General Motors, owned mostly by the U.S. taxpayer, spent $1.48 million on lobbying in last year’s fourth quarter, a recent lobbying report shows. The failed automaker lobbied for highway funding, climate-change legislation, corporate tax credits, “R&D Funding for Cellulosic Ethanol and Renewable Fuels, Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, Advanced Batteries,” and many other issues.
The $1.48 million includes the company’s in-house lobbying shop, as well as $155,000 spent on four different K Street firms. Here are the outside lobbying firms funded by your tax dollars
| Firm | Amount | Specific lobbying issues |
| GrayLoeffler | $30,000 | “Issues related to automobile manufacturing and sales.” |
| Davis & Harman | $20,000 | “Proposals relating to defined benefit plan funding, including H.R. 2021, the Savings Recovery Act,H.R. 2989, the 401(k) Fair Disclosure and Pension Security Act…” |
| The Washington Tax Group | $30,000 | “Extension and expansion of alternative simplified research and development tax credit” “Provision to create a federal battery warranty program for electric vehicles.” |
| The Duberstein Group | $75,000 | “Pension issues” and “Automobile dealerships” |
Here was my column on GM’s employ of outside lobbying firms.
