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December 14, 2023
FEC votes to extend campaign salaries to recent caregivers, temporarily unemployed candidates
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The Federal Election Commission approved a bipartisan measure to expand existing rules on campaign salaries to allow recent caregivers and temporarily unemployed candidates to receive compensation from campaign funds while running for office.
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Burgeoning hydrogen industry draws $41 million in federal lobbying from fossil fuel companies
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Billions of dollars in federal subsidies for hydrogen projects has sparked a lobbying blitz.
This article was published in partnership with Energy News Network, a nonprofit news site dedicated to keeping influencers, policymakers and citizens informed of the important changes taking place in the transition to a clean energy system.
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Airbnb ramps up federal lobbying efforts amid increased attempts at regulation
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The online marketplace for long and short term rentals has come under increased scrutiny for its impact on housing prices.
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Press Release: OpenSecrets director of operations advances transparency in Kazakhstan
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In a groundbreaking initiative, OpenSecrets Director of Operations Greg Schneider traveled to Kazakhstan in November 2023 to collaborate with Community Exchange Program fellow Nazerke Batyrbek. The mission aimed to enhance transparency and disclosure surrounding lobbying in the country.
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OpenSecrets' Chart of the Week
Dive deeper into the data behind the headlines
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Thirty-two oil and gas producers reported lobbying on hydrogen, among other issues, and spent a combined $41.3 million on federal lobbying efforts this year.
The lobbying blitz comes as the Biden administration prepares to direct billions of dollars in federal subsidies to scale up hydrogen production to decarbonize the U.S. economy. Unlike coal, oil and gas, hydrogen does not release planet-warming greenhouse gases when burned.
Climate advocates largely support this move but warn against incentivizing hydrogen projects that could prolong the use of fossil fuels. Fossil fuel interests have aggressively lobbied the White House, Congress, and Energy and Treasury department officials to ensure hydrogen produced from natural gas qualifies for federal subsidies.
In October, the Energy Department announced plans to award $7 billion to seven proposed regional hydrogen hubs, including $1.2 billion to a Texas project that counts fossil fuel giants Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66 and Shell as partners. BP and Exxon Mobil are also involved in developing a Midwest hub that will receive $1 billion through the same government program.
Julie McNamara, the deputy policy director for climate and energy at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a think tank, told OpenSecrets that the country risks “aiding and abetting fossil fuel company interests.”
“There are so many ways that hydrogen can go that it just perpetuates the status quo,” she added. “That is an extremely lucrative place for the fossil fuel industry to be, right? If we have weak standards, it can mean more use of natural gas for longer with more profit along the way.”
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OpenSecrets in the News
See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
A ‘black hole’ exists in state lobbying disclosures: Report (The Hill) [[link removed]]
There’s “a yawning disclosure black hole” around corporate lobbying at the state level, according to a new report that relied on corporate governance data from company and state government websites, as well as state-level lobbying data aggregated by OpenSecrets.
Jet-owning Biden nominee poured major cash into president's campaign: 'Swampy' (Washington Examiner) [[link removed]]
A wealthy President Joe Biden nominee for a key transportation board has double-dipped as a Biden campaign donor and bundler, which is someone who helps organize and gather donations from other people, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan elections tracker.
Busted: Healthcare nonprofits are accepting millions from Big Tobacco (Raw Story) [[link removed]]
Beyond charitable giving, Altria is one of the nation’s largest corporate lobbying forces, having employed a team of between 50 and 100 federal lobbyists each year for the past 25 years and spending anywhere between $9 million to $16 million annually to influence policy, legislation and regulations, according to federal data compiled by nonpartisan research organization OpenSecrets.
Public Citizen [[link removed]]
Responsible Statecraft [[link removed]]
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Energy News Network [[link removed]]
Modern Healthcare [[link removed]]
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Hydrogen Insight [[link removed]]
Them [[link removed]]
The Salt Lake Tribune [[link removed]]
Truthout [[link removed]]
Salon [[link removed]]
Enviromental News Bits [[link removed]]
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