A recent Op Ed in the New York Times sheds light on the amount of money being spent in Washington on behalf of business interests by the United States Chamber of Commerce and its well-heeled sister agency, the Institute for Legal Reform.
As you can imagine, the bulk of the $25.2 million these two agencies spent on lobbying efforts in the 1st quarter of 2014, alone, was focused on protecting and expanding the rights of business interests at the expense of the consumer. That’s over $300,000 per day in expenses. The most recent report filed by the US Chamber, shows the “staggering amount of money that the business sector spends to influence legislation and regulation in Washington. No other competing interest group comes remotely close.” While a great deal of money, the chamber has spent more than that amount in several previous years.
Based on these filings, you can see how the individual consumer’s rights continue to be winnowed away by the chamber’s efforts. According to the Op Ed, “For those who wonder why income inequality persists, why climate change is getting worse, and why consumers are losing their voice, the answer is right there in the reports piling up on a Congressional website.”
We, here at Advocate Capital, are proud to join in the fight with our clients to protect the rights and remedies of the consumer.
The full Op Ed can be read here.
Photo Credit: Images of Money on Flickr.