Railroads Outspend Trucking on Lobbying, Study Says

Fighting against economic re-regulation and for approval of the sale of Conrail, railroads far outspent trucking on lobbying in 1998, according to a report by the Center for Responsive Politics.

With $16.6 million in lobbying expenses, railroads, their trade associations and suppliers ranked 26th among the top 100 industries tracked by the center, a nonpartisan group advocating campaign finance reform. That put them just behind agricultural services and products and just ahead of health services.

Trucking, by contrast, spent $9.2 million last year, ranking 39th, just ahead of sea transport, which spent $8.9 million, and transportation unions, which spent $8.7 million. Air transport interests were 14th in spending with $34 million.

The insurance industry, which paid out $77.2 million, was the nation’s biggest spender on lobbying in 1998, according to the center.

Washington’s lobbying industry thrived last year, the center found. Companies, unions and trade associations spent a combined $1.42 billion on lobbying, up nearly 13% from the $1.26 billion spent in 1997.

The number of registered lobbyists jumped 37% from 14,946 on Sept. 30, 1997, to 20,512 on June 15, 1999.

“In all, there were more than 38 registered lobbyists and $2.7 million in lobbying expenditures for every member of Congress,” the center said in its first look at year-to-year lobbying trends.

The study was based on lobby reports filed biannually with the clerk of the House and the secretary of the Senate. The reports include the salaries of lobbyists, overhead costs such as support staff and office expenses and payments to outside lobbying firms.

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