Chamber mocks Biden’s competition council

From: POLITICO Influence - Thursday Feb 02,2023 11:42 pm

Feb 02, 2023

Presented by Stop the Deficit Squawks

With Daniel Lippman

CHAMBER MOCKS BIDEN COMPETITION COUNCIL: The top lobbyist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce ridiculed the White House on Wednesday after President Joe Biden convened a meeting of top economic advisers and Cabinet secretaries for an update on the administration’s sweeping push to inject more competition into almost every sector of the economy.

— “Today’s meeting of the ‘Competition Council’ would be more accurately described as the ‘Washington Micromanaging the Economy Council,’” Chamber Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley said in a statement.

— Bradley blasted the FTC’s recent move to restrict the use of non-compete clauses, and dismissed the president’s call for legislation to address “fees for services simply because someone in government has decided to call them ‘junk,’” arguing that “this Washington-knows-best approach will raise prices for families, lead to fewer choices for consumers, and make our economy less competitive.”

— Ahead of the meeting, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau had released a proposal to lower late fees for most credit cards, while the National Telecommunications and Information Administration issued a report singling out Google and Apple while urging increased competition in the app ecosystem.

— Biden, meanwhile, called on the Hill to pass legislation curbing so-called junk fees like ticket fees for live events, certain airline fees, early termination fees for telecom services and surprise resort and destination fees. The members of the council discussed “strategic priorities for the first half of the year and additional actions expected in the coming months,” the White House said afterward.

— “Look, the bottom line is this,” Biden said at the top of the meeting. “These unfair fees add up. It's a basic question of fairness. And with the help of the folks in this room, we're going to keep building an economy that's fair, an economy that's competitive, and an economy that works for everyone.”

— “The White House rightfully just celebrated the record number of new business starts, yet this regulatory agenda will prevent many of those businesses from growing or even surviving,” Bradley argued. “We have a vibrant economy that keeps America competitive. We need to reject this regulatory overreach if we want to keep it that way.”

— Bradley’s mocking tone tracks with the Chamber’s recent more combative turn toward the administration as activity within the executive branch is expected to increase due to the divided Congress. In a speech on the state of the business community earlier this month, Chamber President Suzanne Clark warned that the business group “won't hesitate to” continue its litigious streak against agencies like the FTC and CFPB.

— In a news conference afterward, Bradley skewered the FTC’s move to ban non-compete agreements for many workers, contending the agency had no authority to take such a step — policy concerns aside — and that the Chamber would lobby for appropriations riders to “limit some of the regulatory activities of the FTC.”

— The competition council’s moves were also rebuked by other industry players that stood to lose from the CFPB and NTIA recommendations, including groups representing credit unions, consumer banks and tech giants.

Happy Thursday and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

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THE TIKTOK PARADOX: While Republican and Democratic politicians alike shun Chinese-owned TikTok, one Republican firm, whose board chair Phil Cox is advising likely Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis,is promoting its use to its customers, Daniel reports.

— Digital firm IMGE recently published an article headlined “Why We Joined TikTok (And You Should, Too)” that argues brands wanting to reach Gen Zers will be hurt if they don’t use TikTok.

— “Gen Z will have a growing impact on elections and the economy in the coming years, and brands simply can’t afford to ignore this cohort,” IMGE staffer Sam Shinkle says in the piece. “If you want to get your message in front of this generation, TikTok is the best place to do it.” The article goes on to say that posting TikTok videos can also help organizations recruit employees by bragging about “office perks like cold brew on tap and impromptu happy hours to fringe benefits like remote opportunities and paid parental leave.”

— The piece concludes by asking rhetorically whether people should join TikTok. “For us, the answer was yes. If you think your organization could benefit from joining the platform, IMGE is here to help. Reach out today to find out how our team of creative experts and marketing pros can help you leverage the app to reach your goals.”

— “IMGE is not affiliated with TikTok, ByteDance or any affiliates of those companies. IMGE is a digital-first agency, and part of our job is to be well versed on the various platforms in the space,” IMGE executive vice president Courtney Weaver told PI.

— “We regularly post content on our website related to digital practices and popular platforms. In this case, our team researched and published content about TikTok and how IMGE as a brand uses the platform. As for our advisement to clients on whether or not they should use the platform, we operate on a case-by-case basis since our client portfolio includes both corporate and political. As of today, we are not advising our political clients to join.”

TETHER ADDS ANOTHER: “Embattled stablecoin company Tether bolstered its lobbying presence in Washington over the last week as House lawmakers prepare legislation to beef up rules for dollar-pegged digital tokens,” POLITICO’s Sam Sutton reports.

