News
MapLight research on the influence of money and politics.
admin
|
May 14, 2013
NatalieMaynor / Flickr & imstock / Shutterstock
May 22, 2013—In an attempt to cut costs and limit waste, the farm bills advancing in the Senate and the House include many reforms to long-standing agricultural programs.
But so far the Sugar Program, criticized for boosting the price of American sugar by providing nonrecourse loans to growers and processors of sugarcane and sugar beets, has been left untouched.
How much money has the sugar cane and sugar beets industry given to members of Congress?
admin
|
May 08, 2013
Kuzma / Shutterstock
May 9, 2013—By a vote of 223-204, The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed H.R. 1406, a bill that would allow private-sector workers to trade in overtime hours for requests for unpaid time off.
Under the bill, employers would have flexibility to decide whether to allow nonunion employees to trade overtime hours for time off, and they would have final say in providing time off to workers who have echewed their overtime hours.
How much money have members of the House received from interest groups that support the bill?
admin
|
May 07, 2013
doomu / Shutterstock
May 8, 2013—By a vote of 69-27, the Senate yesterday passed a bill that would require online retailers to collect and distribute sales taxes according to the tax laws of the fifty states. The bill is supported by national brick-and-mortar chains and the large online retailer Amazon.
How much money did senators voting in favor of the bill receive from interest groups in support of the bill?
admin
|
May 02, 2013
Northfoto / Shutterstock.com
May 3, 2013—Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C., has been nominated by President Obama to head the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees the quasi-governmental mortage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. One key question facing the FHFA right now is whether to allow struggling mortgage borrowers in the private market to refinance with a reduced principal through Fannie and Freddie.
How much campaign money has Rep. Watt received from companies with an interest in the mortgage market?
admin
|
April 29, 2013
rtilden / Flickr
April 29, 2013—California Secretary of State Debra Bowen rejected a request to make California campaign finance data more available, in a letter dated April 19, 2013.
Pamela Behrsin
|
Wikimedia Commons
May 7, 2013 — Tomorrow in Massachusetts, voters will go to the polls to choose between Representatives Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch as the Democratic candidate for the Senate seat formerly held by Secretary of State John Kerry.
What interest groups have been funding the campaigns of Ed Markey and Stephen Lynch?
admin
|
April 25, 2013
JMiks / Shutterstock
April 26, 2013—The Senate is moving forward with the Marketplace Fairness Act (S. 743), a bill requiring all sales made over the internet to be subject to sales taxes. Under the bill, all businesses that do more than $1 million in online sales annually would be responsible for collecting and remitting sales taxes in accordance with the tax laws of all states in which their customers reside.
How much money in campaign contribution have Senators received from interests supporting passage of the bill?