How Members of Congress spend their time on a daily basis is a consequential decision for American public policies. It is also, interestingly, the decision over which Members have the most control (Fenno 1978; Hall and Wayman 1990). Members decide, whether consciously or unconsciously, how much of their time to grant to lobbyists – and which lobbyists.

In this chapter, I specify the conditions that make it more or less likely that Members will meet with lobbyists. I use the daily schedules of a diverse array of Members of Congress to explain how Members allocate their time across the many demands placed on them.