The pandemic spurred a high volume of lobbying in the spring of 2020 as corporations sought to influence the government’s response and secure a portion of the $500 billion in funds set aside for large corporations in the coronavirus relief package enacted in March.
Lobbying tapered off as the year went on. Compared to 2019, 2020 lobbying spending decreased by nearly $1 billion dollars and nearly 600 fewer organizations lobbied in 2020. There is no evidence that private companies lobbied the U.S. government to broaden or extend closures or stay-home orders, given the clear costs of the measures to many kinds of businesses.
Following the approval of COVID-19 vaccines in late 2020, companies renewed their pandemic lobbying efforts to get workers an early spot in line for a vaccine.