FILE - In this Jan. 7, 2013, file photo, a Japan Airlines Boeing 787 jet aircraft is surrounded by emergency vehicles while parked at a terminal E gate at Logan International Airport in Boston as a fire chief looks into the cargo hold. Congress has been strangely silent as Boeing, its airline customers and federal safety regulators struggled over the past two months to solve problems with the new Boeing 787 fire-plagued batteries. The unusual bipartisan silence reflects Boeing’s political clout, wielded by legions of lobbyists, fueled by hefty political campaign contributions and by the company’s importance as a huge employer and the nation’s single largest exporter. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia, File)
News Summary: Congress silent on Dreamliner woes
Published: 04:24:40 PM, Tue 19 March 2013 UTC
NARY A PEEP: As Boeing, its airline customers and federal safety regulators struggled over the past two months to solve problems with the new 787 Dreamliner's fire-plagued batteries, one player has been strangely silent: Congress.
RULES OF THE GAME: The bipartisan silence reflects Boeing's political clout, wielded by legions of lobbyists, fueled by hefty political campaign contributions and by the company's importance as a huge employer and the nation's single largest exporter.
HEFTY SPENDING: The aircraft maker spent more than $83 million on lobbying over the past five years, according to disclosure reports. It fielded 115 lobbyists last year.
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