HCA Healthcare Corp. | Lobbying Expenditures Disclosure at Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp.

Status
22.60% votes in favour
AGM date
Previous AGM date
Proposal number
5
Resolution details
Company ticker
HCA
Resolution ask
Report on or disclose
ESG theme
  • Governance
ESG sub-theme
  • Lobbying / political engagement
Type of vote
Shareholder proposal
Filer type
Shareholder
Company sector
Health Care
Company HQ country
United States
Whereas clause
That the shareholders of Coterra Energy Inc. (Coterra or Company) hereby request that the Company provide a report, updated semiannually, disclosing the Company’s: Policies and procedures for making, with corporate funds or assets, contributions, and expenditures (direct or indirect) to (a) participate or intervene in any campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office, or (b) influence the general public, or any segment thereof, with respect to an election or referendum. Monetary and non-monetary contributions and expenditures (direct and indirect) used in the manner described in section 1 above, including: • The identity of the recipient as well as the amount paid to each; and • The title(s) of the person(s) in the Company responsible for decision-making. The report shall be presented to the board of directors or relevant board committee and posted on the Company’s website within 12 months from the date of the annual meeting. This proposal does not encompass lobbying expenditures.
Supporting statement
As long-term shareholders of Coterra, we support transparency and accountability in corporate electoral spending. This includes any activity considered intervention in a political campaign under the Internal Revenue Code, such as direct and indirect contributions to political candidates, parties, or organizations, and independent expenditures or electioneering communications on behalf of federal, state, or local candidates. A company’s reputation, value, and bottom line can be adversely impacted by spending that is conducted blindly. The risk is especially serious when giving to trade associations, Super PACs, 527 committees, and social welfare organizations – groups that routinely pass money to or spend on behalf of candidates and political causes that a company might not otherwise wish to support. The Conference Board’s 2021 Under a Microscope report details these risks, recommends the process suggested in this proposal, and warns a new era of stakeholder scrutiny, social media, and political polarization has propelled corporate political activity—and the risks that come with it—into the spotlight. Political activity can pose increasingly significant risks for companies, including the perception that political contributions—and other forms of activity—are at odds with core company values. This proposal asks Coterra to disclose all its electoral spending, including payments to trade associations and other tax-exempt organizations which may be used for electoral purposes–and are otherwise undisclosed. This would bring our Company in line with a growing number of leading companies, including Apache Corporation, Diamondback Energy, and Phillips 66, which present this information on their websites. Without knowing the recipients of our Company’s political dollars we cannot sufficiently assess whether our Company’s election-related spending aligns or conflicts with its stances on key environmental and social issues like climate change and racial equity. We urge your support for this critical governance reform.

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