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. | | | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by the American Beverage Association | With Daniel Lippman and Theodoric Meyer PI didn’t forget to tally up last quarter’s top spenders on K Street, so without further ado:
- National Association Of Realtors: $25.2 million (versus $33.4 million in Q3 and $11.1 million in Q4 2019)
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce: $22.3 million (versus $20 million in Q3 and $16.9 million in Q4 2019)
- Business Roundtable: $5.4 million (versus $3.7 million in Q3 and $8.5 million in Q4 2019)
- NCTA - The Internet & Television Association: $5.2 million (versus $3.1 million in Q3 and $4.7 million in Q4 2019)
- PhRMA: $5.1 million (versus $6 million in Q3 and $6.5 million in Q4 2019)
- Amazon: $4.7 million (versus $4.4 million in Q3 and $4.2 million in Q4 2019)
- Facebook: $4.7 million (versus $4.9 million in Q3 and $4.4 million in Q4 2019)
- CTIA - The Wireless Association: $4.6 million (versus $2.4 million in Q3 and $4.4 million in Q4 2019)
- American Hospital Association: $4.5 million (versus $4.9 million in Q3 and $6.6 million in Q4 2019)
- Comcast: $3.9 million (versus $3 million in Q3 and $3.7 million in Q4 2019)
- American Medical Association: $3.9 million (versus $4.3 million in Q3 and $4 million in Q4 2019)
- American Chemistry Council: $3.8 million (versus $5.7 million in Q3 and $2.2 million in Q4 2019)
- Unilever: $3.4 million (versus $3.9 million in Q3 and $650,000 in Q4 2019)
- Boeing: $3.3 million (versus $3 million in Q3 and $3.4 million in Q4 2019)
- Biotechnology Innovation Organization: $3.2 million (versus $3.2 million in Q3 and $3.1 million in Q4 2019)
- Charter: $3.1 million (versus $2.4 million in Q3 and $2.8 million in Q4 2019)
- American Bankers Association: $2.9 million (versus $2.9 million in Q3 and $2.4 million in Q4 2019)
- Lockheed Martin: $2.9 million (versus $3 million in Q3 and $3.1 million in Q4 2019)
- General Dynamics: $2.8 million (versus $2.7 million in Q3 and $2.7 million in Q4 2019)
- Occidental Petroleum: $2.6 million (versus $880,000 in Q3 and $2.8 million in Q4 2019)
| 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 President Biden, Vice President Harris and Congress to address the problems facing our country and strengthen the quality of life for all Americans. AmericanBeverage.org | | Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send tips: coprysko@politico.com. And follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. FIRST IN PI — EMERGENT ADDS A LOBBYIST: The Democratic lobbying firm Emergent Strategies has hired Leigh Parker Pross as a lobbyist. She was previously the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s mid-Atlantic finance director. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), the DSCC’s chair during the 2020 cycle, credited her in a statement with “helping to bring in the massive resources needed to flip the Senate.” TRADE GROUPS OFFER VACCINE HELP: Whether it’s empty physical space for administering vaccines, a PR campaign to convince Americans to get inoculated or logistics advice, Washington trade groups upped their outreach this week in an effort to return the country — and their members, who are either on the front lines of the virus or completely sidelined by it — back to normalcy. — The Consumer Brands Association (formerly known as the Grocery Manufacturers Association), which represents the consumer packaged goods industry, is the latest to weigh in. Geoff Freeman, the group’s president and CEO, offered somewhat backhanded advice in a memo to the White House coronavirus task force Wednesday that argued the “industry feels firsthand the impact of an inconsistent vaccination program” and offered several “concrete solutions” for smoother vaccine distribution. — Earlier Wednesday, the National Association of Manufacturers launched a new campaign aimed at countering skepticism about the shots. The trade group — whose president, Jay Timmons , lost his father to coronavirus last month — rolled out its “This is Our Shot” campaign with a PSA encouraging Americans to get vaccinated. The group said it will continue to push science-based messaging research and a rapid response Medina and digital campaign as well as hold webinars for the industry. — A day earlier, a coalition of live events leaders wrote to President Joe Biden offering their empty venues and crowd control experts, touting their “vast resources that, if fully utilized, could provide invaluable mechanisms in our country’s vaccine distribution.” The letter, signed by AEG, Bandit Lites, Live Nation, The Broadway League, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the International Association of Venue Managers, the National Association of Music Merchants, the National Independent Talent Organization, the National Independent Venue Association, Oak View Group, Save Live Events Now and We Make Events, argues that “in fact because we are shuttered, we are able to offer the full weight of our industry to support vaccine distribution beginning immediately.” | | | | ZUCKERBERG WANTS TO ‘TURN DOWN THE TEMPERATURE’: “Facebook will no longer recommend political and civic groups to its users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday — shuttering a practice that many lawmakers and critics said contributed to polarization online,” our Cristiano Lima reports. The social media platform took similar steps prior to last year’s election, but came under fire for resuming such recommendations afterward, especially in the wake of the deadly assault on the Capitol this month. Zuckerberg called the decision “a continuation of work we’ve been doing for a while to turn down the temperature and discourage divisive conversations” in an earnings call Wednesday with investors during which he also said the platform would begin to limit political content in users’ news feeds. | | THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO OFFICIAL WASHINGTON: The new Playbook team got off to fast start last week with a series of big scoops. The reporting