Examples of Lobbying
Most people think that lobbying can be lumped into a single category. They hear the infamous "L" word and picture a corporate "fat-cat" with a cigar bribing politicians to do their bidding. Since the only time the public hears about lobbying is when someone is being nefarious, it is not surprising that this is the dominant public perception.
However, lobbying is much more complex than most people understand. Here are some examples of lobbying that show the different sides and show that not everything is black and white.
1469 companies, organizations, and special interest groups registered to lobby on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018. Because of the bill, twice as many companies paying zero taxes under Trump tax plan.
A bipartisan bid to rein in prescription drug prices failed to advance, as lobbyists blocked the effort. Pharmaceutical firms also won protections for select patents, as lawmakers tucked 17 words into Page 1,503 of a bill that protected their patents from competition.
Advocates for environmental nonprofits were able to pressure the EPA to write legislation to reduce emissions for coal-powered power plants, despite strong opposition from the coal industry.
In 2016, Congress passed and the President signed into law, the Electrify Africa Act to help countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop power solutions in order to support poverty reduction. and drive economic growth. Many nonprofits lobbied to have this legislation signed into law.
More than 230 companies and nonprofit groups reported lobbying on the Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. While some groups thought industry gained too much in the final version, the bill was a victory for the environment and for public health.
More than 1400 lobbyists worked on the 21st Century Cures Act, which authorized $6.3 billion in funding to modify the drug approval process, develop drugs targeted for rare diseases, fund medical research and address mental health problems in the U.S.