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Presented by the National Coalition For Accessible Voting: 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 National Coalition For Accessible Voting | With Daniel Lippman NOW WANTED ON K STREET — A RECONCILIATION WHIZ: “The increasing likelihood that Democrats will move an infrastructure bill using reconciliation — which lets the Senate pass legislation with only 50 votes as long it complies with a byzantine set of rules — has made” Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough “one of the most powerful people in Washington,” POLITICO’s Theo Meyer reports. “It’s also changed the influence industry, fueling a sudden demand for lobbyists who specialize in reconciliation.” — “Lobbyists with reconciliation expertise ‘are at a premium,’ said Jim Manley, a former aide to former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid who’s now a consultant. ‘I know a whole bunch who specialize in it and are busy, and I know a whole bunch who are also getting pinged for advice.’ ‘I have had many people ask me for my advice’ on reconciliation, he added. ‘Unfortunately, none of them are clients so far. I've got to work a little harder.’" — Jeff Forbes, a former Democratic Senate staffer who co-founded the lobbying firm Forbes Tate Partners, told Theo the issue is “sucking up all the oxygen in D.C.” right now. — “The demand for reconciliation expertise on K Street is another indication of how the legislative process has broken down in Washington,” where Democrats still only maintain the slimmest of margins in both chambers of Congress, meaning swaying only a handful of votes could make or break a package. | | A message from the National Coalition For Accessible Voting: The For The People Act (S.1) presents an historic opportunity to establish a new set of national standards to increase voting access. However, the bill's current language also eliminates accessible options needed for millions of Americans with disabilities. Congress has affirmed for decades that voters with disabilities must have equal access to cast their ballot. Learn how the Senate can protect accessible voting options in S.1 here. | | | Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Are you a reconciliation expert? Or are you scrambling to find one? Hit me up, my inbox is open: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: After more than a year of lobbying for a dedicated aid program, the Small Business Administration will start accepting applications for the $29 billion program this Monday at noon, the agency announced. The industry-exclusive grants, to be doled out as part of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, were the chief ask of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, formed last spring as coronavirus-related shutdowns swept the nation. — The program was finally included in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion relief package signed last month despite bipartisan support for such a fund. The program will also pose a new challenge for the SBA, which has struggled already with implementing the Paycheck Protection Program started last year as well as a targeted grant program for the live entertainment industry that has also been battered by the pandemic. Despite a relief bill in December including money for venue operators after a lobbying blitz, SBA’s portal for accepting applications crashed earlier this month and only reopened on Monday. — SBA has said it would conduct a weeklong pilot of the restaurant grant application portal to test for technical glitches. For the first 21 days the program is open, the agency will prioritize applicants “from businesses owned and controlled by women, veterans, and socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” following reports of disparities in the disbursement of PPP loans. | | | | JOIN AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION, SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST": Power is shifting in Washington and across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that all politics is personal and not all policy is equitable. “The Recast” is a twice-weekly newsletter that explores the changing power dynamics in Washington and breaks down how race and identity are recasting politics and policy across America. Get fresh insights, scoops and dispatches on this crucial intersection from across the country and hear critical new voices that challenge business as usual. Don't miss out, SUBSCRIBE . Thank you to our sponsor, Intel. | | | | | FIRST IN PI — E STREET PARTNERS GROWS BY 1: Sarah Moe, a former lobbyist for Hallmark, is joining E Street Partners, a bipartisan consortium of public affairs. Moe left Hallmark earlier this year after more than a decade and has started her own firm, Sapphire Strategies, where her clients thus far include both PACs, advocacy groups and a Missouri infrastructure company. “It's fantastic to be able to draw upon so much expertise within a group and still