How Washington lobbyists peddle power

What do lobbyists do in return for that kind of money? The American League of Lobbyists says its members research and analyze legislation or regulatory proposals, monitor and report on developments, attend congressional or regulatory hearings, work with coalitions interested in the same issues, and then educate not only government officials but also employees and corporate officers as to the implications of legislative changes.

“The next few months are going to be huge with lobbying [on] healthcare,” says Mr. Wenhold. “Every lobbyist is going to have some part of it in one way or another.”

And if some version of healthcare reform passes, demand for lobbyists will probably increase.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” Wenhold says. If health reform passes, doctors and companies involved in healthcare “are going to need a huge lobbying presence to make sure their voices are heard in Washington” as new healthcare regulations are first written and then enforced, he says.

WHILE THE HEALTHCARE LOBBYING BATTLE is perhaps the most visible effort to shape national policy at the moment, the influence industry touches virtually all aspects of public policy.

The so-called “iron triangle” of defense industries, Congressional defense-related committees, and Pentagon officials is one of the best known areas.

Lobbyists also attempt to shape US foreign policy, with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) being perhaps the most powerful single force in that field, spending $2.5 million on lobbying in 2008, according to CRP statistics.

In 2008, lobbyists for foreign interests reported more than 22,000 contacts with various branches of the federal government, seeking favorable policies on a wide variety of issues. That estimate comes from an analysis of filings under the Foreign Agents Registration Act by the Sunlight Foundation and ProPublica, an independent journalism organization.

LOBBYING IS ROOTED IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION which prohibits Congress from making laws that restrict the people’s right to “petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

And lobbying has been around since the nation’s earliest days. During the First Congress, Pennsylvania Sen. William Maclay wrote in his diary that New York merchants employed “treats, dinners, attentions” to delay passage of a tariff bill, according to a detailed 1980 speech on the history of lobbying given by Sen. Robert Byrd (D) of West Virginia as part of a series of addresses on Senate history and operations.

Even influence-industry watchdog groups see great merit in lobbyists’ ability to provide detailed expertise to Congress. The typical member often lacks the highly detailed knowledge needed in drafting legislation.

“Lobbyists play very valuable and helpful and important roles here in terms of expertise and information and strategic advice – the ability to help the various players on the Hill know what everyone is doing,” says Mr. Wertheimer.

GIVEN THE ONGOING NATIONAL DEBATE ABOUT HEALTHCARE, it’s not surprising that healthcare companies were the sector of the economy that spent the most on lobbying from 2006 through 2009.

The financial sector is another major force in lobbying activity – ranking second in 2006 and 2007, third in 2008, and second again so far this year. Last year, financial-sector firms – including those in the fields of finance, insurance, and real estate – spent $459 million on lobbying.

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