Lobbying from tech firms: Technology firms spent millions on lobbying during the second quarter of 2013, according to public records released by the Office of the Clerk for the House of Representatives.

The public interest group Consumer Watchdog crunched some numbers based on the reports and said Tuesday that Facebook spending rose $1.06 million on lobbying — up from $960,000 in the same period last year. The group also reported that Microsoft spent a record $2.96 million in the second quarter, up from $2.01 million in the same period last year.

Google led the tech industry in lobbying, with $3.36 million, the group said. But across the board, companies such as Amazon, Apple, IBM and Oracle have increased their lobbying efforts, the group said.

John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s director of privacy policy, said in a statement that the expenditures are a “sad commentary on the state of our democracy.”

“Policymaking in Washington is all about who has the money and is willing to spend it,” Simpson said.