In the first quarter of 2026, Anthropic's Washington office got down to serious business.
According to U.S. congressional lobbying records, Anthropic's Q1 lobbying spending was $1.56 million. In the same period last year, it was $360,000 — a more than fourfold increase year-over-year.
For comparison, OpenAI's spending rose from $560,000 to $1.02 million in the same period, roughly doubling.
Anthropic's absolute figure surpassed OpenAI by 60%. Fortune compiled this data in a report on April 23, set against the backdrop of Big Tech's overall Q1 lobbying spending hitting a record high.
Who spent how much
First, the broader context: In Q1, 11 major tech companies collectively spent $20 million on congressional lobbying, averaging $226,000 per day — equivalent to hiring 307 full-time lobbyists daily, meaning roughly one tech lobbyist for every two members of Congress.
Here's a comparison of several companies:
| Company | Q1 2026 Lobbying Spending |
|---|---|
| Meta | $10 million |
| Alphabet | $13 million |
| Anthropic | $1.56 million |
| OpenAI | $1.02 million |
Meta and Alphabet remain the biggest spenders by volume, but the growth rates of Anthropic and OpenAI are the most noteworthy aspect of this data.
Anthropic went from $360,000 last year to $1.56 million now — a more than fourfold increase. OpenAI rose from $560,000 to $1.02 million, an 82% growth rate that is already fast, but Anthropic is running even harder.
What they are lobbying on
According to disclosure records, Anthropic's main lobbying areas include:
- Federal AI procurement standards: Pushing government agencies to establish unified evaluation thresholds when purchasing AI services
- Department of Defense procurement policy: Specifically influencing how the Pentagon selects AI vendors
- Supply chain security: This line is directly related to Anthropic's previous designation as a military supply chain risk
- Acceptable use policies: How AI companies should define the boundaries of their usage terms
Among these four areas, the first three point to the same goal: getting onto government procurement lists.
Government contracts are one of the most stable and highest-margin revenue sources for AI companies. Federal agencies don't switch software vendors like consumers do; once a supplier is selected, it's typically a multi-year contract. Spending more on lobbying is essentially paving the way for these long-term deals.
The fourth area (acceptable use policies) is more defensive — getting involved before rules are finalized to shape them favorably. This is a tactic well understood by any industry that has done long-term positioning in D.C.
The Illinois angle is even more interesting
Fortune's report includes a detail: Anthropic and OpenAI found themselves on opposite sides of AI liability legislation in Illinois.
One supported a version of joint liability provisions; the other opposed it.
This shows that at the federal level in Washington, AI companies can still maintain a semblance of industry consensus — nobody wants overly aggressive federal regulation. But at the specific state level, commercial competition has already pushed them down different paths. How the rules are written directly affects whose compliance costs are lower and who can enter certain markets faster.
This divergence will continue to widen. There are currently over 1,500 AI-related bills moving through legislative processes across the U.S., and AI companies' battles in different states will become increasingly specific and intense. Today they're on opposite sides in Illinois; tomorrow they may continue to make their moves in Texas and California.
A sign of industry maturation
Michael Beckel, director of Issue One, told Fortune:
These companies are investing heavily in Washington influence operations to buy access and influence.
The statement is blunt. But it merely describes a pattern: energy, finance, healthcare, telecommunications — all heavily regulated industries that grew up in America must play this game once they reach a certain scale. The AI industry is making the same transition.
Anthropic's ability to quadruple its lobbying spending year-over-year shows that its money (Series G, $30 billion) has arrived, and its political sensitivity has also arrived. And the fact that it's growing faster than OpenAI also reflects that Anthropic's strategic focus is shifting from building the best model to shaping the rules most favorable to itself — these two goals have never been contradictory.
If AI procurement standards include safety assessment requirements that Anthropic helped draft, then Anthropic's safety-first brand is not just marketing copy — it's a compliance moat.
This is a fairly forward-looking move.
The next milestone is Q2 data. If Anthropic continues to increase spending and OpenAI doesn't keep up, the gap will widen further. This Washington lobbying battle has only just begun.
Sources: CocoLoop, Big Tech is spending $226,000 a day on lobbying Congress (Fortune, April 23, 2026)