Giant retailer also a lobbying behemoth

WASHINGTON — Wal-Mart’s message to America is “Save money. Live better.” Its motto in Washington might best be summed up another way: Spend more. Lobby harder.

The world’s largest retailer spent nearly $1.8 million in the first six months of 2007 and is on pace to break the nearly $2.5 million it spent for all of 2006.

While overall spending on lobbying appears to be slowing a bit, some industries, such as private equity, and companies, such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc., are bucking the trend.

A relative newcomer to lobbying, the Bentonville, Ark.-based company is making sure Capitol Hill knows it doesn’t take a discount approach to getting its message out about everything from immigration to financial-services licensing.

Wal-Mart spent more than $4 million lobbying in the past 18 months compared with the $6.6 million it collectively spent in the prior seven years, according to federal lobbying reports.

The retail sector as a whole isn’t a lobbying juggernaut in Washington, where defense, energy and pharmaceutical industries write the big checks. For example, Target Corp. spent $100,000 in lobbying expenses in the first six months this year, Sears Holding Corp. spent about $141,000, while defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. spent $4.8 million in the same period.

Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar would not comment on specific legislation or issues. He said the company’s spending depends on the congressional agenda.

This year, that agenda included immigration reform legislation that failed and a minimum wage-hike bill that passed. The company has said higher wages will push up the cost of goods for customers.

For their part, Wal-Mart lobbyists pushed for tougher tactics against organized retail crime and for legislation promoting electronic health records and other technology aimed at reducing health-care costs.

But, Wal-Mart, long criticized for having skimpy employee health-insurance benefits, also lobbied against legislation that would allow employees to form, join or help labor organizations. Its employees are not unionized.

It also dropped a bid for a bank license earlier this year.

Wal-Mart spent just $140,000 in 1999. It spent about a $1 million annually for the next several years, before increasing its lobbying representation in 2005 amid increased criticism of labor practices and benefits.