Interest groups spent a record $4.2 billion lobbying federal lawmakers in 2023, led by the pharmaceutical and health products industries. according to a new report from OpenSecrets.
According to the D.C.-based nonprofit, which tracks money in politics, “healthcare companies spent more than any other sector in 2023, and federal lobbying spending topped $739 million for the year.”
Health care industries are also the biggest spenders at the state level, according to the report, “continuing a trend that began in 2019.”
However, the group that spent the most money on lobbying was the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which spent $69 million on federal lobbying in 2023. Second place was the National Association of Realtors with $52 million. But both groups spent significantly less than in 2022, when the National Association of Realtors was in first place with $82 million, closely followed by the Chamber of Commerce with $81 million.
Lobbying in the states
The report says that in an era of congressional gridlock, many lobbyists have shifted their focus to lobbying state lawmakers. In recent years, according to OpenSecrets, much of the action on hot-button issues like abortion, guns and gambling has moved to state capitals.
Total estimated state lobbying spending was $1.4 billion, the same as in 2015, after increasing steadily year over year to reach $1.8 billion in 2022.
The combined amount of federal and state spending in 2023 was $5.6 billion, down from a record total of $5.9 billion in 2022.
But according to OpenSecrets analysis, lobbyists at the state and federal level have reported spending more than $46 billion since 2015.
“Witnessing $45 billion spent on lobbying at both the state and federal levels since 2015,” said CEO Hilary Braseth, “is nothing short of staggering.”
OpenSecrets has launched a new tool that allows the public track money spent on federal and state lobbying.