President Obama has been urging the public to speak out on healthcare, warning that if they don’t, their voices will be drowned out by special interests. A watchdog group today put some numbers behind that admonition, reporting that health industry groups are vastly outspending consumer groups in lobbying Washington. The Center for Responsive Politics says that consumer groups that favor Obama’s proposals, including a public insurance plan to compete with private insurers, are being ‘decidedly outspent and out-lobbied by drug manufacturers, insurers, HMOs, and doctors’ associations.’ In the first three months of 2009, the US Chamber of Commerce, which has spent more money on lobbying since 1998 than any other group, and the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America paid lobbyists a combined $22.5 million to promote their interests. In contrast, Families USA, a consumer group on healthcare has spent $10,000 on lobbying this year after spending only $32,000 total in 2008, the center says.