(Image source from: gadgetsnow.com)
The research that was done by group Opensecret.org found out that Nasscom which is an IT industry body stood as the third biggest spender on lobbying on immigration and advocacy in the US in 2019.
Topping the list was Microsoft with $7.8 million on lobbying efforts which was followed by Cognizant pouring $1.7 million.
Comparing the amount spent by Nasscom in the previous year, it poured $510,000. the department of commerce, education, department of homeland security and department of labour includes the top agencies which Nasscom lobbies.
Nasscom has spent $270,000 with the Republic Consulting which is a bipartisan boutique of Democratic as well as Republic Consultants and it also spent $150,000 with the Lande Group. The issues which topped the list were immigration trade, education and foreign relations.
The lobbying spends of Nasscom was fluctuating between $40,000 and $150,000 between 2010 and 2014 but it has significantly increased since 2015. in order to strengthen the lobbying, the India’s IT industry has been compelled by the US president Donald Trump. In order to communicate to the administration of Trump about how the service has been done by the $170-billion IT industry for a majority of the Fortune 500 in their transformation programmes, Spencer Abraham who was the former Republican senator from Michigan and US energy secretary under former president George Bush, was hired by Nasscom. The governor of Michigan in the Bush regime, John Engler, was one of the Nasscom’s advisers on public policy. He has been hired by Nasscom to communicate how the US would benefit from the continuation of the current H-1B visa programme.
Microsoft’s last year spend was $9.5 million which decreased to $7.8 million this year. According to the research group OpenSecrets.org, Cognizant’s spends experienced issues related to immigration, labour, antitrust and workplace, education and foreign relations. Pete Landrum, a retired army colonel of the BGR Group who has specialized in Congressional procedures and process, homeland security policy and foreign affairs among others, has been hired by Cognizant and also used a consulting firm Hecht, Latham, Spencer & Associates which is based on the BGR Group and the Washington DC.
By Shrithika Kushangi
