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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 Theodoric Meyer | Presented by the National Coalition For Accessible Voting | With Caitlin Oprysko WHAT BIDEN’S SPEECH MEANS FOR K STREET: No one would confuse the speech that President Joe Biden delivered to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night with one of President Donald Trump ’s State of the Unions. But there was at least one through line connecting them: Both presidents went after the pharmaceutical industry. Biden wasn’t as aggressive as Trump — who boasted last year in his State of the Union that his administration was “taking on the big pharmaceutical companies” — but he alluded to his predecessor in his speech, though not by name. “Let’s lower prescription drug costs,” Biden said. “We know how to do this. The last president had that as an objective.” — There’s reason to be skeptical about how much of a priority Biden is making the issue — STAT’s Rachel Cohrs called Biden’s pitch “an empty call to action.” Still, his remarks drew a response from Stephen Ubl, the president and chief executive of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, who said that the trade group was committed to “making medicines more affordable” but that “giving the government the power to arbitrarily determine the price of medicines is not the right approach.” — Unlike Trump, who praised companies such as Apple, Ford, General Motors , Lockheed Martin, Mazda, Intel, SoftBank, Sprint and Walmart in some of this State of the Unions, Biden mentioned no companies by name. But he did mention a union: the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. “The American Jobs Plan will put engineers and construction workers to work building more energy efficient buildings and homes,” he said. “Electrical workers, I.B.E.W. members, installing 500,000 charging stations along our highways so we can own the electric car market.” — Biden also talked up the renewable energy industry — delighting its trade group. “There is simply no reason why the blades for wind turbines can’t be built in Pittsburgh instead of Beijing,” he said. “No reason. None. No reason. So folks, there’s no reason why Americans — American workers can’t lead the world in the production of electric vehicles and batteries.” —“Climate and clean energy have never before featured so prominently in a presidential address to Congress,” Heather Zichal, a former Biden campaign adviser who now leads the American Clean Power Association, said in a statement. “This is an historic moment that until now was inconceivable.” — “We have a number of clients in the clean energy space that were pleased by President Biden’s focus on the future,” Larry Duncan, a lobbyist at Monument Advocacy, added in an email to PI. “They’re eager to work with the Administration and Congress to spur new investment and job growth.” Good afternoon and welcome to PI. I’m filling in for Caitlin today and Friday while she’s off. It’s good to be back! Here’s Frank O’Hara to mark the occasion . Send me your tips, or just say hello: tmeyer@politico.com. You can also follow us both on Twitter: @theodoricmeyer and @caitlinoprysko. | | 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. | | | THE LATEST ANTI-CORPORATE PAC CRUSADER IS … TED CRUZ: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) swore off contributions in an op-ed in today’s edition The Wall Street Journal in which he decried “woke CEOs” who’ve criticized Georgia’s new voting law. In the past, he argued, Republicans have advocated for corporate America’s priorities even when corporate America hasn’t loved them back. — “Not this time,” Cruz wrote. “This time, we won’t look the other way on Coca-Cola’s $12 billion in back taxes owed. This time, when Major League Baseball lobbies to preserve its multibillion-dollar antitrust exception, we’ll say no thank you. This time, when Boeing asks for billions in corporate welfare, we’ll simply let the Export-Import Bank expire.” — “In my nine years in the Senate, I’ve received $2.6 million in contributions from corporate political-action committees,” he went on. “Starting today, I no longer accept money from any corporate PAC. I urge my GOP colleagues at all levels to do the same.” Dozens of other lawmakers have made the same promise in recent years, of course, but the overwhelming majority of them have been Democrats. — Still, it shouldn’t be too tough for Cruz to swear off corporate PAC money. Cruz, who isn’t up for reelection until 2024, raised more than $3.2 million in the first quarter, according to his campaign finance filing. But only one PAC wrote him a check: the Lyondell Chemical Company PAC, which chipped in $1,500. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). is the only other Republican lawmaker who doesn’t take corporate PAC money, according to End Citizens United, a PAC that urges lawmakers to reject corporate PAC money. But End Citizens United, which supports Democrats, didn’t commend Cruz for his vow. — "Most members of Congress refuse corporate PAC money because they believe corporations have too much access and influence in Washington, and they want to demonstrate to their constituents that they are putting people first,” Bawadden Sayed, an End Citizens United spokesperson, said in statement to PI. “Ted Cruz is different. He’s using it as a tool of cancel culture, and his threat to use taxpayer dollars to punish anyone or anything that disagrees with his pro-voter suppression position is downright corrupt.” FIRST IN PI — MERCURY HOMES IN ON WASHINGTON: Mercury Public Affairs is expanding its federal team, adding a senior Hill staffer to its Washington office and reorienting three current staffers toward Washington. The firm has hired Jamiyl Peters, who was previously a senior legislative assistant to Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.) and will be a senior vice president at Mercury. — Former California state Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez , a partner in Mercury’s California office; Michael Soliman, a partner in Mercury’s New Jersey office and former aide to Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.); and former Rep. Joe Garcia (D-Fla.), who’s based in Mercury’s Florida office, will also turn their focus to Washington. “If you have three people like that who in my view are superstar political minds,” former Rep. Toby Moffett (D-Conn.), who joined the firm as co-chair last fall, said in an interview, “it’d be crazy not to utilize them more as part of the Washington team.” — Moffett added that a “massive wave” of clients interested in lobbying on infrastructure and health issues, as well as international clients looking for help in Washington, was fueling the firm’s growth. | | | | 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. | | | | | FLYING IN: Members of the Wine Origins Alliance are holding a virtual fly-in this week to advocate for scrapping tariffs that hurt the industry. They’re set to meet with Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), as well as staffers for Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Reps.Jodey Arrington (R-Texas), John Katko (R-N.Y.) and Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). They’ll also meet with the U.S. Mission to the European Union, as well as European Commission officials (one of the benefits of a virtual fly-in). — And Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met on Wednesday with Mary Dillon, the chief executive of Ulta Beauty and the chair of the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s board, and dozens of other retail executives. “They discussed taxes — particularly the high rate paid by most retailers versus some industries that pay well below the statutory rate,” according to a RILA spokesperson. They also talked infrastructure, trade and supply chain issues, according to a Treasury Department readout. MORE MISSIVES: TechNet, the National Venture Capital Association, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the Information Technology Industry Council and dozens of other groups sent a letter to Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the committee’s ranking member, this morning urging them to back the China bill introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.). — “We encourage Congress to make passage of this bill a top priority as we move into a period of economic recovery and job growth post-COVID,” they write in the letter. — And PEN America, the Center for American Progress, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and other groups sent a letter to Biden urging him to set up a “Disinformation Defense and Free Expression Task Force,” which Domestic Policy Council Director Susan Rice could chair. — “Disinformation is a complex challenge that demands interdisciplinary solutions,” they write. “An effective approach will entail mobilizing expertise from across the federal government, including from agencies that have not traditionally led in combatting disinformation, foreign influence, or related matters.” | | | — Global Strategy Group has hired Katie Drapcho as director of research. She was previously Priorities USA’s director of polling research and is also an alum of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic National Committee. — DataRobot has hired Christian Heller as artificial intelligence success manager. He was previously the National Security Council’s director of strategic communications. | | | | A message from the National Coalition For Accessible Voting:   | | | | | | None | | | Blue Congress (Super PAC)
Energy Coast PAC (Super PAC)
KCI Holdings Inc. Political Action Committee AKA KCI PAC (PAC)
Liberty Guard (Hybrid PAC)
Missouri First Action, Inc. (Super PAC)
Pennsylvania Action PAC (Super PAC)
Vote Secure USA (PAC) | | | | 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. | | | | | | | New Lobbying Registrations | | Storm King Strategies, LLC: Acusensus | | New Lobbying Terminations | | Ballard Partners: Orsted Wind Power North America LLC (formerly known as North East Offshore LLC)
Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C.: Bakery and Confectionery Union & Industry International Pension Fund
C6 Strategies, LLC (FKA Ms. Dana W. Hudson): Coalition of Residential Excellence | | 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 | | | | |  |
