News
MapLight research on the influence of money and politics.
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May 31, 2012
May 31, 2012—The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the FDA user fee bill (H.R. 5651) Wednesday, 387-5. The vote comes on the heels of the Senate’s 96-1 vote passing their version of the bill (S. 3187) last week. The different bills would need to be reconciled in a conference committee and receive approval from both chambers before receiving President Obama's signature.
Jeffrey ErnstFriedman
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May 22, 2012
May 22, 2012—On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2013 for military activities of the Department of Defense that, among other things, would prescribe the number of military personnel in Afghanistan through 2014. The bill, H.R. 4310 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, allows for $643 billion in spending.How much have defense contractors contributed to members of Congress?
Pamela Behrsin
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May 17, 2012
May 17, 2012—A MapLight analysis shows that contributions to committees opposing California's Proposition 29 (Cigarette Tax) have raised nearly $40 million in contributions, more than any independent expenditure committee at the federal level except the Pro-Romney "Restore Our Future" Super PAC.To put things into perspective, a MapLight analysis of the most recent data available from the Federal Election Committee shows that Romney's "Restore Our Future" has raised $52 million, "American Crossroads" has raised $28 million, and Obama's "Priorities USA Action" has raised $9 million.
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April 28, 2012
April 30, 2012–The legislative battle over the Keystone XL pipeline rages on now that Senate and House members have been appointed to the transportation conference committee tasked with coming up with language acceptable to both chambers.
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April 23, 2012
April 23, 2012 – Congress is considering a number of cybersecurity bills in late April, with the House's H.R. 3523 - Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), a bill that would make it easier for companies and the government to share information about cyber threats, receiving the most attention. CISPA is expected to be considered on the floor of the House of Representatives the week of April 23.
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April 05, 2012
April 6, 2012–Last week a bill to restructure the Federal Communications Commission's rulemaking process passed the House of Representatives, 247-174. The measure was supported by AT&T, the National Association of Broadcasters, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, and Verizon Communications, all of which are major contributors to the bill's 10 sponsors.
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March 30, 2012
March 30, 2012–The U.S. Senate on Thursday voted down a motion to consider a bill that would repeal tax benefits for the largest oil & gas companies. Supporters fell nine votes short of the 60 needed to proceed. The bill would redirect the funds saved to extend tax credits for renewable energy.