The Washington-based Center for Responsive Politics reports today that lobbyists who are trying to get Congress to do their bidding spent a whopping $2.8-billion (US) last year, a jump of 7.7 per cent over the amount lobbyists are believed to have spent in 2006. As the CRP reports, that works out to $17-million a day for every day the U.S. Congress was in session.
By sector, drug companies were tops, spending more than a quarter-billion dollars on lobbying efforts. The insurance sector (who knew?) was number two.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spent more than any other single organization, followed by General Electric. Check out the CRP's Top 20 list for other big spenders.
The CRP results may actually underreport the amount of money spent to influence lawmakers in Washington. As the CRP explains:
The Center for Responsive Politics calculated spending on lobbying as narrowly defined under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995, because that is what is disclosed to the Senate Office of Public Records (SOPR) and House Legislative Resource Center. Spending by corporations, industry groups, unions and other interests that is not strictly for lobbying of covered government officials, but is still meant to influence public policy, is not reported—and may exceed what was spent on direct lobbying. Such activities include public relations, advertising and grassroots lobbying.