US: A record $1,164,586,968 (€978,000,000) was spent on lobbying the US Congress and the executive branch during the first six months of last year, a lobbying watchdog has reported.
That amounts to "$194 million in spending per month, almost $6.5 million a day, or more than $540,000 an hour in a 12-hour day".
Lobbying spending increased by $85 million, or 8 per cent, over the previous record, $1.08 billion, posted in the second six months of 2004.
PoliticalMoneyLine also counted 27,765 registered lobbyists. Some of the findings for the first half of 2005 include:
Healthcare was the big lobbying issue, with more than $173.2 million spent. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, for instance, spent $6.2 million on lobbying, and the American Medical Association spent $9.3 million;
In second place was the communication and technology sector which spent $152.2 million (up from $144.1 million in the last six months of 2004), with telephone companies leading the way with $28.4 million spending;
AARP, the group representing retirees, with big health and pension concerns, led the way among organisations, spending $27.8 million.
The US Chamber of Commerce and its Institute for Legal Reform spent $18.1 million;
The leading law firm among lobbying firms, Patton Boggs, had 366 registered clients and $17.7 million in lobbying fees.
PoliticalMoneyLine noted that lobbying firms are also often paid for grass-roots programmes, strategic planning and other services that are not required to be disclosed.