DETROIT  -  General Motors Co. spent $2.72 million in the second quarter lobbying the federal government on energy and defense spending, safety regulations and research funding for autos that run on alternative fuels, according to a disclosure report.

That's slightly less than the $2.76 million the automaker spent a year earlier but more than the double the $1.36 million it spent in the first quarter this year.

GM, now 60.8 percent owned by the U.S. government, also lobbied on driver distraction, event data recorders, compliance with recalls and safety regulations, health care reform, electric vehicle infrastructure, pensions, climate change, tariff and trade bills and highway funding, according to a report it filed July 20 covering April through June.

GM lobbied Congress, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the International Trade Commission and the Departments of Defense, Energy and State, among others, according to the report it filed with the House clerk's office.

The report was filed by Robert E. Ferguson, vice president for government relations. Ferguson and 11 other lobbyists represented GM during the quarter, according to the report.

GM, based in Detroit, received $50 billion in federal aid in 2008 and 2009 and has repaid $6.7 billion. The remaining $43.3 billion was converted to a stake in the company. The government hopes to get its money back when GM sells stock to the public, perhaps as early as October.

The automaker reported a $2.2 billion profit for the first half of the year.