Given all of the variables, measuring the impact of the economy on K Street isn't exactly a science. But the Center for Responsive Politics has conclusively found that lobbying during the first three months of 2009 has actually increased slightly compared to the same period of time last year, by at least $3.4 million. With most of the reports now in from the Senate Office of Public Records, we've found that unions, organizations and companies spent at least $799.3 million so far this year on sending influence peddlers to Capitol Hill, compared to $795.9 million in the 1st Quarter of 2008. That might seem like a small increase compared to the billions spent each year on this activity, but in a time of economic turmoil, that's a hefty revenue stream for a single industry. This is a decrease, however, from the final quarter of 2008, when lobbyists were paid nearly $818 million for their work.
Here are some lists of the industries, organizations, unions and corporations that have spent the most on lobbying this year, in addition to those that have increased or decreased their lobbying expenditures the most compared to the first three months of 2008. We also highlight lobbying spending by clients in the finance, insurance and real estate sector. You'll see the top five here, but you can download the accompanying documents for an expanded list. And if you do use CRP data, please make sure to give us some credit.
Industries
Top Industries
| Industry | 2009 Total |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $66,780,765 |
| Oil & Gas | $44,572,605 |
| Insurance | $41,420,798 |
| Electric Utilities | $34,334,275 |
| Computers/Internet | $29,108,521 |
Largest Increase in Spending by Industry (dollar amount)
| Industry | Total Increase | 2009 Total | 2008 Total |
| Oil & Gas | $14,545,012 | $44,572,605 | $30,027,593 |
| Pharmaceuticals/Health Products | $12,873,345 | $66,780,765 | $53,907,420 |
| Defense Aerospace | $2,343,122 | $15,844,208 | $13,501,086 |
| Agricultural Services/Products | $1,265,313 | $8,527,795 | $7,262,482 |
| Health Services/HMOs | $1,185,673 | $17,560,897 | $16,375,224 |
All industries, in order of increase (percent):Increase_Industries (percent).xls
Largest Decrease in Spending by Industry (dollar amount)
| Industry | Total Decrease | 2009 Total | 2008 Total |
| Real Estate | $5,053,766 | $17,132,188 | $22,185,954 |
| Securities & Investment | $4,909,436 | $17,124,322 | $22,033,758 |
| Air Transport | $4,868,132 | $20,933,170 | $25,801,302 |
| Misc Issues | $3,012,082 | $13,403,597 | $16,415,679 |
| Misc Defense | $2,723,232 | $8,299,452 | $11,022,684 |
All industries, in order of decrease (percent): Decrease_Industries (percent).xls
Clients
Largest Spenders Among All Lobbying Clients
| Name | 2009 Total |
| US Chamber of Commerce | $15,476,000 |
| Exxon Mobil | $9,320,000 |
| Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America | $6,910,000 |
| Chevron Corp | $6,800,000 |
| Lockheed Martin | $6,482,462 |
Largest Increase in Spending Among All Lobbying Clients (dollar amount)
| Name | Total Increase | 2009 Total | 2008 Total |
| Chevron Corp | $3,780,000 | $6,800,000 | $3,020,000 |
| Pfizer Inc | $3,340,000 | $6,140,000 | $2,800,000 |
| Pharmaceutical Rsrch & Mfrs of America | $3,300,000 | $6,910,000 | $3,610,000 |
| ConocoPhillips | $3,197,413 | $5,980,935 | $2,783,522 |
| Exxon Mobil | $2,660,000 | $9,320,000 | $6,660,000 |
Top 100 clients to increase spending most (percent): Increase_Clients (percent).xls
(downloadable chart includes only groups that lobbied in both Q1 of 2008 and Q1 of 2009)
Largest Decrease in Spending Among All Lobbying Clients (dollar amount)
| Name | Total Decrease | 2009 Total | 2008 Total |
| AARP | $3,140,000 | $4,080,000 | $7,220,000 |
| American International Group | $2,690,000 | $1,250,000 | $3,940,000 |
| Koch Industries | $1,940,000 | $30,000 | $1,970,000 |
| Verizon Communications | $1,885,000 | $1,180,000 | $3,065,000 |
| Barr Laboratories | $1,663,500 | $6,500 | $1,670,000 |
Top 100 clients to decrease spending most (percent):Decrease_Clients (percent).xls
(downloadable chart includes only groups that lobbied in both Q1 of 2008 and Q1 of 2009)
Clients in the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Sector
Largest Spenders in the Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Sector
| Name | 2009 Total |
| National Assn of Realtors | $5,757,000 |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $2,865,318 |
| United Services Automobile Assn Group | $2,590,244 |
| Financial Services Roundtable | $2,260,000 |
| Prudential Financial | $2,238,000 |
Largest Increase in Spending Among Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Sector (dollar amount)
| Name | Total Increase | 2009 amount | 2008 amount |
| National Assn of Realtors | $2,587,000 | $5,757,000 | $3,170,000 |
| Prudential Financial | $786,655 | $2,238,000 | $1,451,345 |
| New York Life Insurance | $680,000 | $1,840,000 | $1,160,000 |
| Wells Fargo | $650,000 | $700,000 | $50,000 |
| Deloitte LLP | $460,000 | $470,000 | $10,000 |
Top 100 FIRE clients to increase spending most (percent): Increase_FIRE (percent).xls
(downloadable chart includes only groups that lobbied in both Q1 of 2008 and Q1 of 2009)
Largest Decrease in Spending Among Finance, Insurance and Real Estate Sector (dollar amount)
| Name | Total Decrease | 2009 amount | 2008 amount |
| American International Group | $2,690,000 | $1,250,000 | $3,940,000 |
| Mortgage Insurance Companies of America | $995,000 | $215,000 | $1,210,000 |
| American Council of Life Insurers | $894,957 | $1,867,075 | $2,762,032 |
| Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co | $710,000 | $390,000 | $1,100,000 |
| Allstate Insurance | $550,000 | $890,000 | $1,440,000 |
Top 100 FIRE clients to decrease spending most (percent): Decrease_FIRE (percent).xls
(downloadable chart includes only groups that lobbied in both Q1 of 2008 and Q1 of 2009)
CRP Lobbying Researcher Adam Crowther contributed to this report.
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