— “Tether on Thursday filed paperwork registering the government affairs firm DMM Consulting, led by Damian Merlo, as its lobbyist. El Salvador’s crypto-friendly government is also a client of Merlo’s Miami-based firm.

— “Earlier in the week, Tether disclosed it had hired Continental Strategy, a lobbying firm led by Carlos Trujillo, former President Donald Trump’s onetime ambassador to the Organization of American States. FTI Government Affairs has counted the stablecoin issuer as a client since last year.”

— “Tether was repeatedly fined by financial regulators in 2021 for misleading consumers about the stability of its reserves but remains the market’s most widely used stablecoin. The company has also faced scrutiny from lawmakers over concerns that the pool of assets supporting its digital token, whose value is linked one-to-one with the U.S. dollar, doesn’t fully cover the $67 billion of Tether stablecoins currently in the market.”

JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE.

ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: Federal campaign finance regulators paved the way today for even more money to flow into federal elections ahead of the 2024 cycle. The FEC announced new contribution limits for individual donors, boosting the cap for donations to congressional and presidential campaigns from $2,900 to $3,300.

— The 14 percent increase is thanks to inflation, to which the individual donor limit is pegged and adjusted for every other year, our Zach Montellaro reports. (For comparison, the limit only increased $100 between the 2020 elections and last year’s midterms.) The jump means that donors looking to max out to a particular candidate can now give up to $6,600 in total each election cycle, between the primaries and the general election.

— The cap for donations to individual campaigns isn’t the only one that’s going up: “One donor can now cut a single check of $413,000 to either the Democratic or Republican National Committee every year, which is up from $365,000 last year,” per Zach. “Donors can give $41,300 to the party committee’s general funds, and then an additional $123,900 to three separate accounts: The presidential nominating convention fund, the election recounts and legal fund and the party headquarter building funds.”

PR COLLECTIVE EXPANDS: The Change Agencies, a network of multicultural and LGBTQ-owned and operated PR firms, has added five new members. Siarza, Avila Creative, Bernadette Davis Communications, Athena Communications and Zaid Communications will join RENEWPR, Mahogany Xan Communications and MuchPR in the collective, which was formed in 2019 to offer more inclusive communications advice, counsel and outreach to communities of color and the LGBTQ community.

HOW SINEMA CLOSED OUT THE YEAR: “Sen. Kyrsten Sinema raked in campaign cash from corporate leaders at the end of last year as she prepared for a potential high-stakes 2024 reelection bid in the battleground state of Arizona,” CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports, including at a fundraiser with real estate and investment executives a week before switching her party from Democrat to independent.

— “As Sinema considers whether to launch a bid for a second Senate term, the senator’s campaign entered 2023 flush with cash, with $8.2 million on hand, according to a new Federal Election Commission filing. Sinema’s campaign raised over $800,000” between October and January from donors including the Chamber’s Clark.

— A Dec. 2 fundraising lunch in Manhattan “was organized by two real estate executives: Scott Rechler, the CEO and Chair of RXR Realty, and Jeff Blau, the CEO of Related Companies, according to the invite. The event supported the Sinema Leadership Fund, a joint fundraising committee that benefits her campaign and her leadership PAC, called Getting Stuff Done. Donors could give between $2,900 and $10,800 to attend the gathering, according to the contribution website to buy tickets for the event.”

— “Blau encouraged donors to come to the December event because he believes Sinema ‘is an intellectually gifted, smart legislator who is one of the most courageous and independent voices in the Senate,’ according to the emailed invite signed by the Related Companies CEO and his wife, Lisa. ‘For her independence she will pay a price,’ the invite added.”

— “At the lunch, Sinema discussed the incoming Congress and how the tight margins in both chambers could create gridlock, according to attendees. She also talked about her plans to keep working with Republicans. Sinema did not say at the lunch that she was planning to leave the Democratic Party and become an independent, these people said.”

