue announced earlier this month that the Chamber will not hold back in its spending on the 2010 midterm elections, while today, the Supreme Court ruled to end restrictions on how much groups like the Chamber can spend on their own campaigns.
As one of the biggest opponents of comprehensive clean energy and climate legislation and the representative of many major corporations, this means the Chamber can wield significant financial influence.
At least that won’t be a new development.
