Defense Industry Lobbying: Contractors and Influence

The Lobbying-to-Contracts Pipeline

Our unique cross-dataset analysis links lobbying disclosure data with federal contract awards. The results are staggering: the top defense contractor in our dataset — TriWest Healthcare Alliance — spent just $270,000 on lobbying over 8 years and received $13.4 billion in federal contracts. That's a 49,536:1 return on investment.

What Defense Contractors Lobby On

• DEF (Defense): Military spending, weapons programs, base closures
• BUD (Budget/Appropriations): Defense budget, NDAA provisions, supplemental funding
• AER (Aerospace): Aircraft programs, space systems, missile defense
• HOM (Homeland Security): Border technology, cybersecurity, surveillance
• FOR (Foreign Relations): Arms sales, foreign military financing, allied partnerships

The Military Revolving Door

The defense industry has the most well-worn revolving door in Washington. Former Pentagon officials, military officers, and Armed Services Committee staffers move to defense contractor lobbying shops at remarkable rates. These former insiders bring invaluable knowledge of acquisition processes, budget timelines, and personal relationships with current decision-makers.

Our analysis found that firms with former defense officials charge significantly more and win more contracts — the revolving door premium is especially pronounced in defense.

NDAA Season: The Annual Lobbying Surge

Every year, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) triggers a massive lobbying surge. Defense contractors, subcontractors, and military communities lobby intensely over which programs get funded, which bases stay open, and which weapon systems advance. Our seasonal lobbying analysis shows clear spending spikes during NDAA markup season.