News : What trade groups are saying about Biden — Huffman’s top aide leaving the Hill — Chamber not worried about Warren, Sanders, in Biden’s Cabinet

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

What trade groups are saying about Biden — Huffman’s top aide leaving the Hill — Chamber not worried about Warren, Sanders, in Biden’s Cabinet

Nov 10, 2020

With Theodoric Meyer and Daniel Lippman

WHAT TRADE GROUPS ARE SAYING ABOUT BIDEN: Trade groups across a variety of industries have rushed to offer President-elect Joe Biden congratulations that, like most everything else in 2020, were explicitly framed through the lens of the coronavirus pandemic — a demonstration of how intertwined responding to the virus will be with the beginning of Biden's time in office.

— The National Association of Manufacturers applauded Biden for being "focused like a laser on this national crisis in his first address to our nation," singling out in particular his consistent messaging on the necessity of face coverings, an practice President Donald Trump notoriously wavered on to point that it has become a partisan issue.

— In its congratulations, U.S. Travel emphasized Biden's "objective of helping the industries most heavily impacted by the pandemic," of which the travel industry is one. "The right combination of technologies and behaviors already exists to allow the restart of travel without compromising health and safety, and making rapid and reliable testing more widely available will be a key element of an even broader economic reopening," the group argued, adding that there is a "dire need to protect and sustain jobs in every single congressional district."

— National Restaurant Association President and CEO Tom Bené said he looks forward to working with the Biden administration on a plan to help businesses recover but more immediately urged Congress and the Trump White House to "return to work quickly" to provide the restaurant industry more immediate relief from pandemic-related closures and restrictions. "In the coming days and weeks, there will be many discussions about long-term goals and priorities; however, the short-term needs of the restaurant and foodservice industry—the nation's second-largest, private sector employer—cannot be overlooked," Bené said.

RELATED: K Street not waiting for Trump to concede the presidential race, by Roll Call's Kate Ackley.

HUFFMAN'S CoS HEADS DOWNTOWN: Ben Miller, chief of staff to California Rep. Jared Huffman and long-time senior policy adviser for California House Democrats, is leaving the Hill next year to become a principal at Kadesh & Associates, a California-centric firm whose clients include state public agencies like California High Speed Rail Authority, the Port of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority and private entities alike.

— Miller, who has been the California Democrat's only chief of staff since he was elected in 2012, is a 17-year Hill veteran and previously worked in former Rep. Greg Miller's office. Ben Miller told PI in an interview that he'll presumably register to lobby and will likely work with all of the firm's clients. He noted that he's encouraged by the Golden State's change in fortunes after four years of antagonization from the Trump administration and the elevation of one of its own in Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

Good afternoon, and welcome to PI. Tips: coprysko@politico.com and @caitlinoprysko.

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CHAMBER NOT SWEATING A SECRETARY WARREN OR SANDERS: POLITICO's Transition Playbook reports that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce isn't worrying itself too much over the prospect of Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) or Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) joining Biden's cabinet next year.

— "Asked about the prospect this afternoon, Neil Bradley , the Chamber's chief policy officer, reminded reporters that Biden's nominees 'are going to have to get approved by a Republican Senate.' (The Chamber is fighting to make sure the Senate stays Republican by backing Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the Georgia runoff elections.)"

— "'I think more interesting more to us is looking to the individuals that [Biden] may name as soon as this week to White House staff positions and key advisory groups,' Bradley said. 'Often now, policy is made through those White House staff offices in a lot of these subcabinet appointments. I think that'll be particularly telling.'"

— Warren, meanwhile, laid down a warning for the Biden team on Twitter Monday: "Trump's government — run by the corporate lobbyists, for the corporate lobbyists — has devastated programs and rules that help working people," she wrote. "Americans have made it clear: the last thing they want is for Washington to again hand over the keys to giant corporations and lobbyists."

HOW LARGE WILL WALL STREET LOOM?: Wall Street bigwigs decisively backed Biden over Trump in last week's election — despite a booming stock market under the Trump administration. That type of support has previously manifested in administration jobs or access to the West Wing, but The Wall Street Journal's Gregory Zuckerman and Liz Hoffman report that due to the combination of a vocal left flank in the Democratic Party as well as a wish to differentiate himself from the president, that might not be the case to the same extent in a Biden White House.

