It’s official: We live under the most bought-off Congress in American history. Last year, lobbyists spent more than $4.4 billion on greasing the skids of our ostensible representatives, which was a “$150 million surge” from the previous year (2023).

Indy Scholten’s new report at OpenSecrets used data from the Senate Office of Public Records to determine that since 2015, or over the last ten years, more than $37 billion have flowed into Washington.

Let’s look at this data another way: If you were to determine a rough annual average, that means lobbyists consistently funneled $3.7 billion to Washington’s movers and shakers per year; if you divide that number between the 535 lawmakers, you get almost $700k per individual, per year.

Any guesses on which industry spends the most? Here’s a hint: Consider the absolute windfall one particular industry got over the past four years with a certain virus coupled with a very friendly Congress, and the viciousness of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearing.

If you guessed the pharmaceutical industry, you’d be correct, which spent roughly $385 million, and let me tell you, they really overpaid. Elizabeth Warren? Bernie Sanders? Sure these people vote exactly how Big Pharma wants them to, but they’re embarrassingly stupid.

Scholten also pointed out that the “most heavily lobbied legislation” was the Defense Department authorization bill (NDAA); the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Mike Rogers, is a “Republican” from Alabama who reportedly took home $165k from ActBlue just last year alone and yes, you read that right, the same ActBlue that’s the official fundraising platform for Democrats; Rogers also raked in the most money out of all Alabama’s federal lawmakers from Lockheed Martin in 2022.

Nevermind that the Pentagon has never passed an audit, because defense contractors are due for another payday!

I like that old suggestion about making members of Congress wear sponsorship jackets, so we know whose interests they’re actually fighting for.

Image generated by AI.