Elevate lands top Cantwell aide

From: POLITICO Influence - Thursday Sep 29,2022 09:27 pm
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By Caitlin Oprysko

Presented by

the National Confectioners Association

With Daniel Lippman

ELEVATE PLANTS A FLAG IN THE PNW: Elevate Government Affairs has hired David Marten, a former aide to Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) as an executive vice president based in Seattle, giving the firm its first foothold in the Pacific Northwest.

— Marten was most recently Cantwell’s legislative director, overseeing the senator’s legislative agenda on the wide range of issues under the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction, including tech, telecom and transportation issues, as well as tax, energy, environment and natural resources.

— Marten also was a top adviser to Cantwell on aviation issues, and helped craft airline stimulus provisions included in the CARES Act as well as new aircraft safety and certification reforms enacted in the wake of the Boeing 737 MAX crashes. Before working for Cantwell, Marten was deputy director of Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s D.C. office and worked for Washington Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.) and now-Lt. Gov. Denny Heck.

— In an interview, Marten said he’ll be “working with clients in particular that have a presence out here in the Northwest” — the firm’s clients already include Redmond-based Microsoft and the Port of Seattle — drawing on his long experience with the Washington delegation. “One thing that attracted me to them is they do have a real specialty and a lot of those areas which I do have some expertise in,” Marten said of his decision to join Elevate.

— “I've definitely built a lot of expertise along, I think, a wide range of issues. It'll be useful to both, you know, current clients that they have as well as … helping to expand and build up from there,” he added, especially as the government moves to implement both the infrastructure and reconciliation bills and begins work on the next FAA reauthorization bill.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send K Street tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

 

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America’s chocolate and candy companies are providing more choice and portion guidance options for consumers seeking to manage their sugar intake – whether that’s buying candy for family celebrations, picking up a treat to share with friends or enjoying a treat on the way out of the store. From beloved classics to new offerings like low/zero sugar and organic, the confectionery industry is meeting consumers where they want to be met. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com.

 

DEMS ASK YELLEN FOR FEW CARVEOUTS ON BOOK TAX: “Congressional Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to ignore appeals by lobbyists to weaken the 15% minimum levy on domestic corporations,” Bloomberg’s Laura Davison reports.

— “Senators Elizabeth Warren, Angus King, Michael Bennet, and Representative Don Beyer, asked Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and her staff to take an aggressive stance against companies that seek carve-outs or other modifications to the minimum levy” included in Democrats’ reconciliation bill.

— “‘Strong implementation necessitates standing firm against requests to dilute the regulations in such a way as to undermine the clear intent of the law,’ the lawmakers wrote in a letter obtained by Bloomberg News.”

— The lawmakers’ letter comes as “tax veterans around Washington, including several with significant experience at Treasury, say one particular provision in the Inflation Reduction Act offers an extraordinary amount of authority to the executive branch — essentially giving the Treasury secretary the power to exempt individual companies from the new 15 percent minimum tax on their financial book income,” POLITICO’s Bernie Becker reported yesterday.

— “Republicans on the Hill have definitely raised their eyebrows at that particular language in the Democrats’ bill, which gives the Treasury secretary — currently Janet Yellen — the power to order an exemption if she ‘determines that it would not be appropriate’ for a particular corporation to pay the tax,” though Democratic aides who crafted the provision stressed that giving certain companies a carveout wasn’t their intent.

AKIN GUMP IN THE U.S. ADDS A LOBBYIST IN EUROPE: Jan Walter is joining Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld as a senior policy adviser based in Geneva, the first member of the firm’s U.S. lobbying operation to be based outside the country. Walter most recently served as senior intellectual property adviser at the U.K. Mission to the United Nations and World Trade Organization, and will represent clients’ interests before those and other international agencies including the World Intellectual Property Organization and World Health Organization.

— “Jan’s presence here will help Akin Gump to further tap into the dynamic negotiations and meetings that are taking place daily among the international organizations in Geneva,” Stephen Kho, who runs Akin Gump’s Geneva office, said in a statement. “These discussions can impact regulations and rulemaking that will affect trade, climate change, worker rights and competition policies around the world.”

— His addition comes as international policy and regulatory bodies have begun to increasingly set the agenda for companies with business outside of the U.S., including on issues like health and biotechnology, digital trade, IP and climate change.

COMING TO AN FEC FILING NEAR YOU: “Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo , who resigned more than a year ago after allegations of sexual harassment, said in a video Wednesday that he will start a political action committee ‘to elect the right people to politics,’ form a gun-control group and launch his own weekly podcast,” POLITICO’s Anna Gronewold reports.

— “In the 8-minute recording, the three-term Democratic governor said his time away from public service has given him a fresh perspective on politics, and he’s ‘very concerned about the state of our country.’ His qualms echo grievances he has aired for years about the extreme nature of political discourse; progressives whose ideals prevent legitimate action; and the evils of social media.”

— “The former governor still had more than $10 million in his campaign account as of the most recent July filing. It was unclear whether he will tap into that fund to start the PAC or create his own fundraising operation.”

