Totals Spent on Lobbying 1998-2017

Lobbying Database

Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/

 In addition to campaign contributions to elected officials and candidates, companies, labor unions, and other organizations spend billions of dollars each year to lobby Congress and federal agencies. Some special interests retain lobbying firms, many of them located along Washington's legendary K Street; others have lobbyists working in-house.

We've got totals spent on lobbying, beginning in 1998, for everyone from AAI Corp. to Zurich Financial. (See also: Foreign Lobby Watch.)

Total Lobbying Spending
1998 $1.45 Billion 1999 $1.44 Billion 2000 $1.57 Billion 2001 $1.63 Billion 2002 $1.83 Billion 2003 $2.06 Billion 2004 $2.19 Billion 2005 $2.44 Billion 2006 $2.63 Billion 2007 $2.88 Billion 2008 $3.31 Billion 2009 $3.51 Billion 2010 $3.52 Billion 2011 $3.33 Billion 2012 $3.31 Billion 2013 $3.24 Billion 2014 $3.26 Billion 2015 $3.23 Billion 2016 $3.15 Billion 2017 $0.84 Billion

Number of Lobbyists*
1998 10,404 1999 12,925 2000 12,540 2001 11,826 2002 12,118 2003 12,917 2004 13,164 2005 14,072 2006 14,476 2007 14,821 2008 14,149 2009 13,738 2010 12,926 2011 12,618 2012 12,178 2013 12,109 2014 11,810 2015 11,512 2016 11,186 2017 9,190

NOTE: Figures are on this page are calculations by the Center for Responsive Politics based on data from the Senate Office of Public Records.

Data for the most recent year was downloaded on April 24, 2017.

*The number of unique, registered lobbyists who have actively lobbied.

Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit the Center for Responsive Politics.

For permission to reprint for commercial uses, such as textbooks, contact the Center: info@crp.org

 

Recent Registrations

Client	HWD Holdings LLC	05/01/2017
Registrant	BALLARD PARTNERS	View Report
Issue	The registrant will advise and advocate for the client on general government policies
Client	NT Concepts, Inc.	05/01/2017
Registrant	Covington & Burling LLP	View Report
Issue	Backlog in Federal security clearance background investigations
Client	Seqirus, Inc.	04/28/2017
Registrant	BAKER DONELSON BEARMAN CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ	View Report
Issue	FY17 & FY18 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bills
Client	SwedishAmerican Health System	04/28/2017
Registrant	Barnes & Thornburg, LLP	View Report
Issue	Assist client with communications particularly with members of the Illinois Congressional
Client	The Mohegan Tribe	04/28/2017
Registrant	Barnes & Thornburg, LLP	View Report
Issue	Assist client with general issues affecting Native American tribes.

 

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