In August 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law the Budget Control Act, which raised the debt ceiling of the United States and called for the creation of a new congressional committee tasked with producing legislation to reduce the national deficit by $1.5 trillion.
This new group is officially known as the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction.
Unofficially, it's been dubbed the "super Congress" or "Supercommittee." Whatever you call it, it's going to be the target of a lobbying bonanza, as special interest groups work to keep their pet projects off the chopping block. Below, OpenSecrets.org helps you explore the money-in-politics connections that each of the 12 members of this Supercommittee bring to the table. And go here to learn more about the call for transparency in the supercommittee's work.
Top contributors to supercommittee members (excluding presidential funds), 1989-2011
| Rank | Contributor | Total | From Individuals | From PACs | To Dems | To Repubs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Club for Growth | $1,013,407 | $991,066 | $22,341 | 0.0% | 100.0% |
| 2 | EMILY's List | $710,314 | $687,280 | $23,034 | 100.0% | 0.0% |
| 3 | Microsoft Corp | $662,572 | $444,072 | $218,500 | 85.7% | 14.3% |
| 4 | AT&T Inc | $568,045 | $92,783 | $475,262 | 48.2% | 51.8% |
| 5 | Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $461,920 | $106,156 | $355,764 | 47.3% | 52.7% |
| 6 | United Parcel Service | $457,384 | $5,250 | $452,134 | 52.2% | 47.8% |
| 7 | General Electric | $452,999 | $213,699 | $239,300 | 50.7% | 49.3% |
| 8 | Citigroup Inc | $443,006 | $258,006 | $185,000 | 38.6% | 61.4% |
| 9 | American Bankers Assn | $431,383 | $28,050 | $403,333 | 40.6% | 59.4% |
| 10 | National Assn of Realtors | $424,600 | $4,250 | $420,350 | 47.2% | 52.8% |
Agribusiness sector detail (excluding presidential funds), 1989-2011
| Sector | Member | Total | Rank** | From Individuals | From PACs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agribusiness | Baucus, Max | $1,326,015 | 6 of 13 | $423,203 | $902,812 |
| Agribusiness | Kyl, Jon | $867,094 | 8 of 13 | $496,681 | $370,413 |
| Agribusiness | Camp, Dave | $739,567 | 5 of 13 | $54,675 | $684,892 |
| Agribusiness | Portman, Rob | $604,200 | 9 of 13 | $417,350 | $186,850 |
| Agribusiness | Murray, Patty | $488,909 | 12 of 13 | $228,503 | $260,406 |
| Agribusiness | Clyburn, James E | $432,550 | 10 of 13 | $54,400 | $378,150 |
| Agribusiness | Toomey, Pat | $366,764 | 10 of 13 | $191,489 | $175,275 |
| Agribusiness | Upton, Fred | $304,309 | 9 of 13 | $59,857 | $244,452 |
| Agribusiness | Hensarling, Jeb | $249,066 | 10 of 13 | $148,516 | $100,550 |
| Agribusiness | Becerra, Xavier | $194,428 | 8 of 13 | $56,357 | $138,071 |
| Agribusiness | Kerry, John | $173,354 | 13 of 13 | $158,119 | $15,235 |
| Agribusiness | Van Hollen, Chris | $71,050 | 13 of 13 | $22,550 | $48,500 |
