Tuesday, February 2, 2021

Chamber warns Democrats against partisan relief package — Cassidy aide joins Invariant — Bill Gates-led clean tech fund hires lobbyists

Presented by the American Beverage Association: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street.
Feb 02, 2021 View in browser
 
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By Caitlin Oprysko

Presented by the American Beverage Association

With Theodoric Meyer, Zach Montellaro and Daniel Lippman

CHAMBER WARNS DEMS ON LEAVING GOP BEHIND: The U.S. Chamber of Commerce this afternoon warned President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats against pushing forward with the reconciliation process in order to pass the administration's $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill without requiring GOP votes. "If the majority insists on pushing through legislation using reconciliation," the Chamber's chief policy officer Neil Bradley said, "then they risk future success on long-overdue priorities including infrastructure, immigration reform, and climate change."

— Bradley wrote in a letter to Biden and lawmakers that the powerful business lobby believes Republicans' $600 billion counteroffer has "sufficient common ground" for a compromise. Democrats have rejected the proposal as inadequate and took the first step Monday to unlock the reconciliation process that would circumvent the Senate filibuster.

— Bradley also laid out a number of priorities for the Chamber in the next relief bill, including resources for vaccinations, reopening schools, paid leave, child care, stimulus checks and liability protections for businesses. And he urged the administration to leave out "long-sought permanent policy changes" like raising the minimum wage.

INVARIANT HIRES GOP AIDE: Chris Gillott is leaving the Hill, where he was deputy chief of staff in Sen. Bill Cassidy's office, to join the government relations team at Invariant. Gillott helped oversee the Louisiana Republican's HELP Committee portfolio, including negotiations for last year's bipartisan relief package and the so-called surprise billing fix included in Congress' year-end spending bill, a perspective that will be valuable as lobbyists look to get in on the next bill working its way through Congress now.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Is it Mayor Secretary Pete? Or Secretary Mayor Pete? Send guidance and K Street tips: coprysko@politico.com. And follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

A message from the American Beverage Association:

America's leading beverage companies are working together to help make our communities healthy, sustainable, and economically strong. Our companies are providing family supporting jobs, more beverage choices with less sugar, and 100% recyclable bottles that are made to be remade. We stand ready to roll up our sleeves and work with the Biden Administration and Congress to address the problems facing our country and strengthen the quality of life for all Americans. AmericanBeverage.org

 

NEW BUSINESS: Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the clean tech fund founded by Bill Gates, has hired its first lobbyists weeks after announcing it had raised $1 billion for a second round of investments into clean tech startups. As the Biden administration looks to prioritize climate change policy across the federal government, Breakthrough has hired Flywheel Government Solutions' Brandon Peck and Brian Sailer to lobby on "new energy technologies," according to new disclosure filings.

— The app-based convenience delivery startup GoPuff is the latest company of its kind to grow its presence in Washington, adding its own in-house lobbying team at the beginning of the year. The company said last fall its latest fundraising round raised $380 million. A few weeks later, it purchased the alcoholic beverage chain BevMo! for $350 million.

— GoPuff's lobbyists join others representing gig companies like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Instacart and Postmates that have bolstered their representation in Washington as some lawmakers look to clamp down on labor regulations guiding their workers. Uber has also added a new lobbyist, Summit Strategies' Jim Kolb, to work on various infrastructure issues.

T-MOBILE ADDS HARRIS, FCC VETS: T-Mobile has hired Clint Odom, who served as now-Vice President Kamala Harris' first legislative director on Capitol Hill, to its government affairs team, Morning Tech reports. He previously led the National Urban League's D.C. office and was a policy director for acting FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel. The company also added Will Adams, a former FCC legal adviser, as vice president of strategic policy and planning.

— There are already some ties between the Biden administration and the telecom giant. Tony Russo, T-Mobile's head of government relations, worked for Biden in the Senate. And Biden's FCC landing team included former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn and former FCC official Smitty Smith, both of whom helped work on the T-Mobile-Sprint merger a few years back.

 

Designed specifically for regulatory affairs professionals - AgencyIQ FDA Forecast 2021: In its inaugural year, AgencyIQ's FDA Forecast predicts the FDA regulatory changes that will take place in 2021 and what they will mean for the life sciences industry. Read more about the report and download the summary here.

 
 

ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Two Colorado-based progressive fundraisers are partnering up to launch a network to advise major donors on where to give their money and guide groups through long-term strategy. Michael Huttner of the Huttner Group, previously the CEO of Fenton, and Sadie Baker of Culture of Giving Back, previously the director of the Colorado Democracy Alliance, launched their partnership late last month.

K&L GATES ADDS TWO: Scott Gelbman and George Riccardo have joined law and lobbying firm K&L Gates as government affairs analysts. Gelbman is a former aide to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and was most recently an account director at Burson Cohn & Wolfe, while Riccardo was a senior policy adviser to former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on surface transportation and aviation.

