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Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | With Daniel Lippman FRANCHISES TAP LAYMAN AS NEXT TOP LOBBYIST: The International Franchise Association has named Mike Layman as its senior vice president for government relations and public affairs. He’ll take over from Matt Haller, who was named the trade group’s president and chief executive this summer. Layman has worked for the trade group for nearly seven years, and before that helped establish a government relations practice at employment and labor law firm Littler Mendelson; he also worked for the Society for Human Resource Management and spent more than half a decade on the Hill. — In an email to staff this morning Haller wrote that “Mike has led the way for IFA and the broader business community’s efforts on the joint employer issue at both the legislative, regulatory and legal areas. More recently, Mike led the charge on the work with Oxford Economics research and Franchise Census which created the intellectual foundation for the launch of Open for Opportunity.” — “Overall, these are heady times for franchising,” Layman told PI. “But thankfully, we have really smart and accomplished members who are focused on serving their communities and protecting their people during the economic recovery.” IFA has been involved in a number of advocacy efforts during the pandemic, including successfully lobbying for franchises to be able to access federal aid for restaurants hurt by the Covid-19 pandemic, and trying to lobby for a similar program for the gym and fitness industry. — The trade group will continue “paving the landscape for small business owners to continue to lead the recovery and make sure policies protect their ability to do that,” Layman said. That includes fighting against the PRO Act, a Democratic bill aimed at revitalizing organized labor that Layman called an “existential threat” to franchises and “the ultimate unforced error” during the recovery. IFA is also fighting provisions from the PRO Act that have been included in Democrats’ reconciliation bill, as well as tax changes and potential paid leave provisions in the social spending and climate package. — IFA announced a series of other promotions too, including Sara Williamson and Spencer Brignac from senior managers to directors, Katelyn Russell from manager to senior manager, and Sydni Konohiam, Marcella Schneider and Lauren Smith from coordinators to senior coordinators. The trade group, which was forced to lay off a dozen staffers last year due to the pandemic, is also hiring again for a number of positions. Happy Friday and welcome to PI, where your host is giving a tip of the hat to whoever picked the soundtrack for Colin Powell’s funeral. Send lobbying tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. | | | | KNOW WHAT THE INSIDERS KNOW, READ PLAYBOOK: POLITICO Playbook analyzes the big stories and trends, bringing you the latest from Washington and across the political landscape. Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri deliver the scoops you need to know — and the insider nuggets that you want to know — about the biggest political power players. Subscribe to Playbook, the unofficial guide to official Washington. | | | | | FARA FRIDAY: PI spoke with Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.), one of the House sponsors of the Foreign Agent Registration Modernization Act introduced Thursday , which aims to standardize and increase access to foreign agent registrations. Buck defended taking a bit of a baby step in making changes to the World War II-era statute, and blamed the Justice Department’s foot-dragging on modernizing FARA records for creating his bill’s necessity. — “The first thing we need to do is make sure when the public tries to access the database, they get accurate information,” Buck argued. “Then we can start talking about what kinds of information should be collected, and how often and, you know, other reporting requirements or restrictions.” Buck added that he thinks the legislation is “a good first step in educating” lawmakers on the importance of FARA that could eventually be rolled into a package of other FARA reforms in the other chamber. — “I think it'll get broad bipartisan support” on the Hill, Buck said of the bill, saying the issue is important because of how often “there have been members who have had bills and foreign governments have lobbied against those bills. And no one can tell that the foreign governments are lobbying against [them] because the really smart, high-paid people