"In an e-mail obtained by ABC News, a top staffer for the key Senate Appropriations subcommittee called for a meeting of lobbyists and interest groups that would be affected by expected cuts to the Labor and Heath and Human Services budget. The Jan. 24 meeting was attended by approximately 400 people, sources told ABC, and served as a "call to arms" for those determined to fight Republican budget cuts. "
"Among those receiving the letters were Duke Energy, the Association of American Railroads, chemical manufacturer FMC Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Bayer, the American Petroleum Institute, the National Association of Manufacturers and the National Petrochemical & Refiners Association. Issa asked for responses by Jan. 10. He declined to release them piecemeal. The letters were first reported by Politico. "
I don't see any substantive difference between asking businesses and lobbyists to provide input into which regulations they would like to have repealed, and getting together a bunch of people whose budgets will be affected by the cuts the GOP proposes.
