Where, Exactly, Did Merck Spend Its $1.82 Million -- In Lobbying?

Here's the top-line -- from Forbes:

. . . .Pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. spent $1.82 million lobbying the federal government. . . in the fourth quarter [of 2009], according to a recent disclosure form.

That was up 38 percent from the $1.32 million the Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based company spent on lobbying in the fourth quarter of 2008. . . .

More precisely, Merck lobbied about (among other matters):

Δ increasing the number of people eligible for health insurance coverage

Δ providing incentives for preventive health services

Δ opposing laws that would mandate disclosing Merck's payments to doctors (to be fair, Merck is already doing some form of this now, voluntarily)

Δ limiting drug reimporting (of drugs made here, but originally shipped overseas)

Δ increasing government funding for nation-wide immunization initiatives

Δ opposing government negotiated prices -- on drugs purchased by government program,

Δ deferring taxes -- corporate income taxes -- on money Merck's wholly-owned subsidiaries generate overseas in low tax countries (money that is not yet "repatriated" to the United States, from those Merck subsidiaries)

Δ and -- of course -- health care reform legislation

There. Now you know.