in this town have figured out ways to hide foreign government interests. And that's disgraceful.” ANNALS OF #GIRLBOSSING: “They've been derided as spruced-up pyramid schemes: Companies that incentivize their own customers to become salespeople for products. Now, these so-called multilevel marketing businesses are flexing their political muscle. And they're turning to one lawmaker in particular to protect their agenda,” POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs reports: Sen. Kyrsten Sinema. — “The political action committee associated with Alticor, the parent entity of the health, home and beauty company Amway, gave $2,500 to the Arizona Democrat in late June, as did the PAC for Isagenix , an Arizona-based business that sells nutrition, wellness and personal care products. Nu Skin Enterprises, another personal care and beauty company, gave $2,500 that month, as did USANA Health Sciences, which sells similar products. In April, Richard Raymond Rogers, the executive chair of Mary Kay, a Texas-based cosmetics company, gave $2,500 to Sinema. Herbalife, which also sells nutritional supplements, gave $2,500 in July. All are affiliated with the Direct Selling Association, a trade group that promotes multi-level marketing.” — “When asked about the industry’s support nearly exclusively for Sinema, a spokesperson for the Direct Selling Association offered little explanation: ‘Contributions to candidates from DSA’s political action committee are based on a variety of factors.’ Sinema does have a personal connection to the industry: Her own mother was a direct seller. But the bigger incentive for multilevel marketers to give to Sinema appears to be her position on labor organizing.” — “The companies face an existential threat from the pro-union Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would make it more difficult to classify workers as independent contractors. According to one industry source, the bill has become the driving issue since Democrats took control of the White House and both chambers of Congress. And Sinema is one of — if not the only — Democratic allies in the Senate.” DEFENSE LOBBYISTS START YOUR ENGINES: POLITICO’s Lee Hudson reports that a fight on the Hill is brewing “over the best way to turbocharge the world’s supply of F-35 fighters, now that the Pentagon has said the jet needs more power to make it better suited for a fight with China. And that battle has found its way into upcoming defense policy legislation, as competing versions in the House and Senate propose two different ways to solve the issue.” — “Specifically, the Pentagon says the Lockheed Martin jet needs new weapons and enhanced processing power, which means the propulsion system requires more thrust and cooling than the current version. America’s top military engine-makers — General Electric and Pratt & Whitney — say they have the best answer to the problem.” — Ahead of a potential competition to provide the jets with more souped-up engines, “GE is aggressively campaigning to install its XA100 adaptive engine into the F-35. At the Air Force’s largest trade show of the year, the AFA conference in September, GE Aviation plastered ads throughout the expo advocating for a new engine competition. ‘Inevitably politics will play a role, and I can’t help but wonder whether [Friday’s] announcement wasn’t a way of removing a little bit of that,’ said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group. He was referring to the Air Force’s $1.5 billion contract award to GE for 29 F-15EX engines.” CORRECTION: Thursday’s Influence misstated the name of the National Retail Federation. PI regrets the error. | | | SPOTTED at the Hispanic Lobbyists Association’s Día de los Muertos-themed Avanza Awards on the Wharf on Thursday night, per a PI tipster: Honorees Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas); Rep. David Valadao (R-Calif.) plus Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-N.M.); Michael Best Strategies' Robert Marchant, Denise Bode, and Lucia Alonzo; T-Mobile’s Anais Carmona and Adam Peterman; Altria’s Angela Arboleda; UnidosUS’ Amalia Chamorro; Carissa Fana of Becker; Shell’s Patricia Tamez; Noe Garcia of Avisa Partners; Susie Feliz of the National Urban League; Carlos Becerra from Florida International University; Target’s Isaac Reyes; Corn Refiners Association's John Bode; Meta’s Zuraya Tapia Hadley; Fernando Gomez of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers; Federal Street Strategies’ Rene Munoz; Carlos Mark Vera of Pay Our Interns; Chuck Rocha of Solidarity Strategies, Mariana Acuna of