Company lobbying for lower taxes exceeds social activism, Oxfam America claims
"Corporations Increasingly Vocal on Social Issues but Still Mostly Lobbying for Lower Taxes" 12 Apr 2018
Some...corporations in America...have garnered attention for speaking out against President Trump’s policies...in the first year of his administration, but primarily flexed their muscle in Washington advocating for lower taxes. Today’s CEOs have more appetite to align their company’s public image with specific sides in some of the country’s most contested and polarized debates...but when we look at what they are lobbying on behind closed doors, they really...want to pay less in taxes while other issues take a back seat.The Oxfam analysis report...found that the 70 companies on our list collectively spent more than $280 million to lobby Congress on more than 3,000 issues in 2017. They reported lobbying on climate change 19 times; 138 times on diversity and inclusion and 552 times on tax. That translates into an estimated $1.5 million spent lobbying on climate...$11 million on diversity and inclusion issues, and almost $44 million...on tax. The US business community lobbied...to change how companies with overseas operations are taxed, and this lobbying paid off enormously. We estimate...their return on investment for tax lobbying includes lowering their tax bill by $313 billion on offshore earnings alone. [Refers to Andeavor, Biogen, Burlington Stores, EOG Resources, Incorporated, Occidental Petroleum].