maintain that kind of independence that entrepreneurs love,” she said in an interview. BIDEN FINDS AN UNLIKELY CLIMATE ALLY IN C-SUITES: “Executives who stepped into the vacuum left by Trump say they need Washington to standardize corporate risk disclosure, modernize the electrical grid, price carbon, and put money into technology if the U.S. is to meet its goal on greenhouse gas emissions,” POLITICO’s Lorraine Woellert reports. — “The shift by business, a group long tied to Republicans, has raised hope among environmentalists that corporate lobbyists will be able to do what they couldn’t — persuade lawmakers, particularly conservatives, to limit the release of greenhouse gases. … It’s a fight for survival, and profits. Some corporations are long on virtue-signaling and short on action, but many others, including HP, Microsoft Corp., General Motors Co., Danone S.A. and Gap Inc. , are spending millions of dollars to push the boundaries of renewable energy, protect water resources, and deploy new technology as they rush to deal with climate change and gain a competitive edge.” QATARI AMBASSADOR SPEAKS OUT ABOUT LOBBYIST HIRING SPREE: “Qatar is ramping up its lobbying efforts in the U.S. , eager to cultivate a closer relationship with the Biden administration and Congress in order to avoid a repeat of 2017, when it was caught off-guard by a Saudi-led boycott in the Persian Gulf,” Bloomberg’s Ilya Banares, Simone Foxman, and Nick Wadhams report. — As PI has documented, the country this year “has hired seven prominent firms to do lobbying and consulting work in Washington at a combined rate of $186,000 per month,” inking deals with at least five with Democratic ties, and ties to the House and Senate foreign relations committees. “Qatar’s rising lobbying clout also coincides with a decline in Washington’s support for neighboring Saudi Arabia.” — “The year ‘2017 marked a pivotal change for Qatar,’ said Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani , the nation’s Ambassador to the U.S., in an interview with Bloomberg. ‘Qatar was subjected to an aggressive, vicious campaign and in response we defended ourselves.’” He told the outlet Qatar’s government had hired lobbyists in part to “correct factual errors and address the damage [Gulf rivals’ alleged] disinformation campaign did to our reputation.” ANOTHER ONLINE MARKETPLACE COALITION SPRINGS UP: A new coalition has formed to push back on legislation backed by major retailers aimed at cutting down on fraud and counterfeits in the online marketplace. The Makers and Merchants Coalition receives funding from the Internet Association, a major tech lobbying group whose members include Amazon, eBay, Google and Facebook. — The new group is targeting the INFORM Consumers Act and similar state bills that would require online platforms that allow third-party sellers to authenticate the identity of high-volume third-party sellers and force platforms to make available contact information for such sellers, policies with the support of a broad coalition of retailers, trade groups, manufacturers and more, but which opponents have argued could be too burdensome or compromise the privacy of sellers in online marketplaces. — A group of smaller online sellers like eBay, Etsy, Mercari, OfferUp and Poshmark formed a similar coalition last month aimed at making sure their business models don’t get swept up in any crackdown on companies like Amazon . A spokesperson for Makers and Merchants said the coalition believes “a diversity of voices is crucial to fighting anti-virtual marketplace legislation and special interests” and will work with the other group, called the Coalition to Protect America’s Small Sellers. LEWANDOWSKI’S TURNBERRY SHUTS DOWN: “Turnberry Solutions , a lobbying firm notable for aggressively advertising ties to former President Donald Trump, is no more,” Mother Jones’ Dan Friedman writes. “The firm, named for a Trump-owned golf resort in Scotland, becomes the latest shop linked to the former president to trim its sails or close its doors in the wake of Democrats’ takeover of the White House and Congress.” — “Corey Lewandowski, who was closely associated with the firm and served as a strategic adviser, is departing, and the remaining organization will work under a new name, Jason Osborne, a 2016 Trump campaign veteran who co-founded the company in 2017, told Mother Jones Monday.” BALLARD ADDS NSC CHIEF: Alex Gray, the former chief of staff of Trump’s National Security Council, is joining Ballard Partners as a strategic counselor. Gray will not register to lobby with Ballard, but will help the firm expand its defense, national security and foreign affairs chops as Ballard retools following the Democratic takeover of Washington. | | | | CHECK OUT FDA TODAY: Daily regulatory developments, sent directly to your inbox. AgencyIQ's daily newsletter, FDA Today, provides readers with actionable and insightful explanations of the latest FDA developments impacting the life sciences industry. Sign up for free today. | | | | | | | | — SMI