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Jobs Report

SPOTTED at a fundraiser last night for new House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger hosted by former chiefs of staff Cole Rojewski of RBW Group and Matt Leffingwell of Tiber Creek Group and S-3 Group’s John Scofield, per a tipster: Granger, Reps. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Mario Diaz-Balart(R-Fla.), Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.), John Carter (R-Texas), John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), John Rutherford (R-Fla.), David Valadao (R-Calif.), Chris Stewart (R-Utah), Stephanie Bice (R-Okla.), Jerry Carl (R-Ala.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Michael Cloud (R-Texas), Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Jake Ellzey (R-Texas), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Jake LaTurner(R-Kan.) and Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.); Tim Prince of Boeing, Cate Sadler of Airbus, John Bressler of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, Brooke Barnard of Sierra Nevada Corp., Austin Bone of the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association, Brendan Dailey of NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association, Katie Myers of Elbit, Mike McBride of BAE Systems, Jess Moore of GE Aerospace, Jeff Shockey of Raytheon, Brooks Brunson of Verizon, Dwayne Carson of Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America, Robert Head and Kristine Fauser of Lockheed Martin and Mike Smythers of BNSF Railway, Kristina Dunklin of Forbes Tate Partners, Tim Daniels and Ruth Bradley of Tyson Foods, Megan Milam of Anduril Industries, Erica Striebel and Doug Ritter of General Dynamics, Hannah Shea of Deloitte, Tom O’Brien of PhRMA, Harmony Barbera of PG&E, John Sobel of Jenner & Block, Kevin Bargo and Brandon Eden of United Launch Alliance, Todd Willens of RBW Group, Frank Vitello, Kevin Hartley of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Joe Fengler of Honeywell, Casey Hammond of Capitol Pillar, Matt Dermody of Essential Minerals Association, Jordan Evich of Monument Advocacy, Sean McGlynn of K&L Gates, Tom McGovern of General Electric, and Brandi Pensoneau of the National Business Aviation Association.

— Angela Wiles is now senior director on Pfizer’s federal government relations team. She previously was health policy director for former Senate HELP ranking member Richard Burr (R-N.C.).

— Ellen Davis is now executive vice president of business strategy and industry engagement at the U.S. Travel Association. She previously was executive vice president of industry engagement at the Consumer Brands Association.

— Alex Gorman is now a staff assistant for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.). Gorman previously was an external affairs associate at the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

— Adrienne Schweer joined Joby Aviation as government affairs lead. She was previously a partner at Forbes Tate Partners, where Joby is a client.

— Matthew Berry will be the next general counsel of the House of Representatives. He was previously chief of staff for former Republican FCC Chair Ajit Pai, and was most recently a partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.

— Brian Buchwald is now global head of product, technology and trust data at Edelman. He most recently was chief strategy and business development officer at Talkwalker.

— Samuel Garrett is now vice president at J&Z Strategies. He most recently was managing director of external affairs at Equality California.

— Holly Hopkins was promoted to vice president of upstream policy at the American Petroleum Institute, succeeding Cole Ramsey, who is returning to API’s Office of General Counsel.

— Matthew Hogenmiller is now creative director in Rep. Maxwell Frost’s (D-Fla.) office. Hogenmiller most recently ran digital and creative for March For Our Lives and has also freelanced as a brand designer.

— Chris Harris is joining Giffords as its first vice president of comms. He previously was a vice president at Weber Shandwick and its public affairs unit, Powell Tate and is a Kamala Harris, Chris Murphy and Mark Udall alum.

— Ada Furciniti is now executive director of the Protecting Americans Project. She most recently was regional finance director at the NRSC and is a Kelly Ayotte, NRCC finance and Congressional Leadership Fund alum.

— Philip Reeker and Michael Castle-Miller are joining Dentons Global Advisors-Albright Stonebridge Group. Reeker will be lead of the Europe and Eurasia practice and previously was senior adviser for Caucasus negotiations at the State Department. Castle-Miller will be lead of special economic zones.

— Michael Frazier is joining SKDK as an executive vice president He previously was executive vice president and chief business officer at FARE and is a Newsday, AP and Mike Bloomberg alum.

— Brock Boze is now a staff assistant and legislative correspondent for Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). He previously was vice president of recruitment for Michigan Political Consulting.

A message from Stop the Deficit Squawks:

New Joint Fundraisers

Dan Goldman Victory Fund (Rep. Dan Goldman, Democracy Action Now PAC)

New PACs

Action Nevada PAC (Super PAC)
Great Chain PAC (Leadership PAC: Patrick Ryan)
HIGH WATER PAC (Leadership PAC: Mike Flood)

New Lobbying Registrations

Broydrick & Associates: National Rural Lenders Roundtable Ltd.
Invariant LLC: Flexa Network Inc.
Natural Resource Results LLC: Los Vaqueros Reservoir Jpa
Natural Resource Results LLC: Western States Ranches LLC
The Majority Group, LLC: Superior Optical Lab, Inc.

New Lobbying Terminations

Freemyer & Associates P.C.: Specialty Equipment Market Association
Olsson, Frank, Weeda, Terman & Matz, Pc: Edesia

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