The $2.2 million reason Congress won't end the NFL's tax-exempt status

The $2.2 million reason Congress won&#039;t end the NFL&#039;s tax-exempt status

(Image credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) said Tuesday she would introduce a bill to strip the NFL of its tax-exempt status because the league won't force the Washington Redskins to change their name. Regardless of whether you believe the feds should have a say in a team's nickname, there is a multimillion dollar reason to believe the change won't come.

The NFL has spent almost $2.2 million on lobbying and campaign contributions this election cycle alone, according to Open Secrets. And in the past five years, it has spent $5.89 million lobbying D.C., far more than any other sports league.

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Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.

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