has named Bill McCann its new president, CEO and board chair succeeding Glen Mandigo, who will become senior vice president and remain on the board. Ken Wetzel has been named chief operating officer and director. — The American Public Gas Association has hired Emily Wong as director of legislative affairs, working on issues related to natural gas vehicles. She was most recently a senior adviser at DOT and is a Energy Department and Hill committee alum. — Bully Pulpit Interactive has hired Steve Pierce as a senior director and Marina Orcutt as a director. Pierce was most recently director of battleground communications for Priorities USA, and Orcutt was most recently digital director at the DSCC. — D&P Creative Strategies has promoted Jose Mercado and Dane Pedersen to director and manager of policy, communications and strategic partnerships, respectively. — Juan Rangel will be an in-house lobbyist for the National Education Association . He was previously a senior associate at D&P Creative Strategies. — Rick Haggart will be chief technology officer at iTradeNetwork, a supply chain management company for the food and beverage industry. He was most recently senior vice president of professional services at Virtana. — Brinton Lucas is rejoining Jones Day as of counsel in the firm’s issues and appeals practice. He was most recently assistant to the solicitor general at DOJ. — Mayra Macías will be chief strategy officer at Building Back Together , the pro-Biden outside nonprofit group, Playbook reports. She most recently has been executive director of Latino Victory Fund. — Leslie McGorman has joined the American Academy of HIV Medicine as its director of public policy, per Morning Pulse. McGorman lobbied for years with NARAL Pro-Choice America. | | | | A message from the National Coalition For Accessible Voting:   | | | | | | None. | | | Agenda For Progress Super PAC (Super PAC)
CA-43 REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FUND 2022 (PAC)
Divest in Hate (Super PAC)
ProCannaPAC (PAC) | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Arent Fox LLP: The Rlj Companies, LLC
Boundary Stone Partners: Strata Clean Energy
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Pc: Citizens Climate Lobby
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Pc: Galephar Pharmaceutical Research Inc.
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Pc: Mcr Health
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, Pc: Ohemo Life Sciences Inc.
Christine Hesse Associates: Liberty Mutual Insurance
First Principles Strategies, LLC: Healthy Trucking Of America
Key Advocates, Inc.: Wavefront Technology Solutions USa Inc.
Matthew Mcgovern: Ample, Inc.
Meredith Faucette: Center For Lyme Action
Nwg Advocacy LLC: Hecho De Puerto Rico
Phoenix Global Organization Incorporated: Dickinson Financial Corporation
Phoenix Global Organization Incorporated: International Finance Corporation
Tremont Strategies Group LLC (F/K/A Ads Ventures): Busy Bees US Holdings Limited
Van Scoyoc Associates: Human Resources Strategies, Inc. | | New Lobbying Terminations | | Bose Public Affairs Group: Continental Resources, Inc.
Federal Hall Policy Advisors, LLC: New Senior Investment Group
First Principles Strategies, LLC: Fidelis Gov'T Relations On Behalf Of Coalition To Stop Genocide In Burma
First Principles Strategies, LLC: Molnlycke Health Care, U.S., LLC
First Principles Strategies, LLC: The Health Innovation Alliance
Fulcrum Public Affairs LLC: Immigration Hub
Jst Strategies LLC (Jochum Shore & Trossevin Pc): New Venture Fund
Key Advocates, Inc.: Association Of American Railroads
Key Advocates, Inc.: Koochiching County, Mn
Key Advocates, Inc.: U.S. Continental Orchid Growers Association
Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (Dba Pngc Power): Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative (Dba Pngc Power)
The Edw Group: Tougaloo College Research And Development Foundation | | A message from the National Coalition For Accessible Voting: We call on the Senate to amend S.1 to protect voting options already available in 31 states and ensure that disabled voters are not left behind. The paper ballot mandate must include an exemption for voters with disabilities and other absentee voters covered under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizen Absentee Voting Act. Paper is not and cannot be accessible for all voters, especially blind and print disabled voters. The Senate should also expand the number of required accessible machines per polling place to provide a sufficient number of options and avoid segregating voters with disabilities. Lastly, we urge the Senate to direct the EAC to develop standards for remote, accessible ballot marking systems and increase funding for the research, development, and piloting of new, fully accessible voting systems. These changes will ensure that all voters, including those with disabilities, have equal access to the ballot box. Learn more here. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
