When The Going Gets Tough, The Lobbyists Get Going

As a resurgent GOP in Congress and statehouses around the nation has put abortion providers and public employee unions squarely in its gunsight, lobbying activity by those two groups has spiked, according to a Center for Responsive Politics analysis of first-quarter 2011 lobbying reports.

With defunding Planned Parenthood a top priority of the House Republican leadership, abortion rights supporters doubled their spending on lobbying compared to the first quarter of the last congress, according to the center.

By contrast, lobbying spending by groups opposing abortion is significantly down. After all, things are going their way.

Moves to end the collective bargaining rights of public workers in Wisconsin and elsewhere have led public-employee unions to worry about action at the national level. That worry has come with increased spending: Public-sector unions reported 36 percent more on federal lobbying spending than during last quarter, according to the Center's research.

By contrast, the U.S Chamber of Commerce's lobbying spending in the first quarter of 2011 dropped precipitously from fourth quarter of 2010 -- although that's largely because the previous report included a big chunk of the nearly $33 million the Chamber spent on political advertising before the 2010 election. (Note that the scale of this chart is substantially different than the one for the public-sector unions).

Comments

[JustABriefThought]

02:16 PM on 05/14/2011

I reluctantly support a woman's right to choose. Abortion is NOT used as a method of birth control. It is used as a last resort for women like me who were/are desperate and were SURPRISED to have no support from the father (after a toxic-spill accidental impregnation) and to have no other viable option. The GOP attacks a woman's right to choose (and they may never know THEIR wives, girlfriends and daughters make exactly that choice while self-rightously condeming poorer women who need help). Young women do not remember motel room coat-hanger abortions. I do. Do not allow self-rightous "Christian" men to own your body. It is never a light choice for any woman.

[Dana1982]

08:55 AM on 05/13/2011

Clearly "Pro-Choice" as it is used in this article is just an euphemism for Pro Abortion. No one on this side of the argument wants to give people the ability to choose freely unless their "choice" is the same as theirs.

We should be "Pro-Choice" and give people the right to choose which schools they send their children to by issuing school vouchers, or give people the freedom to choose to opt out of social security if they can plan for their retirement on their own, or insuring people have the right to choose their own health care and not be forced to choose between buying health care or going to jail.

Freedom to choose means people will always make choices that are different then the choices you would make and these choices others make should be respected and protected just as we desire to have our choices respected and protected.

[Bigrcube]

09:22 AM on 05/13/2011

The term "Pro Choice" means a woman's right to choose herself regarding that decision, NOT the Gov't or the Bible thumpin' GOP wackos.

[Dana1982]

09:28 AM on 05/13/2011

Exactly - So called "Pro Choice" has nothing to do with giving individuals the right to choose freely for what is best in their life it's just an euphemism for baby killing.

[dwangelo]

09:12 PM on 05/12/2011

I also love how, all of a sudden, lobbyists are champions of the underdog.

Dan Froomkin is what I'd call an "intellectual cow.ard"

[TheAlchemist]

08:59 PM on 05/12/2011

Unplanned Parenthood is preferable?

[dwangelo]

08:45 PM on 05/12/2011

Wait. I don't get it. The graph is clearly labeled "Pro-abortion rights lobbying expenditures."

What are they fighting for?

I looooove how liberals say "FEDERAL FUNDS DON'T PAY FOR ABORTION!" So...why are "pro-abortion" groups lobbying? Do they want MORE zero dollars?

hmmmmm. Doesn't seem very consistent.

[Javalation]

09:24 PM on 05/12/2011

No one is "pro-abort­ion". The issue is, should women have the right to decide whether they can terminate an unwanted pregnancy legally.

[dwangelo]

10:27 PM on 05/12/2011

Dan Froomkin says "Pro abortion."

And the issue isn't the legality of abortion. REAL conservatives would be totally against federal laws banning that - and as far as I can see, no one is challenging roe v wade in any substantive way (save for the one-off congressman here or there who doesn't "get it.")

Bottom line...they want $$$$$ for ________ (Fill in the blank)

[ampdem]

10:58 PM on 05/12/2011

Some people seem to think some of us are actually for abortion. They fail to understand that no one is for abortion per se it's just that some of us are for our right to choose it's so ironic that those who don't want Gov. involved would love to involve Gov. in taking away our right to chose, can Gov. get any more involved than that? Can it get any more Communist? We have some real heavy duty desire for infringement on our rights taking place in this country, it will make the Soviet Union look like Disneyland if the Right wing get their way.

[Miss Muffett]

03:48 PM on 05/12/2011

If you cut off my reproductive choices, can I cut off yours?
 
Go get em, girls.

[tulane-grad]

03:48 PM on 05/12/2011

When did "pay to play" become "you play I pay?"

[Thanks4Watching]

03:15 PM on 05/12/2011

Hell hath no fury...

[mrk65]

03:04 PM on 05/12/2011

Go get'em ladies!

[Claireify]

03:02 PM on 05/12/2011

Lobbying in the U.S. goes back to the U S Grant administration and derives from British law. According to Wikipedia, "The ability of individuals, groups, and corporations to lobby the government is protected by the right to petition[2] in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution." The operative word is petition, not bribe. Another example of the need for an overhaul of our system.

[dwneastchk]

02:44 PM on 05/12/2011

States rights under the 10th Amendment to the Constitution turn on the notion that states are already empowerd to avoid Federal overreach. 'Federal Overreach' is not the situation here. This PP issue, along with recent others, like collective-bargaining. abortion and health care, is a matter of a handful of holy roller Tea Partiers, who've managed to get elected, in order to advance their own private conservative agenda.

