According to Public Citizen, the report details the amounts given to members of Congress since 1998 by the 50 biggest lobbyist money-givers. Twenty-seven percent of lobbyists have contributed an amount to lawmakers large enough to be recognized by the Federal Election Commission ($200 or more), and a select 6.1 percent of lobbyists have contributed at least $10,000 - totaling 83.4 percent of all lobbyist contributions. Many of the top recipients of congressional campaign money are on appropriations committees that dole out federal money. To read the report.

Last night the Senate appointed conferees to the lobbying bill. They are as follows: Senator Lott Senator Stevens Senator McConnell Senator Dodd Senator Inouye Reportedly, the House plans to appoint their conferees by Thursday.

Congressman Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight of the Committee on Ways and Means, today announced that the Subcommittee will hold a hearing on charities and employment tax compliance. The hearing will take place on Thursday, May 25, 2006, in the main Committee hearing room, 1100 Longworth House Office Building, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Witnesses will include the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

From the AP: A federal judge on Thursday barred the Bush administration from requiring nonprofit AIDS groups to sign a pledge opposing prostitution and sex trafficking in exchange for federal dollars. U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said a law passed by Congress in 2003 violates the free-speech rights of groups such as DKT International Inc., which provides family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention programs in 11 countries. See our Watcher Story on a related case.