Lobbying
Ivy League Federal Lobbying Expenditure Rose 12% in 2023, Harvard Spent $530,000
Harvard spent $530,000 on lobbying the federal government in 2023, the lowest amount spent by the University in the past nine years.
Harvard Says the Endowment Tax Is a Blow to Higher Education. Is It?
Harvard has decried a bill passed under the Trump administration that includes a tax on wealthy university endowments. But is the impact of the provision as significant as the University claims it to be?
Harvard Spent $560,000 on Federal Lobbying in Biden’s First Year
Harvard spent $560,000 in federal lobbying during President Joe Biden’s first year in office, topping the Ivy League for the fifth time in the past six years.
Harvard’s 2020 Lobbying Expenditures Top Ivy League, Focusing on Pandemic, Immigration Legislation
University President Lawrence S. Bacow and representatives from the University’s Office of Federal Relations lobbied the White House and Congress on issues tied to student financial aid, research funding, and taxes on Harvard’s $41.9 billion endowment. Last year also brought legislation related to the coronavirus pandemic and immigration to the forefront of the University’s lobbying activities.
Harvard, Local Universities Oppose College Sports Gambling in Letter to State House
Harvard and six other local colleges and universities opposed a bill that would legalize college sports betting in a Friday letter to Massachusetts state legislators.
Harvard Collaborates with Higher Education Lobbyists As Challenges Grow for Colleges and Universities
Harvard is working with higher education lobbying groups to alleviate unforeseen challenges presented by the global coronavirus pandemic, according to University Spokesperson Jason A. Newton.
Harvard Spent $595,000 Last Year on Federal Lobbying
Harvard spent $595,000 lobbying in Washington, D.C., in 2019, a figure $5,000 less than its 2018 spending, according to the University’s lobbying disclosures.
After More Than a Year of Uncertainty, IRS Releases Proposed Guidance on Filing Endowment Tax
After more than a year of uncertainty, the Internal Revenue Service issued proposed guidance on Friday for higher education institutions — including Harvard — required to pay a new tax on their endowments.
Harvard Law Students Push to Reform Law Firms’ Contracts for Incoming Associates
Students from Harvard Law School’s Pipeline Parity Project continued their campaign against mandatory arbitration clauses — provisions of employment contracts that require employees to settle disputes through a private arbiter rather than bringing their concerns to the courts.
Bacow Advocates for ‘Permanent Resolution’ for DACA and TPS Protections in Letter to Lawmakers
University President Lawrence S. Bacow penned a letter to United States Senators Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) Tuesday calling on them to pass legislation to protect recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status programs.
Bacow Defends Harvard Against Claims of Elitism in D.C. Panel
University President Lawrence S. Bacow discussed the challenges higher education institutions face and defended Harvard’s leading role among colleges and universities at an American Enterprise Institute and Brookings Institution panel Thursday.
Harvard Spent $600K Lobbying Congress in 2018
Harvard spent $600,000 lobbying the federal government in 2018, a figure $10,000 less than the amount the University spent in 2017. Though last year’s figure marked a slight decrease in expenses, lobbying costs have generally seen an uptick in the last five years as Harvard faces a hostile political climate.
Lawmakers Call for Review of Harvard IOP Congressional Orientation
Following criticisms of an orientation for newly elected members of Congress hosted by Harvard’s Institute of Politics that featured a number of lobbyists, at least two lawmakers are calling for a review of the program in light of House ethics rules.
Bacow Wastes No Time Making His Mark on Harvard
July and August can be sleepy and stifling in Cambridge — but the hot weather didn't deter University President Lawrence S. Bacow from a frenzied round of activity in his first two months as Harvard's 29th top leader.
Social Groups Spent $90,000 Lobbying Congress to Cancel Sanctions in Second Quarter of 2018
Two groups led in part by members of Harvard final clubs spent $90,000 in the second quarter of 2018 lobbying for a bill that could imperil the College’s sanctions.
In Letter to Pruitt, Faust Condemns Suggested EPA Rule on Scientific Research
The proposed rule, which Faust called "fundamentally flawed," calls on the EPA to make public all data used to support scientific studies that inform its regulations.
To Fight Sanctions, Harvard Social Groups Take 'The Legislative Path'
Some Harvard social groups are taking the fight to cancel the College's controversial sanctions all the way to Capitol Hill.
Social Group Coalitions Spent $90,000 Lobbying On Anti-Sanctions Bill in First Quarter of 2018
Two organizations spent a total of $90,000 in the first quarter of 2018 lobbying around legislation that could imperil the College’s ability to enforce its social group sanctions.
Harvard Spent $610k Lobbying Congress in 2017
The uptick in lobbying fees came during a year in which Harvard—and higher education more broadly—faced a number of legislative challenges.
Faust Says Bacow Will 'Focus' on PROSPER Act, Though Bill Remains Stalled
Faust said she thinks President-elect Bacow—who will take office in June 2018—will keep a watchful eye on the PROSPER Act.
College Democrats Visit State House for Lobby Day
Around 30 students met with state legislators at the State House Thursday to advocate for five bills as part of the Harvard College Democrats’ semesterly Lobby Day.
From Harvard to the Hill: Chuck Schumer’s Years at the College
Before he hobnobbed with the University's president, Schumer was just another undergraduate at the College.
Harvard Undergrads Lobby Congress In Effort to Imperil Sanctions
The students are particularly lobbying around the PROSPER Act, a proposed update to the Higher Education Act that—if passed—could force Harvard to choose between millions of dollars in federal research funding and its social group penalties.