Trade associations and interest groups spent a record level of money on Capitol Hill in 2006, but the percent increase in overall reported activity is down, according to a new report by the Center for Responsive Politics. The latest study from the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks money in politics, reports $2.45 billion was spent on lobbying efforts in 2006 – the highest amount ever. But for the first time since the reporting system began in 1995, the lobbying expenditure growth was lower than inflation, only 1.7 percent. Typical growth over the past eight years averaged 8 percent annually. Tim La Pira, lobbyist researcher for CRP, explained that the drop of… Read More