Whole different animal, as they do not represent ' We, the People's 'individual rights or desires on these particular issues. That's why the few recently state adopted 'sovereignty resolutions' do not have 'the force of law' as the majority of voters still want the Federal government to step in where warranted - like now. I doubt many ever considered that their own state governments would be more likely, rather than less, to turn on their own constituencies.
---
..."In 2009-2010 thirty eight states have introduced resolutions to reaffirm the principles of sovereignty under the Constitution and the 10th Amendment; Nine states have passed the resolutions. These non-binding resolutions, often called “state sovereignty resolutions” do not carry the force of law. Instead,they are intended to be a statement to demand that the federal government halt its practices of assuming powers"...

[as promised]

02:58 PM on 05/12/2011

Well-said.
Anyone here familiar with The Family... C-Street? You should be!

[RedStateHostage]

03:32 PM on 05/12/2011

One of Maddow's favorite groups. You can find lots of her segments about this group of sanctimonious holy rollers on Youtube and her blog.

[dwneastchk]

04:15 PM on 05/12/2011

Thanks, and yes, am all too familiar with 'The Family' & C St.
- Yikes...!

[cordyc]

02:25 PM on 05/12/2011

Both of the attacks on birth control access and collective bargaining are attacks on our rights to freedom. Our right to privacy is under attack with the birth control fight. Look up Griswold vs the State of Conn. Our right to assembly is under attack with the push to eliminate collective bargaining. Free speech too.

Let's use the slogans to defuse the emotions and return to rational discussion of the real issues facing us.

[blackranger]

02:39 PM on 05/12/2011

Rovian politics in a nutshell. Eliminate all groups that represent the individuals in the United States, do away with every union, the AARP, the community activist groups and leave people with no lobbying power in Washington whatsoever. We all need to support any group that represents any group of citizens with our money and our votes.

[dwneastchk]

04:17 PM on 05/12/2011

How about 'Nothing in life, including society, 'evolves' backward... '?

[Fattonecat]

02:22 PM on 05/12/2011

JOBS !!!!!!!

[cordyc]

02:12 PM on 05/12/2011

If you want to reduce the number of abortions the obvious solution is to make birth control cheap and accessible for everyone. Good education is also necessary.

Yet these same anti-women people want to take away Title 10 funds and insist upon abstinence only education.

We need to stop arguing about abortion and talk more about pregnancy prevention. And let's change the "conversation" to the right to prevent unwanted pregnancy.

[blackranger]

02:29 PM on 05/12/2011

And I am willing to make a wager that planned parenthood has contributed far far far more birth control help to the poor then they have done abortions. They have prevented far far far more unwanted pregnancies by their services. They are advocates for women's health care and you know the republicans want to control all that.

[kajo13]

02:40 PM on 05/12/2011

You would be correct. In 2008:

Abortion Services — 3 percent of services in 2008
Abortion Procedures 324,008

Contraception — 35 percent of services
Reversible Contraception Clients, Women** 2,263,776
Emergency Contraception Kits 1,436,808
Tubal Sterilization Clients 489
Reversible Contraception Clients, Men 109,823
Vasectomy Clients 2,979
Total: 3,813,875

Further:

Cancer Screening and Prevention — 17 percent of services in 2008
Pap Tests 915,716
HPV Vaccinations 60,064
Breast Exams/ Breast Care 826,197
Colposcopy Procedures*** 43,285
LOOP/LEEP Procedures*** 2,613
Cryotherapy Procedures*** 1,816
Total: 1,849,691

STI/STD Testing and Treatment — 34 percent of services in 2008
STI Procedures, Women and Men 3,272,264
HIV Testing Procedures, Women 324,671
HIV Testing Procedures, Men 95,562
HIV Testing Procedures, Gender Not Reported 28,839
Total: 3,721,336

[memwhar]

02:49 PM on 05/12/2011

Planned parenthood only has to do with 3% of all abortions and NONE of them are in any way state or federally funded. They are far and away more geared toward womens health services.

[cjus2473]

02:03 PM on 05/12/2011

If evangelicals actually adopted anyone it would be an amazement...they don't...they show films and bible lectures to women who want abortions and then help them with clothes donations for the 9 months and after that...see ya. if they were so concerned with children, there would be no orphanages in the U.S. there would be no child that every wanted for anything...they are against most social programs that help the unfortunate, they are for less government except when it comes to sex and gay people and women and their reproductive rights. they have squandered every moment since they were elected decimating women's rights...and they are mostly men. hopefully none of these folks will experience a violent rape towards a member of their family...i sure if it did happen, they would go quietly away and have a procedure done and come back and still be anti-choice...we can witness that by newt coming back and being pro family when he has systematically gotten rid of two wives and had 2 affairs...women's reproductive rights need to be off the table...i wish they mandated that every doctor must help with an abortion - then there would be too many to supervise by these "less government" folks

[C Winebrinner]

03:52 PM on 05/12/2011

Fanned and faved!

And you are SO RIGHT about that mandate for doctors. I think that every doctor, or at least every OB/GYN, should have to at the LEAST know the procedure, even if they never do another one after their residency. Their morals be damned; if you don't want to do one, ever, then DON'T BECOME A DOCTOR.

Especially since ON TOP of all this BS the religious right are attempting to outlaw operations like I had, for an emergency ectopic pregnancy.

You can't get over an ectopic pregnancy without surgery, or some sort of a procedure that, unfortunately, ends the pregnancy.

You can only die.

[tomonthebay]

11:02 PM on 05/12/2011

At the hospital I work at, we do NO abortions and that is one of the reasons I work tere. We do deal with ectopic pregnancies as they are a medical emergency. I entered the healing arts as a pharmacist and educator to help people, not kill unborn babies.