Tech firms spent $111 Million lobbying US politicians
By Ria Sharma

Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics is America’s premier research group tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy. Nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit, the organization aims to create a more educated voter, an involved citizenry and a more responsive government.

The Centre for Responsive Politics has been operating for 27 years and only accepts donations for social and charitable organizations as well as individuals. It has no links with big business or trade unions.  It major donors include Carnegie Corporation ($500K), Fort Foundation ($190K), Joyce Foundation ($187K), Open Society Institute ($250K), Pew Charitable Trusts ($800K) and Sunlight Foundation ($1.2 Million).

The Centre for Responsive Politics has just collated how much each tech firm spent in 2009 lobbying American politicians to ensure they made laws favourable to the IT, BPO, KPO and Telecom firms.

Between them, the tech firms spent $111.5 million lobbying the political powers that be in 2009. NASSCOM spent $340,000 towards promoting their cause.

The NASSCOM lobbying is dwarfed when compared to Apple which spent $1.5 million. Business Software Alliance, set up to stop software piracy, spent about $1.7 million.  CISCO spent $1.1 million.  Dell spent $2.3 million.  HP spent $3.7 million.  Microsoft and IBM spent about $5.5 million each.

What is bit baffling in this report that Patni Computer Systems is listed as having spent zero dollars.

In 2008, NASSCOM has spent $270 thousand dollars. What did NASSCOM lobby about in 2009?  According to Government documents, it is for ‘international technology and immigration issues’.  Most of this money was used to lobby against the US Government crackdown on the H1B Visas. The NASSCOM lobbying did not result any wins for the Indian tech sector.  The US Government continues tightening the rules for H1B Visas. Last year, a law was passed saying any American tech firm receiving bail out funds should give local techies preference over Indians on working visas. In Jan, 2010, the US Government blocked all desi body shops in the country from importing Indian techies on H1B Visas and then sub contracting them to American tech firms.