TIKTOK’S YASS MEN: “TikTok had hardly any friends in government earlier this year as the Biden administration, Congress and state legislatures were threatening to ban the Chinese-owned video giant.” But as The Wall Street Journal’s John McKinnon and Stu Woo report, that’s changed: “TikTok now has many more friends, with something in common: backing from billionaire financier Jeff Yass. They’ve helped stall attempts to outlaw America’s most-downloaded app.” — “Yass’ investment company, Susquehanna International Group, bet big on TikTok in 2012, buying a stake in parent company ByteDance now measured at about 15 percent. That translates into a personal stake for Yass of 7 percent in ByteDance. It is worth roughly $21 billion based on the company’s recent valuation, or much of his $28 billion net worth as gauged by Bloomberg.” — “Yass is also one of the top donors to the Club for Growth, an influential conservative group that rallied Republican opposition to a TikTok ban. Yass has donated $61 million to the Club for Growth’s political-spending arm since 2010, or about 24 percent of its total, according to federal records.” — “Club for Growth made public its opposition to banning TikTok in March, in an opinion article by its president, at a time when sentiment against the platform among segments of both parties was running high on Capitol Hill. Days later, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) stood up on the Senate floor and quashed an attempt to fast-track a bill by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) to ban downloading of the TikTok app.” — “Other Republicans in Congress, including at least five others besides Paul and [Kentucky Rep. Thomas] Massie who received financial support from Club for Growth, have also objected to legislation targeting TikTok,” many on free speech grounds. Still, “with many Democrats already skeptical of a ban, the whittling away of Republican support killed momentum for several bills, including the bipartisan Restrict Act backed by the Biden administration.” FLYING IN: Advocacy groups continued to blanket the Hill today amid jockeying for a deal to keep the government funded past the end of the month — and to approve a slew of soon-expiring federal programs. The Association of Equipment Manufacturers is flying in dozens of manufacturing CEOs from across the country to pressure lawmakers on the farm bill and FAA bill, both of which are set to lapse on Sept. 30. — Executives will meet with more than 90 lawmakers or offices, including those of Sens. Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Reps. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and Robert Garcia (D-Calif.). They’ll also urge lawmakers to strike a deal on immigration reform to alleviate worker shortages. — Victims of the U.S. Embassy bombings in Beirut are at the Capitol today as well, where they’re commemorating the 40th anniversary of the attack and joining with other victims of state-sponsored terrorist attacks to rally for sufficient funding for the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. — The United Aerial Firefighters Association is holding its first fly-in this week. The group will meet with members and staff on the House and Senate Appropriations committees, House Natural Resources Committee and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to underscore the importance of their industry. — United Specialists for Patient Access is holding a virtual fly-in today, with more than 100 meetings scheduled to promote legislation that would mitigate cuts to office-based specialists. ICYMI — NEW HEMP GROUP SPRINGS UP: “A new advocacy group will push Congress to enact legislation requiring hemp-derived CBD products to be treated like dietary supplements,” POLITICO’s Paul Demko reports. — The group, ONE HEMP, came together following FDA’s “announcement in January that it won't regulate CBD products like dietary supplements, citing public safety concerns. Instead, the agency said it would work with Congress to create a new regulatory path for hemp-derived products.” — “Members of the fledgling hemp coalition include Charlotte’s Web, the Hemp Beverage Alliance, Open Book Extracts and Wyld. ‘We firmly believe that the time has come for Congress to stand with us in advocating for responsible legislation that prioritizes the safety of the countless individuals who rely on CBD products every day,’ the founding members of the organization said in a joint statement. ‘ONE HEMP will strive to strike the right balance between FDA concerns and industry stability.’” — “Hemp was legalized under the 2018 farm bill and touted as a boon for struggling farmers, particularly in states where tobacco was once a major crop. But continued legal uncertainty has stifled the growth of the market,” chiefly due to FDA’s stance “that beverages and edibles containing CBD remain illegal under federal law.” — Now, “hemp advocates and state cannabis regulators are pushing for policy changes in the 2023 farm bill, but congressional timing for consideration of that must-pass bill remains murky.” WEED OUT: “Ron DeSantis is no fan of weed. The Florida governor recently called recreational pot a ‘real problem,’ lamented marijuana’s ‘stench’ and grimly warned that ‘drugs are killing this country.’ There’s just one hitch: The person effectively running DeSantis’ presidential campaign is orchestrating a pro-pot push in Florida,” our Alex Isenstadt reports. — “Axiom Strategies and Vanguard Field Strategies, firms helmed by prominent Republican strategist Jeff Roe, have been paid nearly $29 million by an organization pushing a 2024 ballot initiative that would legalize recreational marijuana.” — “A DeSantis-aligned attorney general is fighting their work, and the governor himself has said he broadly opposes legalization. But as Axiom and Vanguard try to circumvent DeSantis’ opposition to weed in Florida, they’re also trying to get him elected president — in part on an anti-weed platform.” — “That the firms have taken on conflicting clients illustrates the peril that comes with how DeSantis has designed his political apparatus, something that has increasingly become a topic of discussion within the governor’s orbit. Because the campaign and super PAC are legally prohibited from coordinating, DeSantis has had to bet his political future on an outfit whose approach and interests don’t always align with his own.”
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