Given the battle last fall for control of Congress, and the subsequent scramble to get the lame-duck leadership to pass certain bills and budgets, it is not surprising that lobbying spending was up sharply in some sectors. Even so, lobbying spending during 2006 appears headed for a new high.

Information is still coming in, but, so far, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the affiliated U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform top the list of spenders. Federal disclosure documents show the chamber poured $31.4 million into lobbying in the last six months of 2006, spending a total of $45.7 million for the year. During the previous presidential election year, with arguably more at stake, it spent $28.8 million.