The $13 billion debt collection industry is funneling huge amounts of cash to lawmakers in a bid to kill legislation that would finally put some limits on their predatory business model.
Among the 16 senators in all who were part of the effort to overturn the presidential election, rank of lawyers and lobbyists among the top industry contributors to their campaigns, according to the latest data from FollowTheMoney.org.
...the Trump administration has been seeking to expand mining on public lands and further loosen environmental rules under the banner of weaning the United States off importing minerals deemed “critical” to national security.
...the cranberry industry is saying that it is unfair for them to have to correctly label their added sugars, because a product, like raisins naturally have a high sugar content, and thus (correctly) do not need to use the “added sugar” phrasing.
In 2015, the call-blocking app YouMail estimated that close to a billion robo-calls were being placed every month. Two years later, that number has leapt to 2.5 billion. At best, these calls annoy. At worst, they defraud. By far, they constitute the top consumer complaint received by the FTC.
With the DNC now accepting all lobbyist and PAC donations, it has reversed the policies that were adopted in 2008, when Obama vowed to curb the influence of special interests in Washington.
Ever wonder why almost everything you buy has a nutrition label, but alcoholic beverages don't? It's all thanks to some crazy regulations and powerful industry lobbyists.
Attorneys general in at least a dozen states are working with energy companies and other corporate interests, which in turn are providing them with record amounts of money for their political campaigns, including at least $16 million this year. They share a common philosophy about the reach of the federal government, but the companies also have billions of dollars at stake. And the collaboration is likely to grow.
On paper, the influence-peddling business is drying up. But lobbying money is flooding Washington, DC like never before. What’s going on?
Last year alone, Wal-Mart spent a staggering $8.68 million on lobbying expenses -- 70 percent of which was spent on its own platoon of internal company lobbyists. In addition to buying lobbyists, Wal-Mart also makes corporate contributions to presidential and Congressional candidates: $9.5 million between 2000 and 2012. Wal-Mart created a political action committee to handle these contributions, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. PAC for Responsible Government.
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