MEHLMAN'S LATEST: Bruce Mehlman of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas is out with his post-election slide deck of the trends driving Washington. One of the big questions: How much can get done next year if Republicans hold the Senate, as seems likely? The case for more: Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell all have a lot of experience cutting deals (even though Pelosi and McConnell haven't been able to compromise in the past six months); the pandemic demands cooperation; Senate Republicans will face competitive races in 2022 as they try to hold on to seats in states including Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina (with Democrats defending Senate seats in purple states such as Nevada and Arizona); and House Democrats will want to run on accomplishments as they try to hang onto their precarious majority in two years.

— The case for less is shorter but daunting nonetheless: The pandemic and everything else is partisan now, and Democrats and Republicans alike are likely to fear primary challenges heading into 2022.

— Arnold & Porter and Dezenhall are also out with their post-election takeaways, and both agree that a potentially divided government leaves open the prospect of an infrastructure package while shutting the door on a repeal of the 2017 GOP tax bill.

— Arnold & Porter highlighted Biden's role in passing former President Barack Obama 's 2009 recovery package, pointing out that the president-elect "finds himself in a similar position, entering office with an economic crisis, but he does not enjoy Democratic majorities in both chambers like President Obama had in 2009." Following their coronavirus response and a relief package, they predict a focus on domestic issues and a push "to restore the American role in leading international policy decisions."

— "Our take is that by necessity, moderation is back. Moderate policies, moderate rhetoric, and moderate politicians will rule the next few years. Policies will be influenced by centrists working together and trying to get votes from both parties," Dezenhall predicts.

TRUMP'S POST-PRESIDENCY: The president plans to form a leadership PAC in an effort to cement his influence in the Republican Party even after he leaves office in January, The New York Times' Maggie Haberman reports. An announcement could come as soon as this week, she notes, though Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh told the paper the president had been plotting such a move regardless of the outcome of the election, "so he can support candidates and issues he cares about, such as combating voter fraud."

— "Such committees can accept donations of up to $5,000 per donor per year — far less than the donation limits for the committees formed by Mr. Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee — but a leadership PAC could accept donations from an unlimited number of people. It could also accept donations from other political action committees."

— "A leadership PAC could spend an unlimited amount in so-called independent expenditures to benefit other candidates, as well as fund travel, polling and consultants. Mostly, it would almost certainly be a vehicle by which Mr. Trump could retain influence in a party that has been remade largely in his image over the past four years."

— "[A] PAC could give the president an off-ramp after a bruising election fight, as well as keep him as a dominant figure as the next Republican presidential primary races are beginning for a new standard-bearer," the Times writes, even as Trump has reportedly mulled another run for the White House in 2024 once Biden is certified the winner this year.

Jobs Report

— Doug Emhoff, the husband of the vice president-elect, will leave his job as a partner with DLA Piper by Inauguration Day "to focus on his role in the new Biden administration," the Associated Press reports.

— Amy Smith has joined Leidos as deputy for government affairs and vice president for congressional affairs. She was previously at Boeing, where she served as senior director for international operations and policy. Smith spent nearly two decades on the Hill, where she served as policy director for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and worked for now-Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) when he served as House majority whip.

— National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts has tapped Nathaalie Carey to serve as its new senior vice president for industry affairs and social responsibility. Most recently, Carey served as the executive deputy commissioner for the New York State Department of Labor.

— Kelley McCormick, Deb Eschmeyer and Joanna Rosholm have launched a new communications and public affairs firm called Original Strategies . McCormick was most recently at Under Armour, Eschmeyer at Eschmeyer Strategies and Rosholm at Snap.

JOIN THURSDAY: A WOMEN RULE ROUNDTABLE : 2020 has been a history-making year for women in politics. Kamala Harris is vice president-elect, a record number of Republican women were elected to Congress and more women of color ran for public office than ever before. Join POLITICO's Elizabeth Ralph, Crooked Media's Shaniqua McClendon, and Winning for Women's Micah Yousefi for a conversation that examines the results for women who ran for office and what progress still needs to be made. REGISTER HERE.