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Federal Lobbying Data · Senate LDA Filings · Updated Quarterly
LobbySpend
Federal Lobbying Disclosure Database · Updated May 2026

Which Companies Lobby
Against Your Interests?

Search 500 organizations and $5.8B in federal lobbying spend. Every organization gets an Influence Score based on spending, issue breadth, and revolving door connections.

500
Organizations
$5.8B
Total Lobbying Spend
3,488
Registered Lobbyists
1,056
Revolving Door
Top 20

Biggest Lobbying Spenders

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65 Policy Areas

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Latest Analysis

Data-Driven Lobbying Analysis

Deep dives into AI lobbying, the revolving door, industry spending wars, and more, all backed by Senate LDA disclosure data.

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Top Lobbying Spenders


Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions


What is an Influence Score?

The Influence Score measures an organization's lobbying reach on a 0-100 scale using three weighted factors: total lobbying expenditure (40%), the breadth of policy issues lobbied on (30%), and the number of lobbyists with former government positions, also known as revolving door connections (30%). Organizations that spend heavily, lobby across many policy areas, and employ former government officials receive the highest scores. The score is designed to quantify lobbying intensity, not effectiveness, since actual policy outcomes depend on many factors beyond lobbying spend.

Where does this data come from?

All data comes from lobbying disclosure filings required under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (LDA). Organizations that employ in-house or contract lobbyists to contact federal officials must file quarterly reports (LD-2 forms) with the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House. These filings disclose the client, lobbying firm, issue areas, specific bills lobbied on, and the amount spent. All filings are public record and available through the Senate Office of Public Records. We process these raw filings to create searchable profiles for every registered lobbying organization.

What is the "revolving door"?

The revolving door refers to the movement of individuals between government positions and private sector lobbying roles. Under the LDA, lobbyists must disclose any positions held in the executive or legislative branch within the past 20 years on their LD-2 filings. Former congressional staffers, agency officials, and political appointees often become lobbyists because they have established relationships and deep institutional knowledge of the policy process. Research shows that lobbyists with government experience command higher fees and may have greater access to decision-makers, which is why revolving door connections account for 30% of our Influence Score.

Does lobbying indicate corruption?

No. Lobbying is a legal and constitutionally protected activity under the First Amendment, which guarantees the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. LobbySpend reports what organizations have disclosed in their mandatory federal filings without implying wrongdoing. Companies, trade associations, nonprofits, unions, and advocacy groups all lobby. Higher spending and influence scores reflect greater lobbying activity and investment in government affairs, not impropriety. The disclosure system itself exists to ensure transparency, not to restrict participation in the democratic process.

How much do companies spend on lobbying?

Total federal lobbying spending in the United States has exceeded $4 billion annually in recent years. The top individual spenders (pharmaceutical companies, tech giants, defense contractors, and trade associations) can spend $20-50 million per year on lobbying alone. However, lobbying spending is highly concentrated. The top 100 organizations account for roughly 40% of all spending, while thousands of smaller organizations spend under $100,000 per year. Our rankings and industry breakdowns show exactly where the money flows and which policy issues attract the most lobbying investment.

What policy issues attract the most lobbying?

Healthcare, tax policy, federal budget and appropriations, defense, and technology consistently rank among the most heavily lobbied issue areas. Within healthcare, pharmaceutical pricing, Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement, and FDA regulation draw the most attention. In technology, data privacy, antitrust, AI regulation, and Section 230 are heavily lobbied. The specific mix shifts with the legislative calendar. When major bills like infrastructure packages or tax reform move through Congress, lobbying activity on those topics spikes dramatically. Our issue pages track which organizations are lobbying on each topic and how spending has changed over time.