(AP) WASHINGTON - While the rest of the nation languishes in a deep recession, one elite sector of the economy is feeling no pain: Washington lobbyists.

Special interests spent a record $3.2 billion to influence lawmakers and policies in the capital last year, a nearly 14 percent increase from a year earlier, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

"The federal government is handing out billions of dollars by the day, and that translates into job security for lobbyists who can help companies and industries get a piece of the payout," said the center’s director, Sheila Krumholz.

The figure is by far the highest since 1996, when records of spending on lobbying began to be kept under a new lobbyist registration law. That year, spending came in at just under $1 billion.

For 2008, the figure works out to $17.4 million for every day Congress was in session, or $32,523 per lawmaker, per day, the center calculated.

Some of the industries that have been seeking relief from Congress _ including the finance, insurance, real estate and auto sectors _ did slow their lobbying spending a bit, but they still showed an increase overall.

The top spenders were health care interests, which spent $478 million, the third straight year that sector topped the spending list. The finance, insurance and real estate sector was second at $453 million.

Among particular organizations and companies, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was the biggest spender, at nearly $92 million, with Exxon Mobil a distant second at $29 million.

The figures reflect only direct spending to influence the federal government, omitting millions more that go to lobby indirectly or support lobbyists through activities such as public relations, advertising and grass-roots mobilizing.