Center for Responsive PoliticsMAJOR U.S. CORPORATIONS AIDING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Some of the United States' largest and most prominent corporations are teaming up with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to advance a pro-business political agenda on Capitol Hill, according to a New York Times report.
Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs, Prudential Financial, as well as oil, gas and chemical corporations such as Dow Chemical, Chevron and Aegon have all donated significant sums to the Chamber during the last few years, in some cases giving many millions of dollars. They coincide with the Chamber's recent aggressive efforts to become a major player during the 2010 election season.
And if money spent is any indication, the Chamber can easily say, so far, so good. The Chamber spent more than $44.2 million on lobbying efforts during the last year -- much of it directed toward influencing major Democratic legislation that the aforementioned groups outrightly opposed, such as financial reform and cap and trade legislation.
The Center for Responsive Politics finds that the group has also spent a whopping $28.2million on political advertising (and counting), more than any other independent group -- more, even, than the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Republican body charged with overseeing the party's Senate hopefuls.
Most of this money is still going toward Republican candidates. But where it comes from is another matter: Registered as a tax-exempt organization, the Chamber is not legally obligated to disclose its donors to the public, and has so far fully exercised that right.
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