| | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by REAL SOLUTIONS®, a community safety program of the firearm industry. | With Daniel Lippman HOW K STREET SEES INFRASTRUCTURE: As House committee chairs begin work on crafting an infrastructure package as Speaker Nancy Pelosi directed last week, lobbyists are gearing up for the next legislative battle even as questions persist as to how the bill will be shaped, to what extent Republicans will be involved and when a final package could pass. — "It's kind of gonna be a long and winding road here," Ed Pagano, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, said in an interview, pointing out that infrastructure doesn't offer the same clear and urgent areas of need that the pandemic has. — John Stipicevic, CGCN Group's chief advocacy officer and a former vote counter for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy , noted to PI that there are disagreements between Democrats and Republicans even on what an infrastructure bill should encompass. "Republicans believe that Democrats have a broader sense of what infrastructure should encompass," he said. "On traditional infrastructure, there is a lot of agreement, but the skepticism comes when a bill gets pulled left to satisfy the progressive wing of the Democratic caucus." — "Scope and scale is going to be important in that threshold question of bipartisanship," agreed Ryan Thompson , a Republican lobbyist at Akin Gump. On the one hand, "it's hard to see how anything big moves unless it goes to reconciliation," argued Ivan Zapien, a Democratic lobbyist at Hogan Lovells, though he told PI he could see pragmatists like President Joe Biden, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Pelosi cut a big deal. — Stipicevic is more pessimistic, arguing that if a package were to become bipartisan, "it happens in either a true bipartisan process, which I'm skeptical of, or because President Biden would like to sign an infrastructure bill and needs the votes," and contending that razor-thin Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House may not give Democrats much of a choice other than working with the GOP. — K Street is also split on how much of a role earmarks could play in bringing Republicans to the table on infrastructure. While the House GOP conference voted today to bring back the practice, Zapien argued that new rules designed to increase transparency and decrease the opportunity for abuse may have watered the practice down too much to be effective. — But Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck's Geoffrey Burr , a former DOT chief of staff, said he believes "earmarks will help grease the skids here considerably," though not to the point where Republicans would vote for a bill full of Democratic wish list items. "I think that would be very helpful for bringing out bipartisanship," Pagano said, arguing the practice "just gets members more bought into the legislation." — As for how an infrastructure deal could be paid for, Mike Bloomquist, a partner at Venable , predicted the need for buy-in from red state lawmakers like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would skew potential tax hikes away from increases that could be viewed as punitive toward more incentive-laden measures. — Despite all the unanswered questions, "our clients are excited about the potential for finally doing infrastructure," Pagano said. "As somebody who represents people," noted Bloomquist, "even if I had perfect clarity" on how the package will be crafted, "you don't know which things are gonna make it in. So you want to be part of the House process." PENCE'S LEG AFFAIRS DIRECTOR RETURNS TO CORNERSTONE: Chris Hodgson , who was previously director of legislative affairs for former Vice President Mike Pence, is returning to Cornerstone Government Affairs after his stint at the White House and on the Hill. Prior to the White House, where he worked on bills like the 2017 GOP tax bill and last spring's CARES Act, Hodgson served as deputy floor director to then-Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.). Hodgson will register to lobby for Cornerstone, where he worked from 2010-2013. | | | | A message from REAL SOLUTIONS®, a community safety program of the firearm industry. The firearm industry is creating safer communities through partnerships with law enforcement, elected officials, and community leaders. Our REAL SOLUTIONS® programs have distributed more than 40 million free gun locks to promote secure storage, strengthened the FBI background check system to keep guns out of the wrong hands, and provided thousands of suicide prevention toolkits in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. These are true gun safety programs. Make a difference at NSSFRealSolutions.org. | | | Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. BIDEN CAMPAIGN DEPUTY STARTS OWN FIRM: Pete Kavanaugh , who served as Joe Biden's deputy campaign manager, launched a new consulting firm today, Highbury Strategies. The firm won't lobby, Kavanaugh told PI in an email, but will focus on issue advocacy, public affairs, campaign strategy, and grassroots activation in both politics and the corporate world. Rather than serving as a one-stop shop and "pushing a bunch of services internally," Highbury will instead work to bring together "the best teams" for each of its clients, Kavanaugh said. WALL STREET INCHES TOWARD REOPENING ITS CHECKBOOKS: Bloomberg's Robert Schmidt and Bill Allison report that "Wall Street firms are quietly preparing to resume political giving in the next few months , marking an end to a freeze that many corporations vowed to impose" after the Jan. 6 insurrection. "The floodgates, most predicted, will open once Democrats start to craft legislation, on taxes for example, that targets businesses and wealthy individuals, which the Biden administration has said it's considering." FLYING IN (VIRTUALLY): Growth Energy is holding its annual spring fly-in beginning today and ending next week. The group has plans to meet virtually with around 80 congressional offices from more than a dozen states to advocate on the renewable fuels standard and promote biofuels as a means to decarbonize the nation's auto fleet. LOBBYIST CHARGED IN OHIO BRIBERY SCANDAL FOUND DEAD: "A powerful Ohio lobbyist who spent decades at the center of many of the state's significant policy battles was found dead in Florida as he faced charges in a sweeping federal bribery investigation," The