I'm in the DC area, have friends in the lobbying space. Lobbying generally doesn't involve money changing hands, or campaign contributions, or anything like tha

I'm in the DC area, have friends in the lobbying space. Lobbying generally doesn't involve money changing hands, or campaign contributions, or anything like that. Lobbying congresspeople generally consists of contacting them and convincing them the value of certain positions. Realistically, lobbying is essential for Congress to function. You can't possibly expect every single member of Congress to be an expert on everything they could ever possibly legislate about. They require someone to provide them with background information so that they can make an informed decision. To some extent they can use their staff, or the Congressional Research Service, or do some research on their own, but generally speaking that's not enough. Legislators often maintain active relationships with lobbying groups that they agree with, and can use them as a source on input on legislation. This is no different than a citizen choosing to support a particular bill because a group they trust and respect supports it. A significant amount of lobbying is done simply because a legislator values that group's opinions. When we're talking about more coercive lobbying, it's often done on influence rather than money. A good example is the NRA. There are a significant number of voters for whom gun rights are very important, and will vote for or against a particular candidate based entirely on what the NRA says to do. The NRA thus has a lot of power, and I'd argue more so than could be achieved simply with money. Businesses can lobby based on influence too. If a particular company or industry employs a significant number of your constituents, as a congressperson it is in your best interests to cater to that company or industry. If legislation is passed that helps that industry, they may expand and you can come back to your voters at election time showing you created jobs. If you pass legislation that hurts that industry and people are laid off, on the other hand, people may blame you for it. Even the thought that you might pass a law that might help or hurt an industry can change votes. Don't get me wrong, we need to reform campaign financing. But lobbying in general is a perfectly reasonable and necessary function.