Despite Corruption, Lobbyists Spending Even More Money

Lobbying Dollars

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2006/0...bying-dollars/

7/10/2006

Despite the wave of lobbying scandals, the money keeps rolling in to try influence the legislative and executive branches.

PoliticalMoneyLine.com reports that federal lobbying totaled $1.2 billion in the last half of 2005, the first time such expenses have exceeded $200 million a month. For the full year, federal lobbying topped $2.36 billion, according to the Internet tracking service.

The biggest contributors in the second half: Health care, at $183.3 million; communications and technology companies at $158.8 million, and finance and insurance at $155.7 million. PoliticalMoneyLine’s top 10 list for lobbying expenses: U.S. Chamber of Commerce, $10.5 million; General Electric Co., $10.4 million; AT&T Inc. and SBC, $10.4 million; U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform, $10.3 million; American Medical Association, $9.7 million; AARP, $8.5 million; Northrop Grumman Corp., $7.5 million; PhRMA, $7.2 million; American Hospital Association, $7.1 million, and Southern Co., $7 million.