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Lobbying Disclosure
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After decades of failed attempts to close the many loopholes of the 1946 Regulation of Lobbying Act, Congress finally stepped up to the plate at the end of 1995 and approved the fairly sweeping Lobbying Disclosure Act (LDA) of 1995. LDA represents a comprehensive reform when compared to the earlier regulatory efforts – only about 10 percent of lobbyists felt compelled to register under the earlier Act – though it certainly was seen as falling short of a complete success by its biggest sponsors. The Lobbying Disclosure Act received unanimous approval in both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on December 19, 1995. The new Act took effect on January 1, 1996. However, a fairly reliable disclosure database of lobbying activity did not become available until calendar year 1999. In the brief span between 1999 and 2004, the amount reported on lobbying expenditures at the federal level increased 44 percent. • Chart & Graph of Overall Expenditures on Federal Lobbying, 1999-2004 |
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| Together, two separate corporate entities called Public Citizen, Inc. and Public Citizen Foundation, Inc., form Public Citizen. Both entities are part of the same overall organization, and this Web site refers to the two organizations collectively as Public Citizen. Although the work of the two components overlaps, some activities are done by one component and not the other. The primary distinction is with respect to lobbying activity. Public Citizen, Inc., an IRS § 501(c)(4) entity, lobbies Congress to advance Public Citizen’s mission of protecting public health and safety, advancing government transparency, and urging corporate accountability. Public Citizen Foundation, however, is an IRS § 501(c)(3) organization. Accordingly, its ability to engage in lobbying is limited by federal law, but it may receive donations that are tax-deductible by the contributor. Public Citizen Inc. does most of the lobbying activity discussed on the Public Citizen Web site. Public Citizen Foundation performs most of the litigation and education activities discussed on the Web site. You may make a contribution to Public Citizen, Inc., Public Citizen Foundation, or both. Contributions to both organizations are used to support our public interest work. However, each Public Citizen component will use only the funds contributed directly to it to carry out the activities it conducts as part of Public Citizen’s mission. Only gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible. Individuals who want to join Public Citizen should make a contribution to Public Citizen, Inc., which will not be tax deductible. |
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