MEHLMAN'S LATEST: Bruce Mehlman of Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas is out with his latest data-driven slide deck . Among the interesting tidbits: No Democratic president in the modern era has taken office with slimmer House and Senate majorities. The closest comparison might be President Grover Cleveland, who began his first term in 1885 with a 41-vote Democratic majority in the House (which Democrats would kill for right now) but an eight-vote deficit in the Senate.

 

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Jobs Report

Livia Lam has returned to Strategies 360 as a senior vice president of federal relations. She was previously a senior fellow and the director of workforce development at the Center for American Progress and before that worked as legislative director to Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.). She was also a lobbyist at Strategies 360 earlier in her career.

Rachel Noerdlinger is now a partner at Mercury. She was previously managing director of the firm's New York office.

Retail Industry Leaders Association hired Patrick Brady as senior director of state affairs and advocacy. He was previously a director at the Society for Human Resource Management.

Paul Murphy, who most recently served as chief of staff to FBI Director Chris Wray, has rejoined King & Spalding as a partner on the special matters and government investigations team.

Cameron French, a senior spokesperson for the Biden transition who was that team's first communications hire, departed the transition team last week and has returned to his previous job at SKDK , Transition Playbook reports.

Alex Siciliano has joined The Petrizzo Group as vice president of communications. He was previously deputy chief of staff to former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).

Randall Schriver is now a partner at consulting firm Pacific Solutions, per Morning Defense. He was previously assistant secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs.

Jack Grady has joined Earth & Water Law, LLC as a partner, Morning Energy reports. Most recently, he represented clients at Jones Day and previously was a trial attorney with the environmental enforcement section of the Justice Department.

Annie Orloff and Andrew Overton are joining Finsbury Glover Hering as strategic communications directors in the energy and sustainability practice, Playbook reports. Orloff previously was deputy communications director for former Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), and is an Obama DOE alum. Overton previously was a spokesperson and deputy comms director for the British embassy in Washington.

 

TUNE IN TO NEW EPISODE OF GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS: Our Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded over the past year amid a global pandemic. This podcast helps to identify and understand the impediments to smart policymaking. Subscribe for Season Two, available now.

 
 
New Joint Fundraisers

None.

New PACs

NC Red (Leadership PAC: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.))
Protect Our Progess (PAC)
Protect Our Progress (Super PAC)
Vitamin Shoppe Industries LLC (PAC)
United Patriot Pac (Hybrid PAC)

New Lobbying Registrations

American Defense International, Inc.: J.A. Green And Company (For Scola)
American Defense International, Inc.: Leolabs, Inc.
American Defense International, Inc.: Spirit Aerosystems, Inc.
ATS Communications, Inc.: Pacific Defense, LLC
BGR Government Affairs: The Assistance Fund
Bramer Group, LLC: Kongsberg Maritime Incorporated
Carpi & Clay, Inc: San Francisco Wholesale Produce Market
Flywheel Government Solutions: Breakthrough Energy Ventures
Gobrands Inc. D/B/A Gopuff: Gobrands Inc. D/B/A Gopuff
Milne, Wiener & Shofe Global Strategies (Fka M & W Government Affairs, LLC): Noosphere Ventures, Lp
Park&K Public Affairs LLC: Civic Hall
Summit Strategies Government Affairs LLC: The Doerrer Group On Behalf Of Uber Technologies, Inc.
The Picard Group, LLC: Lake Charles Harbor & Terminal District

New Lobbying Terminations

Barker Leavitt, Pllc (Ska Mr. James C. Barker): Operation Underground Railroad
Bgr Government Affairs: New York University
Carmen Group Incorporated: Evolus Inc
Lucas | Compton, LLC Formerly Madison Policy Group, LLC: Arcare
Lucas | Compton, LLC Formerly Madison Policy Group, LLC: Baylor Scott & White Health
Lucas | Compton, LLC Formerly Madison Policy Group, LLC: National Association Of States United For Aging And Disabilities
Lucas | Compton, LLC Formerly Madison Policy Group, LLC: Nossaman, LLP On Behalf Of Williamson County Conservation Foundation
Lucas | Compton, LLC Formerly Madison Policy Group, LLC: Scott & White Health Plan
Mirram Group: Open Society Foundation
Tauzin Consultants, LLC: St. Charles Parish
Tauzin Strategic Networks: Tauzin Consultants (On Behalf Of St. Charles Parish)
The Law Offices Of Kristina Wildeveld: Stephen Odzer

A message from the American Beverage Association:

America's beverage companies—Coca-Cola, Keurig Dr Pepper and Pepsi—are working hard to support families as they reduce sugar in their diets. That means offering more great tasting options with less sugar or no sugar at all, putting clear calorie labels on every product we sell and working with public health organizations and other national and local partners to deliver innovative solutions. Our commitment to reduce beverage calories consumed means working across the country and in communities where health disparities are prevalent and obesity rates are high to help encourage balanced choices. Our efforts are having an impact: today, 55% of the beverages we sell have zero sugar and two-thirds are low- or no-calorie. Providing more choices, smaller portions and less sugar are just a few of the ways we're working together to build healthy, sustainable communities. Learn more about our efforts at AmericanBeverage.org.

 
 

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