Lobbying firms registered activity for over 140 new clients on issues related to COVID-19 over the last month. More than two-thirds of those clients have never lobbied at the federal level or had not hired lobbyists in recent years.

The influx of new lobbying activity indicates that K Street isn't being slowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Rather, the widespread rush to influence the government's response to the virus — and to access its massive pool of stimulus money — is creating new opportunities for Washington lobbyists. 

Six Flags hired federal lobbyists for the first time since 2005 to request assistance for the shuttered amusement park industry. New York City's Metropolitan Opera House hired its first lobbyists to ask for financial relief. Casino operator Penn National Gaming asked for gaming industry support in its first lobbying campaign in seven years. 

Many of these lobbying clients likely never thought they would need government relief. But with the coronavirus pandemic crippling entire sectors of the economy, companies are scrambling for access to taxpayer-funded loans and grants. Others have pushed the federal government to label their businesses essential.