Expedia continues to lobby for Brand USA, the federal government's promotion of the travel industry

Expedia and the entire hotel industry have ramped up lobbying over the last year in response to the Trump administration's 2018 budget proposal that threatened to cut Brand USA.

The Brand USA program is yet another “public-private partnership,” the collusion of big business and big government. Specifically, this one is a destination marketing organization promoting travel to the US. Companies like Expedia benefit from Brand USA's efforts.

In 2010, the Travel Promotion Act created the organization, but its funding is somewhat complicated. Partner companies (like Expedia) donate to the organization and then the government matches those funds from revenue collected in the form of fees charged to international travelers via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

Essentially, half of Brand USA's funding comes from a type of tariff imposed on the customers it's trying to attract. Of course, Trump's budget, in wanting to cut Brand USA, wasn't suggesting we eliminate ESTA revenue. It simply proposed redirecting that revenue from Brand USA to Customs and Border Protection, an issue that interests Trump more.

Despite his 2018 budget proposal to eliminate Brand USA, Congress continued its funding, so the fact that the Trump 2019 budget blueprint also seeks to kill Brand USA seems moot. Nevertheless, companies like Expedia continue to lobby heavily.

Note that while most companies employing lobbyists enjoy bipartisan involvement, I'm struck by how heavily Expedia leans democrat. Oddly, three of Expedia's lobbyists served on the staff of democrat senator Patty Murray, the “mom in tennis shoes” known for her far-left rejection of corporate interests. Another prominent democrat, Chelsea Clinton, is on Expedia's board of directors.

DNC = Democratic National Committee
CP = Chief Parliamentarian