The proposed $85 billion merger between AT&T and Time Warner is drawing scrutiny on the campaign trail and from lawmakers, soliciting skepticism from Tim Kaine, Donald Trump and key congressional leaders over the weekend.

Now, as the telecom and entertainment giants prepare to make their pitch to lawmakers and regulators, both companies will likely be leaning on lobbyists to convince congressional leaders of the deal's value to the industry and the public.

They may get a critical reception from Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., chairman and ranking member of the antitrust subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee respectively, who have called for hearings on the acquisition in November and vowed to “carefully examine” the deal.

AT&T has a deep bench of lobbyists, employing almost 80 hired guns across 28 firms, including former Sens. John Breaux and Trent Lott and former U.S. representative and DCCC chairman Vic Fazio, in addition to its in-house government affairs team. The company last year shelled out about $16.4 million lobbying federal lawmakers and agencies, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

AT&T's lobbying roster also includes Ed Pagano, a partner at lobbying giant Akin Gump, who was chief of staff and longtime aide to Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and one of several Senate Democrats raising questions about whether the acquisition would stifle competition.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., a member of the antitrust subcommittee, sent a letter Monday to Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler urging both agencies to review the proposal carefully.