American Beverage Association spends $3.95 million lobbying gov’t in 2Q on soda tax, nutrition

Beverage group spent $3.95 million on 2Q lobbying

WASHINGTON — The American Beverage Association, the trade group for the nation’s soft drink makers, spent nearly $4 million in the second quarter lobbying the federal government on taxes on sugary beverages, children’s nutrition and fitness, and other issues, according to a recent disclosure report.

That’s well above the $1.2 million the group spent in the year-ago period but less than the $5.4 million it spent in the first quarter of 2009. Some state lawmakers have proposed taxing sugary beverages as a way to raise money and reduce obesity, which is linked to costly health problems such as diabetes. First lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to end childhood obesity has targeted high-calorie sodas as well as school lunch nutrition and school vending machine choices.

The group, whose members include Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc., Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. and others, also lobbied on sugar subsidies, ethanol, recycling and other issues.

The group lobbied both houses of Congress in the April to June period, according to the report filed July 20 with the House clerk’s office.