Introduction

Introduction: Lobbying in the United States

Lobbying is a well-established part of the U.S. democratic process.  Businesses, non-profits, and other organizations actively advocate on a broad range of issues, some aligned with industry interests and others in opposition to them.

In 2025, there were more than 12,000 registered lobbyists working on behalf of over 15,000 organizations to advocate for their interests in Washington, D.C. These numbers do not include those who lobby at the state level. Between 2020 and 2025, more than $37 billion was spent on federal and state lobbying in the United States. According to OpenSecrets, the collective total spent by corporations and special interest groups on lobbying at the federal level alone in 2025 exceeded $5 billion. For context, ExxonMobil’s total expenditure on lobbying at the federal level represents less than 0.25% of that amount.

Federal lobbying expenditures across all sectors, 2020-2025

According to public records, the following five organizations spent the most on direct advocacy in 2025: the United States Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Realtors, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), Business Roundtable, and the American Hospital Association. The top five corporate spenders on federal lobbying in 2025 were Meta, General Motors, Amazon, Alphabet Inc, and Lockheed Martin. These companies’ average expenditure was about $19.5 million, which is more than twice ExxonMobil’s spend of $8.5 million in 2025.

Oil and gas industry lobbying

Data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and OpenSecrets show that, in 2023, the nation’s oil and gas industry accounted for only about $134 million of the more than $4.2 billion spent on lobbying at the federal level. That same year, the oil and gas industry represented over $2 trillion, or more than 7%, of the total gross domestic product (GDP).

A variety of sectors engage in federal lobbying, with many outspending the oil and gas industry, and ExxonMobil, in 2025.

Additional information related to oil and gas revenues and federal lobbying expenditures has also been provided in the chart below and is publicly available.

Political giving

Political Action Committees (PACs) are groups established by corporations, trade associations, and membership organizations to raise funds from employees or members to support political candidates. Since their creation in the 1940s, PACs have become common in American politics. All PACs must register with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which makes campaign finance data public. Oil and gas companies account for a small fraction of PAC giving as compared to other sectors. For example, according to OpenSecrets, during the 2024 election cycle, labor PACs contributed more than $55,000,000 to candidates, while oil and gas PACs contributed only about $13,000,000.

PAC contributions by industry, 2024 election cycle

As with many corporations, ExxonMobil gives eligible employees and shareholders an opportunity to participate in the U.S. political process by contributing to a company-sponsored PAC. Participation in the PAC is completely voluntary. At the federal level, ExxonMobil has not used any funds, including treasury or PAC funds, for direct independent political expenditures, including electioneering communications.

Information about ExxonMobil’s political contributions for the past several years (through 2024) is available here.

Rise of climate-focused Super PACs

Super PACs were created after the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010. While Super PACs cannot give money directly to federal candidates or parties, they can spend unlimited amounts to support or oppose a candidate.

There are no Super PACs dedicated specifically to energy security issues. ExxonMobil is held to a strict standard and prohibited by law from using corporate treasury funds to support any federal candidates, national political parties, or other political committees, including Super PACs.

By contrast, according to publicly available data for the 2024 election cycle, the four largest Super PACs focused on environmental and climate issues – the League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund, Climate Power Action, NextGen Climate Action, and the Environmental Defense Fund Action Votes – raised more than $87 million to support their agenda. During the same cycle, the four largest Super PACs focused on labor issues – National Education Association Advocacy Fund, Working for Working Americans PAC, Workers Vote and Law Enforcement for a Safer America – raised more than $92 million to support their agenda. This spending totals more than three times that of ExxonMobil’s all-in lobbying and political expenditures of about $27 million in 2025.¹

Transparency and disclosures

Many companies, including ExxonMobil, exceed state and federal transparency requirements, making it easy for the public to see their political engagement. The following chart provides federal lobbying expenditures, the most recent and complete election cycle PAC contributions and links to voluntary disclosures for a sampling of organizations.

FOOTNOTES:

1. The latest available election cycle data reported on OpenSecrets is from the 2024 election cycle; this section compares the latest publicly available data with ExxonMobil’s latest expenditures (2025).