Associated Press' Julie Carr Smyth and Farnoush Amiri report. "Neil Clark, 67, was found dead Monday by a bicyclist in an isolated area of Collier County, Florida, where he had been living, authorities said." — Clark pleaded guilty last fall to "the role federal prosecutors allege he played in an elaborate $60 million scheme led by then-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder to pass legislation containing a $1 billion bailout for two Ohio nuclear power plants. Clark had denied all wrongdoing." He was accused by prosecutors of serving as "the former speaker's enforcer, strong-arming supporters and providing fundraising expertise." CHAMBER OPPOSES FILIBUSTER THREAT: New Chamber of Commerce CEO Suzanne Clark fired a warning shot Tuesday at Senate Democrats over rising calls for the party to abolish the filibuster. "Only in Washington could getting 60 out of 100 people to agree feel like an insurmountable obstacle," Clark said in a statement. She called it "disappointing" that lawmakers were mulling a rule change rather than building consensus on policies about to back up in the chamber while contending the 60-vote threshold provides necessary "time, thoughtfulness, and deliberation" on major issues. — The statement puts the Chamber at odds with progressive groups and unions who have decried Republican opposition in the Senate to reforms to gun control, election and labor laws, and came as President Joe Biden expressed a new openness to filibuster changes in an interview with ABC on Tuesday evening. A LESSER KNOWN ANTITRUST FIGHT: "Independent grocery stores are pushing Congress for stronger antitrust laws that prohibit suppliers from discriminating against smaller companies on price and the availability of products," POLITICO's Leah Nylen and Anna Kambhampaty report. "'Antitrust is not just a Big Tech issue. It is literally a kitchen table issue,' Greg Ferrara, president and CEO of the National Grocers Association, a trade association for independent groceries, said during a news conference Tuesday," accusing "power buyers" in the retail space of putting independent grocers at risk. | | | | TUNE IN TO 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 and start listening today. | | | | | | | | — Lowell Zeta has rejoined Hogan Lovells as counsel in the FDA and life sciences practices. Zeta spent the last year as a senior counselor to then-FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn. — Visa has named Michelle Gethers-Clark as chief diversity officer and head of corporate responsibility. She most recently served as president and chief executive of the United Way of Greater Greensboro, N.C. — Angel Hernandez is joining the Housing Policy Council as vice president of capital markets. He was most recently director of MBS programs at Ginnie Mae and is an SEC and Finra alum. — Emergent BioSolutions has hired Carrie Goldstein, vice president of enterprise and employee communications, Liz Hanpeter as senior director for public affairs, Cassie France-Kelly as senior director for content and storytelling and Matt Hartwig as director of media relations. Goldstein joins from employee engagement agency Cheer Partners, Hanpeter from drug maker Takeda, France-Kelly from edtech company 2U and Hartwig from financial services provider USAA. | | | | A message from REAL SOLUTIONS®, a community safety program of the firearm industry.   | | | | | | Senate Representation Matters (Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), One Voice)
SHP Victory Fund (Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Supporting House Problem Solvers PAC) | | | American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee (PAC)
C6 Project (PAC)
Constitutionalists First PAC (PAC)
| | | | GET DAILY REGULATORY UPDATES STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX: AgencyIQ's daily newsletter, FDA Today, provides actionable and insightful explanations of the latest FDA developments impacting the life sciences industry. Sign up for free today. | | | | |
| | New Lobbying Registrations | | BGR Government Affairs: Cj America, Inc.
BGR Government Affairs: Globe Specialty Metals, Inc.
BGR Government Affairs: Liberty Media Corporation
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Anschutz Corporation
assidy & Associates, Inc.: Bullseye Events Group
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Crescent Peak Renewables
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Metz Culinary Management
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Parts Life, Inc.
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Tonopah Solar Energy
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Shield Ai, Inc.
Desimone Consulting, LLC: High Efficiency Dehumidification Systems, Inc. Dba Conservant Systems, Inc.
End Sud, Inc.: End Sud, Inc.
Holland & Knight LLP: Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
Lincoln Policy Group: Jbs USa
Lincoln Policy Group: Mead Johnson & Company
Lincoln Policy Group: Ocean Conservancy, Inc.
Mccarter & English, LLP: Nsp Management Services Of Long Island, Inc
Natural Resource Results LLC: Low Impact Hydropower Institute
Slaiman Consulting LLC: Crystallex
Strategies 360: Workforce Development Council Of Seattle-King County
The Doerrer Group LLC: Cavnue, LLC
The Majority Group, LLC: A10 Capital | | New Lobbying Terminations | | BGR Government Affairs: The Mcclellan Highway Development Company, LLC
| | | | A message from REAL SOLUTIONS®, a community safety program of the firearm industry. Partnerships with over 15,000 law enforcement agencies. Distribution of more than 40 million free firearm safety kits. A 266% increase in disqualifying records submitted to the FBI background check system. These are just a few of the success metrics behind the firearm industry's REAL SOLUTIONS® programs. For decades, the firearm industry has been creating safer communities through partnerships with law enforcement, elected officials, and community leaders. We're proud to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and members of Congress, regardless of political stripe to create safer communities. At the end of the day, we all want the same thing: to keep guns out of the wrong hands. The proven-effective REAL SOLUTIONS® programs promote true gun safety that everyone should be able to rally behind and support. Let's work together at NSSFRealSolutions.org. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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