USTelecom spent $1.57 million in second quarter to lobby gov’t on taxes, broadband and more

USTelecom spent $1.57M lobbying in second quarter

WASHINGTON — The United States Telecom Association, which represents phone companies, spent $1.57 million in the second quarter to lobby the federal government on phone bill taxes, broadband buildout provisions of the stimulus bill and other issues, according to a disclosure report.

That’s in addition to money spent by USTelecom’s members, some of whom are big on lobbying. Verizon Communications Inc., for instance, spent $4.44 million on lobbying in the second quarter.

USTelecom’s spending is up from the $1.34 million it spent in the same period last year, and from the $1.41 million it spent in the first quarter of 2010. The group also lobbied the federal government on legislation involving telemarketing, the theft of phone lines by scrap-metal scavengers, patent reform, satellite TV and “net neutrality,” or the notion that Internet traffic from different sources must be treated equally, according to the report filed on July 20.

In the April to June period, USTelecom lobbied Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the Internal Revenue Service, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, according to the report filed with the House clerk’s office.

Among those registered to lobby for USTelecom is Greg Willis, who served as general counsel to the Senate Small Business Committee under chairwoman Mary Landrieu (D-La.). Before that, he was speechwriter for Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.).