US Chamber Spent Millions Targeting Tea Party, Immigration -- By Cathy Burke, NewsMax

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday said it spent $52.7 million on lobbying in 2013, ramping up pressure for its top-priority legislative issues, including immigration reform and electing business-friendly candidates to Congress, two reports said Tuesday.

Roll Call reported that disclosure forms showed the big-spending business group laid out nearly $16.5 million in the last quarter, a jump of $4,330,000, or 36 percent, from the $12,160,000 it spent in the third quarter, when the organization was ranked as the top-spending U.S. lobby group.

 The Hill reported that a significant percentage of the fourth-quarter largesse was funneled into immigration reform, which the chamber championed as a bill passed the Senate.

The bill stalled in the House. The chamber's pressure on immigration won't stop this year, however.

Chamber President Tom Donohue vowed earlier this month to help put immigration legislation on President Barack Obama's desk by the end of the year.

"We're determined to make 2014 the year that immigration reform is finally enacted," he said.

The chamber last year also declared its intention to help "business-friendly" candidates in the coming midterm elections, protecting some incumbents from tea party challengers.

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