Whether Cuomo’s cash will be welcomed within the Beltway is another question, with New York lawmakers “split on whether or not they would take the money from the group,” Nancy Vu reports for Congress Minutes.

SPOTTED at the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association’s annual Touch-n-Go reception on Wednesday at the American Dental Association townhouse on Capitol Hill, per a tipster: Reps. John Joyce (R-Pa.), Colin Allred (D-Texas), Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Carol Miller (R-W.Va.), Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.), Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa), Andrew Garbarino (R-N.Y.), Norma Torres (D-Calif.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Chris Pappas (D-N.H.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), Chuy García (D-Ill.), Gary Palmer (R-Ala.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Tracey Mann (R-Kan.), William Timmons (R-S.C.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), Greg Stanton (D-Ariz.) and Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.).

 

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Jobs Report

Cesar Toledo is now political director at LGBTQ Victory Fund. He most recently was deputy political director in the organization and is a Berlin Rosen alum.

Charles Symington has been named executive vice president of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America as he prepares to transition to the role of president and CEO. He’s currently senior vice president for external, industry and government affairs.

Sruthi Prabhu is now senior vice president on the federal relations team at Bank of America. She previously was an adviser for Rep. Trey Hollingsworth (R-Ind.).

  Scott Rayder is now vice president and division manager for Leidos’ climate, energy and environment portfolio. He previously was the first chief of staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Michael Reynolds is now senior public policy adviser for Baker Donelson’s government relations and public policy group. He previously was deputy policy director for aviation and space for the Senate Commerce Committee.

Sofia Gross has joined the McCain Institute as its inaugural John S. McCain Democracy Fellow. She most recently served as head of social impact and policy partnerships at Snap Inc.  

— The American Council of Engineering Companies has added Fernando “Nando” Gomez, Jr. as vice president for strategic initiatives. He most recently was senior director for government relations at American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers.

Bradley Saull is joining Jefferson Business Consulting as vice president. He most recently was vice president for civilian agencies at the Professional Services Council.

Jason Park has been promoted to be head of federal government affairs for the Americas at Expedia Group.

Jean Medina has been named chief communications officer for the Washington Commanders. She most recently was vice president for corporate communications at MissionSquare Retirement and is an Exelon Corp. and Airlines for America alum.

Matt Duss is joining the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace as a visiting scholar in the American Statecraft Program. He most recently was foreign policy adviser for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Stephanie Sykes is now senior adviser for NTIA at the Commerce Department. She most recently was director of intergovernmental affairs for infrastructure implementation at the White House.

Emily Loeb is returning to Jenner & Block to chair the congressional investigations practice and as a co-chair of the government controversies and public policy litigation practice. She previously was part of the “Day One” leadership team and is former associate deputy attorney general.

Nick Vaughan is joining Bullpen Strategy Group to lead the firm’s London office. He most recently served as head of operations on British Prime Minister Liz Truss's leadership campaign.

Tom Lynch is now head of government affairs at the Fertilizer Institute. He previously was vice president for congressional affairs for the American Short Line and Regional Railroads Association and general counsel for the National Tank Truck Carriers.

A message from the National Confectioners Association:

In 2017, America’s leading chocolate and candy companies joined forces in a landmark agreement to help consumers manage their sugar intake. In a commitment to Partnership for a Healthier America, these companies set an ambitious goal to provide more transparency, create more portion guidance options in innovative packaging and educate consumers about how unique products like chocolate and candy can be an occasional treat in a balanced lifestyle. The companies exceeded their commitment, empowering consumers to make informed choices and driving directional alignment within the broader confectionery industry. In fact, 85% of chocolate and candy sold today comes in packaging that contains 200 calories or less per pack – whether that’s individually wrapped products or multipacks that contain smaller packages inside. Learn more at AlwaysATreat.com.

 
New Joint Fundraisers

Brownley Smith Victory Fund (Julia Brownley for Congress, Christy Smith for Congress)
Representation Matters: Hold the House (Rep. Mary Peltola, Michelle Vallejo for Congress, Taddeo for Congress, One Voice)
Schneider Victory Fund (Schneider for Congress, Democratic Party Of Illinois)

New PACs

Protect West Virginia Values PAC (Super PAC)
South Dakotan for Political Integrity (Super PAC)

New Lobbying Registrations

Balch & Bingham, LLP: O'Neal Industries
Boundary Stone Partners: Bakken Energy
Boundary Stone Partners: Heirloom Carbon Technologies, Inc.
Clark Hill, Plc: Puerto Verde Holdings, LLC
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP: Gk Venture Partners
Lincoln Park Group L.L.C.: K&L Gates LLP O/B/O Ansys

New Lobbying Terminations

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Pc: Progeny Systems
Hbw Resources: General Electric Company
Hbw Resources: Tcom, L.P.
Proskauer Rose LLP: Arnold And Frimet Roth
The Roosevelt Group: R2P Innovations (Formerly Known As Rp2)

 

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