Lobbyists Increasing Efforts For New Stimulus Opportunities

October 7, 2009

The Hill reports, "Lobbyists are redoubling efforts to advance tax and spending provisions as President Barack Obama considers additional options to bolster the economy." The renewed "focus on fiscal stimulus measures comes as unemployment numbers have worsened." Lobbyists are "renewing their efforts on a broad range of additional provisions that they say would achieve the president's goal of further bolstering the economy." Business lobbyists are "pressuring lawmakers to support a tax provision that would allow an array of industries to deduct net operating losses going back five years instead of two. The provision had been part of the debate earlier this year over the stimulus package, but it was narrowed to target small businesses." Monica McGuire, chairwoman of the Net Operating Loss coalition and lobbyist at the NAM, said, "It didn't provide the bang for the buck that it otherwise would have if it applied to medium- and large-size companies."