KNOWING MRS. SPEAKER: House Speaker Mike Johnson has gotten a lot of attention for his very socially conservative views, and unsurprisingly, his wife Kelly L. Johnson shares similar views, to the point where she has done work for the Louisiana Right to Life Educational Committee, according to Johnson’s most recent financial disclosure, Daniel reports. — The organization, an affiliate of the National Right to Life Committee, was started in 1970 and uses “education, legislation, activism, and service” to make Louisiana a pro-life state, according to its website. The type of income is listed as “Souse [sic] salary” with no amount listed. — Kelly Johnson also is the president of Onward Christian Counseling Services, which provides counseling to individuals, couples and families for northwest Louisiana, according to the organization’s website, which went offline at some point today. — “Kelly Johnson is a trusted and valued advisor to Louisiana Right to Life and has supported our efforts to protect mothers and babies throughout Louisiana for many years,” Sarah Zagorski, a spokesperson for the group, told PI. “We are proud to have Kelly’s support, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with her in the future.” CHAIN DRUG STORES LAUNCH PBM AD BLITZ: The National Association of Chain Drug Stores rolled out a nationwide ad campaign on Wednesday urging Congress to include Medicare and Medicaid recipients in legislation cracking down on pharmacy benefit managers, the latest barrage of attacks on the pharmaceutical middlemen. — The six-figure campaign will include spots on broadcast and cable TV as well as digital ads on online news sites and around the web. In one 30-second ad that will air nationally, a narrator repeats the usual accusations against PBMs while calling for any PBM reforms to extend to Medicare and Medicaid recipients. “Because let’s be clear, if all patients don’t benefit, it’s not real reform,” the narrator says. ICYMI WEDNESDAY: “The key force behind Kevin McCarthy’s fundraising operation is moving to support new House Speaker Mike Johnson, an early sign of some unity among the GOP and a boost to the Republican who has a meager fundraising track record,” Hailey Fuchs, Jessica Piper and I report. — “Jeff Miller — a top fundraiser, adviser and a longtime pal of McCarthy — said he will begin fundraising for Johnson’s (R-La.) camp. As the new speaker takes the helm of the House GOP, he also assumes responsibility for the party’s House fundraising operation, the resources behind maintaining the slim GOP majority in a heavily fought presidential election season. And Johnson, far from a prolific fundraiser who has only raised about $600,000 between his campaign and leadership PAC since the start of 2023, will need help raising money.” — “Compared to those with committee gavels or longstanding positions in House leadership, Johnson has been a relatively lackluster fundraiser for most of his career,” ranking “276th among all House incumbents who sought reelection in terms of total fundraising, according to FEC data, and in the bottom half among Republican members as well. He also has lacked the same small-dollar operations from which a number of his peers benefit.” — “Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), the former NRCC chair, acknowledged that Johnson might not immediately have McCarthy’s fundraising prowess and suggested other Republicans would have to ‘do their part’ to make up the difference. ‘So you’ve got a new captain, he does lots of things well, this one he’s going to have to learn a little bit. Everyone else will have to step up,” Cole said.” UNIONS, BANKS TO HUDDLE WITH SCHUMER ON AI: “Top leaders from some of the most powerful labor unions, financial institutions and think tanks in the U.S. will convene on Capitol Hill next week to discuss the nexus of artificial intelligence and the workforce, with an eye toward how the federal government can ensure AI benefits for those across the economic spectrum,” per FedScoop’s Nihal Krishan. — “Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s third bipartisan, closed-door AI insight forum, to be held Nov. 1, will lay down a new foundation for AI policy in the workplace and discuss potential avenues for regulating the technology by gathering both those bullish on AI as well as skeptics and critics of the technology.” — “The list of attendees invited to the third AI forum includes: JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, Visa CEO Al Kelly, National Nurses Union Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, UNITE HERE President D. Taylor, SAG-AFTRA Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, IBEW President Kenneth Cooper, CWA President Claude Cummings, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, Microsoft’s Senior Director of Education Policy Allyson Knox, and Center for American Progress President Patrick Gaspard.” ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: “Some major Republican donors who have spent much of 2023 looking for a Donald Trump alternative are increasingly open to one 2024 candidate,” report NBC’s Matt Dixon, Katherine Doyle and Jonathan Allen and CNBC’s Brian Schwartz: Donald Trump. — “‘There is no doubt in my mind that Donald Trump will be the nominee of our party,’ said Ed Broyhill, a longtime GOP donor who was Trump’s North Carolina finance chairman in 2020. ‘The grassroots are a solid foundation for Donald Trump.’ Earlier this year, Broyhill was considering supporting other candidates, like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis or former Vice President Mike Pence. But he is now firmly a Trump supporter.” — “Broyhill is part of a notable slice of donors who helped fund Trump’s first two presidential campaigns but were, for various reasons, at least considering alternatives in the 2024 primaries. However, members of the group have started to once again write checks for Trump in recent months.” — “Among the biggest names on the list: Oklahoma oil and natural gas magnate Harold Hamm, who before having a falling out with Trump was once considered one of his top advisers on energy policy. Hamm previously contributed to former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, and he co-hosted an Oklahoma City fundraiser for DeSantis this year.” — “South Carolina hedge fund manager Scott Bessent, a past Trump supporter, gave to DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina this year before he cut Trump a check last month, Federal Election Commission records show. And Susan and Howard Groff, who were among Trump’s biggest California donors in 2020, gave to DeSantis, Pence and Scott this year before they wrote a check to Trump in late August.” FLYING IN: Advocates for patients with diabetes flooded the Hill both in-person and virtually this week as part of a fly-in that included meetings with nearly 150 offices on both sides of the aisle. — Members of the Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition pressed lawmakers on capping out-of-pocket expenses for insulin, cracking down on pharmacy benefit managers, prior authorization reform and legislation to treat and prevent obesity. In-person member-level meetings included Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.). — The Associated Equipment Distributors were also on the Hill this week with more than 50 owners and executives from top equipment dealerships to push for reinstating 100 percent bonus depreciation and policies to address workforce shortages. AED also raised their issues with right-to-repair legislation. Members were set to meet with Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) and Reps. Zach Nunn (R-Iowa), Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Tracey Mann (R-Kans.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) among others. IN MEMORIAM: “Richard Fishman, AIPAC’s co-CEO and the architect of its major recent policy shift toward political fundraising and away from grassroots advocacy, died on Tuesday following a yearslong battle with cancer,” per Jewish Insider’s Gabby Deutch. — “Born in 1961 in New Jersey, Fishman grew up in Columbus, Ohio. He spent most of his life in the Washington, D.C., area, where he moved after joining AIPAC in 1985 as its student coordinator. Over the years, he held numerous roles at the pro-Israel lobby.” — “Most recently, Fishman spearheaded AIPAC’s decision to transition from its longtime grassroots model toward one rooted firmly in political fundraising. He oversaw the creation of AIPAC’s political action committee and an affiliated Super PAC. … Until the 2022 midterm election cycle, AIPAC had cultivated networks of political donors who had strong relationships with lawmakers but it had never directly fundraised for candidates. Fishman realized that should change.” — “The change was welcomed by some of AIPAC’s most loyal backers but drew scrutiny even by some supporters. The group’s winning record of electing pro-Israel lawmakers in the 2022 Democratic primaries was a clear sign of the new strategy’s success, even though AIPAC’s endorsement of more than 100 Republican members of Congress who voted against certifying the results of the 2020 election earned it major controversy last year.” SPOTTED last night at a Problem Solvers Caucus reception at Arnold & Porter: Co-Chairs Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), Jim Costa (D-Calif.), Susie Lee (D-Nev.), Darren Soto (D-Fla.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Del. James Moylan (R-Guam).
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