foursome of Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza and Tara Palmeri will roam every corner of Washington, bringing you the big stories you need to know–and the insider nuggets that you want to know–about the new power centers and power players in Washington. “This town” has changed. And no one covers this town like Playbook. Subscribe today. | | | OUTSIDE OF FACEBOOK: “The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropy of Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, is planning to overhaul its political program and spin out much of its advocacy work to outside organizations,” Recode’s Teddy Schleifer reports. “It’s a strategic shift for CZI and the largest structural change to the organization since the couple created it five years ago.” The pair are planning to “launch a new group focused on criminal justice reform that they will back with $350 million from their fortune. CZI will also be effectively merging their in-house immigration work with an outside group also backed by Zuckerberg, Fwd.us, which pushes for comprehensive reform.” THE BIDENS: “President Joe Biden’s brother Frank promoted his relationship to the commander-in-chief in an Inauguration Day advertisement for the law firm he advises,” CNBC’s Brian Schwartz reports. Frank Biden, who is a non-attorney senior adviser for the Florida-based Berman Law Group, appeared in the ad in a print version of the Daily Business Review focused on “a lawsuit the firm is leading against a group of Florida sugar cane companies. It features a photo of Frank Biden” and highlights the Biden brothers’ long-held “commitment to pushing environmental issues to the forefront” and touts the president’s ability to bring two sides together. — Frank Biden denied that he was using his brother’s name to earn business in a statement to Schwartz, while the White House told CNBC that the administration’s policy prohibited the use of the president’s name “in connection with any commercial activities to suggest, or in any way that could reasonably [be] understood to imply, his endorsement or support.” | | — Chad Mizelle is joining Jones Day as of counsel in its Miami and D.C. offices, where he will focus on international and national security matters, such as cybersecurity, trade, China and cross-border transactions. He most recently was acting general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security and is also a Trump White House alum. — Arnall Golden Gregory LLP has named Kevin Bell and Tucker Barr as co-chairs of its intellectual property practice. Bell also chairs the law firm’s dietary supplement and cannabis industry practices. — Paul Andrews, the outgoing secretary general of the International Organization of Securities Commissions, is joining the CFA Institute in Washington as managing director of research, advocacy and standards on March 1, Morning Money reports. — Francisco Bencosme is now senior adviser in the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau at the State Department, Playbook reports. He most recently was senior policy adviser at Open Society Foundations. | | GET THE SCOOP ON CONGRESS IN 2021 : Get the inside scoop on the Schumer/McConnell dynamic, the new Senate Bipartisan Group, and what is really happening inside the House Democratic Caucus and Republican Conference. From Schumer to Pelosi, McConnell to McCarthy and everyone in between, our new Huddle author Olivia Beavers brings the latest from Capitol Hill with assists from POLITICO's deeply sourced Congress team. Subscribe to Huddle, the indispensable guide to Congress. | | | | | Murray Victory Fund 2022 [Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Washington State Democratic Central Committee] | | American Voter Protection Project (Super PAC) CANI-PAC (Hybrid PAC) Good Trouble (Hybrid PAC) Great American Patriot Project, Inc. (Hybrid PAC) NH Leadership PAC (PAC) Ranger PAC (PAC) Women Invest Now WIN-NC (Hybrid PAC) | New Lobbying Registrations | | Commonwealth Strategic Partners, LLC: Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania Commonwealth Strategic Partners, LLC: Churchill Mortgage Commonwealth Strategic Partners, LLC: Greystar D-Wave Government Inc.: D-Wave Government Inc. HJ Tobin Policy Consulting: American Civil Liberties Union HJ Tobin Policy Consulting: Interact Johnston Group, LLC: City Of Carnation Kanner & Associates, LLC: Enervision Kilpatrick Townsend Stockton LLP: Pyxus International Tremont Strategies Group LLC (F/K/A Ads Ventures): Defibtech LLC Van Scoyoc Associates: I2Pure | A message from the American Beverage Association: America's beverage companies have a long history of working to strengthen the communities where we work and live. As American companies making American products in America’s hometowns, we’ll always be there for our neighbors in times of need. This past year, that’s included delivering water and PPE, manufacturing hand-sanitizer, and working with the food and retail industries to keep America’s shelves stocked. The core strength of our industry has always been our spirit of innovation and our new look reflects our inherent drive toward that innovation. We continue to put competition aside and work together on real solutions with lasting impact. Whether that’s reducing plastic waste in the environment or delivering more beverage choices to help families reduce sugar in their diet, we’re committed to addressing issues of importance to the communities, families and customers we serve. Learn more at AmericanBeverage.org | | | New Lobbying Terminations | | Artemis Strategies: Alkermes Pharmaceuticals Corporation Artemis Strategies: Mitsui Corporation Commonwealth Consulting Partners: Rosedale Technical College Envision Strategy: Cigna Forest Hill Consulting: The Assistance Fund Hutton Strategies: Dt Allen Contracting Company Mark Barnes & Associates: Northrup Grumman Innovation Systems Park Strategies, LLC: Ds 30 Morningside Drive LLC C/O Delshah Capital The Merchant Strategy, Inc.: The City Of Atlantis Tremont Strategies Group LLC (F/K/A Ads Ventures): Galls, LLC | | Follow us | | | | |