When it comes to business, corporate, and special interest lobbying, I’m under the impression that being bigger is better.
I did a quick search on Wikipedia for information, and they reference OpenSecrets.org, which houses some interesting information about who the biggest spenders were in 2009:
| Lobbying Client | Total |
|---|---|
| US Chamber of Commerce | $65,211,000 |
| Exxon Mobil | $20,750,000 |
| Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America | $20,165,000 |
| General Electric | $19,661,000 |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $16,727,065 |
| Pfizer Inc | $16,340,000 |
| Chevron Corp | $15,515,000 |
| AARP | $15,060,000 |
| National Assn of Realtors | $13,857,000 |
| Verizon Communications | $13,450,000 |
| ConocoPhillips | $13,292,079 |
| American Medical Assn | $12,600,000 |
| American Hospital Assn | $12,337,176 |
| FedEx Corp | $12,290,000 |
| BP | $11,370,000 |
| AT&T Inc | $11,368,732 |
| Boeing Co | $10,720,000 |
| National Cable & Telecommunications Assn | $10,660,000 |
| Altria Group | $10,170,000 |
| Lockheed Martin | $9,928,992 |
Surprise! The US Chamber of Commerce spent the most on lobbying last year. Sounds, impressive right? According the chamber of commerce website:
More than 96% of U.S. Chamber members are small businesses with 100 employees or fewer.
However, the next 19 biggest spenders collectively spent $2,615,536,322, 4000% as much as the US Chamber of Commerce.
I’m reviewing this information to learn about how independent businesses are represented in Washington, D.C., and in the process I’m shocked at how much money is spent on lobbying. Incredible.