[[link removed]] September 6, 2024
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Electric vehicle policy drives up federal lobbying spending in first half of 2024
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Intense debate around electric vehicles, commonly known as EVs, has spurred a flood of lobbying spending.
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Chart of the Week
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What to Know
A growing debate over electric vehicle policies fueled federal lobbying efforts in 2024, driving spending by the oil and gas sector as well as automotive industry.
By the Numbers
Propelled in part by the Biden administration's push for more widespread EV adoption, the automotive sector — encompassing both EV manufacturers and traditional automakers — invested about $44.8 million in federal lobbying during the first half of 2024.
The oil and gas industry spent another $72 million on federal lobbying in the first half of 2024, putting the sector on track to surpass its 2023 total of $137 million, even when adjusted for inflation.
Dig Deeper
The American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers, a trade association representing hundreds of fuel refining and petrochemical companies, emerged as the top spender within the oil and gas sector. AFPM led the industry with $8.1 million in federal lobbying expenditures, marking the first time it outspent each of the top individual companies in the sector. The trade group’s lobbying efforts are largely focused on countering the expansion of electric vehicles and new vehicle emissions standards.
AFPM recently launched a $3 million swing state ad buy targeting Vice President Kamala Harris, arguing that "there may be someone new in the driver's seat, but the destination is the same: a ban on most new gas cars.
Former President Donald Trump has echoed AFPM in attacks on Harris for her stances on EVs, even as his own position on the issue has shifted. The former president claims that vehicle emissions standards are detrimental to consumer choice but also called for a limited adoption of EVs after receiving an endorsement from Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
With significant investments on the line, policy fights around EVs are likely to grow more heated as 2024 wears on.
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OpenSecrets in the News
See our media citations from outlets around the nation this week:
[[link removed]] America Must Free Itself from the Tyranny of the Penny ( The New York Times Magazine ) [[link removed]]
For 43 years, Artazn has held contracts with the Treasury Department to manufacture the zinc “blanks” that the Mint stamps into 1-cent coins. These contracts have earned it more than $1 billion in revenue since 2008 alone. Jurkowsky cited the company’s lobbying efforts as the No. 1 reason that coin-reform bills die in Congress. That may be true in terms of explicit dollar allocation, but political inertia has done even more to help Artazn’s cause, for free. According to the government transparency group OpenSecrets.org, since 2006 the company has spent less than $3 million — a charmingly modest amount — on coin-related lobbying.
Trump eyes plan that may give Elon Musk role in auditing U.S. agencies ( Washington Post ) [[link removed]]
“It raises questions that the commission’s focus is on saving taxpayer dollars, but you have someone potentially involved whose company is one of the biggest recipients of federal spending,” said Anna Massoglia, a money in politics expert at the nonprofit organization OpenSecrets. “Cracking down on government waste and abuse is important, but we also need to have accountability mechanisms so private sector actors involved in this kind of program can’t manipulate it for personal gain.”
Scoop: New gun group launches to fill NRA vacuum ( Axios ) [[link removed]]
A new gun rights group is launching a six-figure ad buy in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, focusing on the millions of Americans who became gun owners during and after the COVID pandemic. The NRA — the longtime premier gun-rights group in the U.S. — cut its political spending from $54 million in 2016 to $29 million in 2020, according to OpenSecrets data
Federal employees, not agencies, donated to Harris campaign ( USA Today ) [[link removed]]
Record-breaking federal lobbying tops $2.2 billion in first half of 2024 ( Tuscon Sentinel ) [[link removed]]
Private equity PAC favors Republican candidates ( Axios ) [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
Which Politicians Are Bought By Who with OpenSecrets' Sarah Bryner ( Bad with Money ) [[link removed]]
AIPAC funnels more than $200,000 to Angie Craig’s campaign ( MinnPost ) [[link removed]]
No, these government agencies didn’t donate taxpayer money to Kamala Harris’ campaign (Austin American-Statesman) [[link removed]]
Bezos’ Amazon and Blue Origin back Harris as Alexa gushes over VP ( Fox News ) [[link removed]]
Loyalty to Trump helped Corey Lewandowski survive harassment scandal ( Washington Post ) [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
Kamala Harris’ campaign isn’t directly accepting crypto — a Super PAC is ( Cointelegraph ) [[link removed]]
Is There a Spot for Elon Musk in a Second Trump Administration? ( Newsweek ) [[link removed]] [[link removed]] [[link removed]]
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We're Coming to New York
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Transformative Impact Summit [[link removed]]
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