Lobbying Costs Keep Growing

Political Money Line recently published an article entitled 'Lobbying Costs Keep Growing'. With the health care industry as the top spending sector, could this mean that politicians receive more political contributions from doctors and hospitals the longer this health care crisis remains unresolved? Here is the article:

Federal lobbying of the legislative and executive branches totaled $1.2 billion ($1,201,255,222) during the last six months of 2005. This is the first period lobbying expenditures have averaged over $200 million a month. For all of 2005 the total spent was $2,363,102,190.

In the first six months of 2005 lobby expenditures were 1,161,846,968. In the last six months of 2004 expenditures were $1,079,216,927.

Top Industry Sectors:
Health Care $183,324,757
Communication/Technology $158,841,159
Finance/Insurance $155,734,737

Top Organizations Spending:
Chamber of Commerce of the US $10,540,000
General Electric $10,360,000
AT&T Inc & SBC $10,360,000
US Chamber of Commerce Inst. For Legal Reform $10,250,000
American Medical Assn $9,720,000
AARP $8,472,064
Northrop Grumman $7,507,000
PhRMA $7,220,000
American Hospital Assn $7,080,000
Southern Co $7,020,000

Top Lobbying Firms:
Patton Boggs, 380 clients, $18,360,000
Akin Gump et al, 152 clients, $15,515,000
Van Scoyoc Associates Inc, 255 clients, $13,840,000

View full summary listings and rankings.

Lobby spending reports for the first six months of 2006 are due in August.