GANNETT NEWS SERVICE January 26, 2007 Immigration lobbyists spend more Lobbying likely to continue as leaders consider proposals WASHINGTON -- Big business, labor unions and other groups spent millions lobbying Congress on immigration issues last year and likely will spend millions more this year as proposals to create a guest-worker program gain momentum with Democrats now in charge. At least $3.3 million was spent lobbying on immigration during the last half of 2005 and the first half of 2006, when the House and Senate passed different versions of immigration legislation, according to a Gannett News Service analysis. Most of that was spent by supporters of broad immigration reforms contained in the Senate bill, which would have created a guest-worker program and offered a path to citizenship for immigrants in the country illegally. A separate analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics found that the number of organizations lobbying on immigration has climbed steadily, reaching a peak of 302 in 2005, the last year for which the group had complete statistics. The money spent on immigration lobbying shows how important the issue is for hundreds of groups as Congress prepares to debate reforms again this year. Those millions don't approach the money spent on some other issues. For example, more than $203 million was spent lobbying on health care in the first half of 2006. Last year's lobbying effort produced no new laws because the House and Senate were unable to resolve the differences between their bills. Some lawmakers who supported the Senate bill said business groups may have to work even harder this year if they want to pass legislation. From the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Brazilian steakhouse chain Fogo de Chao, scores of groups weighed in to push for the reforms contained in the Senate bill. Reform supporters also lobbied Congress to block new border security restrictions passed by the House that would have made it a felony for undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. That worried businesses dependant on immigrants to fill jobs. Although groups that advocate tougher border security also lobbied Congress, disclosure forms indicate they were outnumbered by a broad coalition of corporations, unions and nonprofit advocacy organizations. Top dollar Immigration lobbying drew in a variety of groups. Hundreds of businesses, unions, civil-rights groups and ad hoc coalitions lobbied Congress on immigration in 2005 and 2006. Here's a look at some of those groups and how much they spent lobbying for and against the Senate's version of immigration legislation. That proposal would have allowed millions of undocumented immigrants to get legal status and established a guest worker program: LOBBIED FOR THE SENATE BILL E. & J. Gallo Winery: $20,000 American Immigration Lawyers Association: $85,000 National Association of Manufacturers: $60,000 Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform: $430,000 (members included National Council of La Raza, Service Employees International Union, UNITE Here, National Immigration Forum) Essential Worker Immigration Coalition: $180,000 Chicago Celts for Immigration Reform: less than $10,000 LOBBIED AGAINST THE SENATE BILL: NumbersUSA: $40,000 National Border Patrol Council: $29,999 U.S. Border Control: $706,000 Federation for American Immigration Reform: $180,000
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