Google Keeps The Lead Pack In Federal Lobbying Expenditures
Google trimmed its spending on federal lobbying in the second quarter of 2016 by 8.2 percent from the year before to $4.24 million, but still outspent other tech and communications giants. According to disclosure forms filed with the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, Google spent $4.62 million, million on federal lobbying in the second quarter of 2015 and $3.8 million in the first quarter of 2016.
Thirteen of the 16 tech and communications companies also trimmed the lobbying expenditures in the quarter. Three companies increased their outlays as Amazon and Oracle set records in their efforts to influence policymakers during the second quarter.
Amazon’s spending on lobbying increased 39.5 percent to a record $3 million in the second quarter of 2016 from $2.15 million in the comparable 2015 period. Oracle spent $1.92 million in 2016, a record and 11 percent increase from $1.73 million in 2015.
Facebook spent $2.19 million in the second quarter of 2016, a 19.7 percent decrease from $2.69 million in the second quarter of 2014.
Microsoft, which used to lead tech companies in the amount spent on lobbying, trimmed its expenditures again. It spent $2.07 million in the second quarter of 2016 compared $2.24 million in the second quarter of 2015, a 7.5 percent decrease.
Here are the second quarter lobbying amounts for five other tech firms:
- Apple spent $1.12 million in 2016 a 8.9 percent decrease from $1.23 million in 2015.
- Cisco spent $460,00 in 2016, a 13.2 percent decrease from $530,00 in 2015.
- IBM spent $1.52 million in 2016, a 16 percent decrease from $1.81 million in 2015.
- Intel spent $1.07 million in 2016, a 17.1 percent decrease from $1.29 million in 2015.
- Yahoo spent $600,000 in 2016, a decrease of 18.6 percent from $730,000 in 2015.
Here are second quarter lobbying expenditures for four telecommunications companies:
- AT&T spent $4.07 million in 2016, a 0.7 decrease from $4.10 million in 2015.
- Sprint spent $577,534 in 2016, a 22.8 percent decrease from $747,696 in 2015.
- T-Mobile spent $2.11 million in 2016, an increase of 30.2 percent rom $1.62 million in 2015.
- Verizon spent $1.83 million in 2016, a 40.6 percent decrease from $3.08 million in 2015.
Here are lobbying expenditures for two cable companies:
- Comcast spent $3.38 million in 2016, an 11.1 percent decrease from $3.8 million in 2015.
- Time Warner Cable spent $980,000 in 2016, a 38.8 percent decrease from $1.60 million in 2015.