These Are the Most Powerful Lobbies in the United States
In the United States, there are many forms of government. There is a federal government that includes three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Each state has its own laws and constitution, as well as a governor to enforce those laws. In addition, each city or town has its own rules and regulations to follow with elected officials in charge of enforcement. Finally, there are thousands of private organizations that have their own set of rules for members or employees to follow, such as labor unions or professional associations. These powerful lobbies influence all levels of government to ensure they get the best representation possible for their interests. These are the most powerful lobbies in the United States today.
Healthcare lobby
The healthcare lobby is one of the most influential lobbies in the United States. It spends about $1 billion on lobbying per year, with its two largest contributors being pharmaceutical companies and health insurance companies. The group lobbies both Democrats and Republicans to support policies that are favorable for them, such as drug pricing, while opposing policies that may be unfavorable for them.
Gambling lobby
The gambling lobby is the second-largest spender on lobbying in the United States. These groups are responsible for putting pressure on both Democrats and Republicans to support pro-gambling legislation. These companies have developed some of the best online casinos for US players, and now they want to protect them.
They lobby against bills that may be unfavorable for them, such as anti-online gambling laws. The casinos and resort businesses, along with online gambling companies, make up the majority of this lobby.
Tech lobby
The technology industry lobby is the third-largest in the United States with a 2015 budget of $138.5 million spent on lobbying for favorable legislation and tax breaks to companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook. These groups also work to pass unfavorable laws such as anti-piracy bills like SOPA and PIPA.
Pharmaceutical lobby
The pharmaceutical lobby is the biggest spender on lobbying in the United States for 2015. The group spent $232 million that year to gain support and opposition for several bills such as Medicare Part D, which was passed by Congress. Their lobbying has traditionally been about influencing drug company profits and prices as well as patent rules.
Financial sector lobby
The financial sector lobby is the biggest spender on lobbying in the United States for 2015. The group spent $2.6 billion and has influenced legislation and tax rules related to banks, retirement funds, and securities such as mutual funds and derivatives. The lobby also battled regulations proposed after the 2008 financial crisis by the Dodd-Frank Act.
Energy lobby
The energy lobby is the second-largest spender on lobbying in the United States for 2015. These groups have spent over $4 billion in an effort to protect subsidies and tax breaks for oil, gas, coal, nuclear power, electric utilities, ethanol producers, solar panel manufacturers, and wind turbine companies. They also successfully lobbied against the US oil export ban and other legislation that would reduce the demand for traditional energy sources.
Lobby groups in the United States have a long history of attempting to influence elected officials at all levels of government. These powerful lobbies make their voices heard by using large contributions to politicians as well as pressure on them through public campaigns and media attention. While they may not be able to influence every bit of legislation, their voices are always heard.