Arent Fox; Debra Dixon of Ferox Strategies, Francesca McCrary of Forbes Tate Partners; Dane Pedersen of D&P Creative Strategies; César Remis of Mexico’s Secretariat of the Economy, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute's Marco Davis, Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute’s Mary Ann Gomez Orta, Hispanic Heritage Foundation's Antonio Tijerino, Building Back Better's Mayra Macias, Allen Gutierrez of the MCA Group, Constellation Brands’ Liz Lopez, Waste Management’s Ibn Salaam, National Education Association’s Melody Gonzalez, Comcast’s Leo Munoz, Amazon’s Lucia Panza, Business Roundtable’s Javier Gamboa, Davita’s Javier Martinez, General Motors’ Noel Perez, and Congressional Hispanic Staff Association's Patricia Ordaz. — Sandra Douglass Morgan has joined Covington & Burling as of counsel. She’s the immediate past chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board and a former commissioner of the Nevada Gaming Commission. — Virginia Gum Hamisevicz is now vice president of government affairs and international programs at the Aluminum Association. She most recently was vice president of government affairs at the National Mining Association. — Alison Armstrong has joined Sirona Strategies as a senior director, where she will register to lobby and help run two coalitions: Moving Health Home and Data Coalition for Health Equity. She previously spent 14 years at Anthem, most recently as health policy director. — Susan Ryan is joining Holland & Hart at its environmental and natural resources practice. Ryan previously served as Colorado water referee and as a district court magistrate for the 9th Judicial District in Colorado. — Sean Bartlett is now a senior adviser in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs at the State Department. He previously was communications director at the Center for Global Development and is a Senate Foreign Relations Committee alum. — Kevin Wu will be domestic policy adviser for Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). He previously was a health policy analyst for the Prevention Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center. | | | | BECOME A GLOBAL INSIDER: The world is more connected than ever. It has never been more essential to identify, unpack and analyze important news, trends and decisions shaping our future — and we’ve got you covered! Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Global Insider author Ryan Heath navigates the global news maze and connects you to power players and events changing our world. Don’t miss out on this influential global community. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | | None. | | | Association for Positive and Effective Stockmarket (Super PAC)
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Unite All Americans (PAC) | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Bell & Lindsay, Inc.: Govbiz Advantage (For Coyne Real Estate)
Capitol Hill Consulting Group: El Paso Mobility Coalition
Capitol Hill Consulting Group: Premier Food Group, Inc.
Forethought Advisors, LLC: Bridge Counsel Strategies, LLC
Govbiz Advantage, Inc.: Coyne Real Estate
Hatton Partners, LLC: Commercial Real Estate Financial Council
Hj Tobin Policy Consulting: National Women's Law Center
Holland & Knight LLP: Ava Labs, Inc.
Invariant LLC: National Retail Federation
Keller Partners & Company: City Of Deming
Monument Advocacy: International Society Of Automation Global Cybersecurity Alliance
Mr. Joe Miklosi: One World Surgery
Oak Street Health: Oak Street Health
Oscar Policy Group, LLC: Beacon Point Recovery Center
Proton Therapy Consortium Fka National Association For Proton Therapy: Proton Therapy Consortium Fka National Association For Proton Therapy
Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC: Pike Associates, LLC Obo Woods Hole Martha's Vineyard Nantucket Steamship Auth.
The Mckeon Group, Inc.: Pacem Defense
Trautwein & Associates, LLC: Partnership For Employer-Sponsored Coverage
Van Scoyoc Associates: Oregon Institute Of Technology
Water Strategies, LLC: Candy Mountain
Water Strategies, LLC: Freeport-Mcmoran Inc.
Waypoint Consulting, LLC: Dynatest US, Inc
Williams And Jensen, Pllc: Clayton County Water Authority | | New Lobbying Terminations | | Boyagian Consulting, LLC: Mayors & Commissioners Coalition
Boyagian Consulting, LLC: U.S. Tolling Coalition
The Ob-C Group, LLC: Intuit Inc.
The Vogel Group: Teragroup
Vnf Solutions, LLC: Tuolumne Utilities District
Waypoint Consulting, LLC: Magnolia River (Optimal Geospatial) | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
