Communication PACs 4th Largest in 2005-2006 Cycle
The communications industry is the 4th biggest contributor to congressional political campaigns, behind labor, financial services and health care, according to federal election reports and an analysis by PoliticalMoneyline. The industry’s political action committees (PACs) have given nearly $17.3 million this election cycle, compared with $18 million in 2003-2004 and $15.7 million in 2001-2002. Republicans got $11.1 million and Democrats $6.2 million during the 2005-2006 cycle, a split similar to the previous campaign’s.
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AT&T ranks no. 10 among top PAC contributors, with $1.8 million for the 2006 election cycle, PoliticalMoneyline reported. Realtors, auto dealers, beer wholesalers and union interests were among the donors ahead of AT&T. NCTA came in at no. 25 with $1.3 million; Verizon, no. 48, $914,850; Comcast, no. 55, $847,250; BellSouth, no. 62, $803,950; and Moveon.org, no. 73, $713,186. Moveon.org has been active on net neutrality the past year.
AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth are the top 3 communications industry companies in financing candidates in the 2006 elections, federal reports show. Verizon and BellSouth gave about 40% of their money to Democrats, and AT&T contributed about 1/3 to Democrats. Counting money from PACs, affiliated individuals giving more than $200, and soft money, AT&T gave $2.2 million, Verizon, $1.5 million and BellSouth, $1.1 million, according to a Center for Responsive Politics (CRP) analysis.
Sen. Burns (R-Mont.), whose campaign many think is doomed, received $125,090 from phone companies, the most support given to a single candidate, based on Federal Election Commission reports filed in Sept. and compiled by CRP. Burns, fighting for a 4th term, has championed several bills promoting rural broadband deployment, support for the Universal Service Fund and competition in video markets. Polls show him running several points behind Democratic challenger Jon Tester.
The 2nd-biggest recipient of phone company campaign contributions was Rep. Ferguson (R-N.J.), a quiet player on the telecom front, CRP reported. Companies gave him $96,200, slightly more than the $92,600 they gave to Republican Thomas Kean, a likely candidate to beat embattled incumbent Rep. Menendez (D). Ferguson’s seat gets money from Bell and high- tech sector in part because BellLabs hq is in his district, industry sources said.
Other active telecom players among the top 10 recipients of communications campaign contributions included Rep. Pickering (R-Miss.) -- who played a key role crafting the House telecom bill -- with $52,750 from the industry, the CRP report showed. Pickering ranked no. 7 on the list, followed by Sen. Ensign (R-Nev.), who received $49,750, and in the no. 10 spot Sen. Allen (R-Va.) with $44,100.
With just over 2 weeks to Election Day, pollsters and pundits are scrambling to predict whether the House and Senate will turn Democratic. Many believe it’s possible that one or both could flip -- the House more likely than the Senate. The Democrats need to win 16 seats to gain control of the House and 6 seats to take over the Senate. Many Hill staffers are speculating about impending changes, with some rushing to polish up resumes in anticipation of a member losing.
“We thought it might turn over -- it could go 50-50,” said one Senate staffer. If Republicans hold on to only a slim majority, committees would be restructured so that the votes on partisan issues would be even closer than they are now, making it difficult to get any legislation passed. Political analyst Charlie Cook said the Republicans could lose as many as 30 seats if public attention remains focused on the war in Iraq and congressional scandals. But if the national focus shifts toward terrorism, national security or falling gas prices, Republicans might stanch losses, he said.
Nearly 59 Republican-held House seats are “possibly vulnerable,” Cook said. In the Senate, Burns and Sen. Santorum (R-Pa.) are considered likely to lose, and Sens. DeWine (R-Ohio) and Chaffee (R-RI) are in deep trouble. Cook considers 3 other Republican seats on the edge: Sens. Allen (Va.), Talent (Mo.) and the open seat in Tennessee where Republicans are running even.
If Democrats win one or both chambers, the outlook for telecom legislation in the lame duck session is grim, Hill sources said. “Democrats are going to want to do their own bill,” so there’s no reason to work on legislation (HR-5252) that’s already passed the House and Senate Commerce Committee, several Hill sources and industry lobbyists said. But with Democrats in charge, decisive action isn’t more likely, many agreed, because Republicans will have enough clout to block bills they don’t like. -- Anne Veigle
(Editor’s Note: This report is another in our occasional series on the telecom and media implications of the 2006 elections.)