Health Care, Trade Defy Downward Trend in First Quarter Lobbying

Companies, associations and municipalities spent $851 million on lobbying in the first quarter of this year, according to a preliminary tally, short of the $904 million in advocacy expenditures for the same period in 2018.

The government shutdown and reduced interest in tax policy took a toll on lobbying activity, with a significant decline in the share of organizations listing either tax or budget/appropriations issues on their filings.

Trade, health care, and tech issues bucked the trend, however, with increases in activity for the three-month stretch, according to a Bloomberg Government analysis of lobbying disclosure data filed with the Senate. ...