Comcast, Time Warner and Congress: Perfect Together

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https://www.commondreams.org/view/2014/04/10-0


From left, Comcast Corporation Executive Vice President David Cohen, Time Warner Cable Inc. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Arthur T. Minson Jr., Public Knowledge President and Chief Executive Officer Gene Kimmelman, Back9Network Chairman and Chief Executive Officer James L. Bosworth Jr., Spot On Networks Chief Executive Officer Richard Sherwin and University of Pennsylvania Law professor Christopher S. Yoo are sworn in on Capitol Hill in Washington, April 9, 2014. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

The US Senate on Wednesday held its first hearing on the proposed Comcast-Time Warner deal — a $45 billion transaction that will affect millions of consumers and further pad some already well-lined pockets — so now seems a good time to look at how our elected officials have benefitted from the largesse of the two companies with an urge to merge.

Although the ultimate decision will be made by the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department, according to the Sunlight Foundation, a reliable, nonpartisan watchdog, “The number one and number two cable providers in the country are also big-time on the influence circuit, giving upwards of a combined $42.4 million to various politicians and groups since 1989.

The Sunlight Foundation’s Influence Explorer tool also shows that the two companies have spent a combined $143.5 million lobbying Congress since 1989 on issues including telecommunications, technology, taxes and copyright.

President Barack Obama benefitted the most, by far, from Comcast, whose employees and their family members contributed more than $537,800. Two Texans — Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst — are the top recipients of contributions from Time Warner Cable, receiving $185,000 and $170,000, respectively.

Three Democratic and three Republican members of the Judiciary Committee are up for reelection this year and almost all have profited at least a bit from Comcast and/or Time Warner contributions, but the Democrats have come out ahead, the Sunlight Foundation reports. Minnesota Democrat Al Franken — an outspoken critic of the merger described as “a fundraising powerhouse” by Sunlight — has received $15,050 from Comcast and $13,350 from Time Warner, as per the Center for Responsive Politics’ OpenSecrets.org, and has pulled in $54,500 from individuals who have worked for Comcast-owned NBC Universal, including “Saturday Night Live” executive producer Lorne Michaels.