Photograph by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
The Connecticut Huskies react after defeating the Butler Bulldogs to win the National Championship Game of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament by a score of 53-41 at Reliant Stadium on April 4, 2011 in Houston, Texas.
March Madness is in full swing.
And Congress is in session, even if the government is in sequestration.
Regardless of whether you’re rooting for the Harvard Crimson, the Great Danes of Albany or The Hoyas of Georgetown, everyone wants one thing: The glory of basketball honor and a national championship.
Not so obviously, many schools are also pushing for legislative priorities on the national level through lobbying.
Harvard University, seeded #14 in the Western Bracket, spends just over half a million dollars each year on lobbying. Issues included Pell Grant funding, STEM education and Title VI funding.
Their first opponent, #3 seeded University of New Mexico, spent just under $100,000 on Department of Defense spending and surface transportation re-authorization.
Duke University, seeded #2 in the Midwestern bracket, spends on average of just under half a million dollars. They lobbied on energy research issues, Medicare and Medicaid provider payments and research oversight ethics.
Their first opponent? The university at Albany did not report any lobbying, but the State University of New York System reported just under $100,000 lobbying on issues related to budget sequestration.
Gonzaga University, seeded #1 in the Western Bracket, spends anywhere from $60,000 to $80,000 on lobbying depending on the year.
Their 2012 report includes lobbying on the university’s 125th anniversary.
Their opponent, #16 seeded Southern University, did not report any lobbying.
Syracuse University, seeded #4 in the East, spends over a quarter million dollars a year on lobbying. Their issues included the importance of supporting the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health, as well as Syracuse’s institute for Veterans and Military Family.
Their first opponent, #13 Montana, spends around $150,000 lobbying. Montana’s issues included Department of Defense appropriations for research and development as well as FDA funding and USDA funding.
Georgetown University, seeded #2 in the South, spends in the neighborhood of $40,000-$80,000 on lobbying the federal government. Georgetown lobbied on the Daniel Webster Congressional Clerkship Act of 2011, which would provide for graduates of accredited law schools to serve as congressional clerks. Georgetown also lobbied on IRA rollover and deductibility of charitable contributions.
Their opponent, Florida Gulf Coast University, beat Georgetown with almost $340,000 worth of lobbying. Florida Gulf Coast lobbied on research for renewable energy and the Surface Transportation Extension Act.
The University of Kansas, ranked #1 in the Southern Bracket, has spent various amounts of money on lobbying, in 2009 spending just under $500,000, but under $250,000 in 2012. Their issues include vortex energy generation, sequestration and student finical aid.
Their opponent, Western Kentucky University, reported spending no money lobbying the federal government.
