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Presented by Tyson Foods: Delivered daily, Influence gives you a comprehensive rundown and analysis of all lobby hires and news on K Street. | | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by Tyson Foods | With Daniel Lippman A TALE OF TWO COVID LOBBYING SUCCESSES: The bipartisan group of lawmakers that helped push Congress to pass a nearly $30 billion coronavirus relief program aimed at helping restaurants weather the pandemic introduced new legislation today that would replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund with another round of funding. The move comes after sky-high demand from the battered industry quickly drained the initial tranche of money. — The new bill from Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) would plus-up the relief fund with another $60 billion after a pair of industry groups, the newer Independent Restaurant Coalition and the National Restaurant Association, began raising the prospect of requiring more aid within weeks of applications for the grants opening up. The lawmakers said the Small Business Administration received requests for $75 billion in grants from more than 360,000 eligible businesses. — But the industry is aware that it faces an uphill battle in getting lawmakers to agree on passing another infusion of relief, with Covid cases continuing to fall and more of the country opening up as more Americans continue getting vaccinated. “The challenge for us, of course, is demonstrating that the need is still there,” said Sean Kennedy , the restaurant association’s executive vice president of public affairs. The trade association kicked off a grassroots activation campaign Wednesday to show congressional leadership that demand for extra assistance remains high. “Restaurants are slowly coming back online, but there is still incredible vulnerability and crushing debt that they're facing” as a result of pandemic-related restrictions. — Erika Polmar , whose IRC formed last spring to push Congress to approve $120 billion in targeted restaurant aid, told PI that restaurant owners will make the case that “a really fabulous summer of business does not make up for 15 months of closures” and that the group is optimistic. — After being left out of relief packages for almost a year, the program was finally included in President Joe Biden ’s proposal in March and by the middle of last month was already doling out cash. “Probably the biggest thing we have going for us is that RRF has been an incredibly well-run and well-executed program,” Kennedy said. — The SBA’s relief program for shuttered venues like concert venues, museums and theaters, which was included in December’s relief bill after months of lobbying, is another story. Six months later, a collection of groups representing the live entertainment industry slammed the agency for what it called “repeated errors and delays” that they warned “have endangered the very businesses and organizations the program was designed to help,” POLITICO’s Zach Warmbrodt reports. — “The SBA said that as of Wednesday it had only approved $128 million in grants to 90 applicants” out of $16 billion in funding ultimately approved by Congress. “The agency has received 14,000 applications seeking $11.4 billion under the program, which was opened to applications in late April after facing severe technical problems.” — The Association of Performing Arts Professionals, the National Independent Venue Association, the National Association of Theatre Owners, the League of Historic American Theatres, the National Independent Talent Organization, the Performing Arts Managers and Agents Coalition and the Performing Arts Alliance wrote to lawmakers Wednesday noting that it was the deadline for SBA to have processed every application for venues that reported greater than 90 percent revenue loss. — “Top lawmakers are also urging the SBA to speed up the venue rescue,” like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer , who is pressuring the Biden administration and the top two lawmakers on the House Small Business Committee. Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri, the top Republican on the panel, “said the agency was refusing to explain why so few venue grants had been awarded. ‘Silence is not the answer,’” he said, calling SBA’s “lack of transparency … inexcusable.” Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send your finest K Street tips and gossip: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko. | | | | A message from Tyson Foods: Leading global protein company, Tyson Foods announced its ambition to achieve net-zero emissions globally by 2050. “Achieving net zero emissions has to be more than just words. It must be done together, rooted in science, so that we can truly make an impact,” said John R. Tyson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tyson Foods. Learn more about the company’s primary focus areas to get there here. | | | FIRST IN PI — FORBES TATE ADDS 5: Forbes Tate Partners is growing its public affairs team, naming John DelNegro as grassroots advocacy senior director and Chanse Jones as senior director of public affairs. Jones was most recently senior director of media relations and external communications at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The firm has also added Regan Thompson as a senior analyst and Gwen Fuller and Sarah Bachar as analysts. POUR ONE OUT FOR THE KEYSTONE XL: “The Canadian pipeline company that had long sought to build the Keystone XL pipeline announced Wednesday that it had terminated the embattled project, which would have carried petroleum from Canadian tar sands to Nebraska,” The New York Times’ Coral Davenport reports. “The announcement was the death knell for a project that had been on life support since President Biden’s first day in office and had been stalled by legal battles for years before that, despite support from the Trump administration.” HOUSE DEMS SET TO UNLEASH BILLS TO REIN IN TECH COMPANIES: “House Democrats are set to introduce a package of five bills as soon as this week that would prohibit tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google from discriminating against rivals or buying potential competitors, two individuals familiar with the discussions told POLITICO — the most serious effort yet to rein in Silicon Valley’s power after years of complaints from Congress,” POLITICO’s Leah Nylen reports. — The bills, which Democrats on the House Judiciary antitrust panel circulated drafts of in order to pick up co-sponsors, “would specifically target the tech industry for tougher enforcement, which could help make them more palatable to Republicans who might have qualms about a broad federal clampdown on business. In contrast, Senate Democrats have floated proposals for a more comprehensive antitrust overhaul.” — “Under four of the bills, the Justice Department or the FTC would first be required to designate ‘covered platforms’ — those with at least 500,000 U.S. users, $600 billion in revenue or market cap and a ‘critical trading partner’ for other businesses. Those platforms would then have limitations on their conduct, mergers and data use.” | | | |   | | | PI METRO SECTION: “The Drug Policy Alliance is ramping up a lobbying effort to remove the federal prohibition on the District of Columbia legalizing and regulating cannabis by bringing in the high-powered law and lobbying firm Arent Fox,” Bloomberg’s Megan Wilson reports. — “It’s the first outside firm hired by the Drug Policy Alliance, an advocacy group that works on drug decriminalization measures around the country,” though the group “has been involved with lobbying the federal government for two decades, according to disclosures filed with Congress.” The alliance’s new team at Arent Fox includes two former staffers to the District’s delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton (D). One of the former aides, David Grosso, also served eight years on the D.C. Council and had been involved with cannabis issues during his tenure, which ended at the beginning of the year. — “At issue is language that’s been retained from year to year in the Financial Services-General Government appropriations bill that includes federal funding for D.C. and signs off on its budget. Rep. Andy Harris (R-Md.) initially attached the provision in 2014 following passage of a local law that reduced penalties for possession,” and Biden disappointed advocates when he included the provision in his recent budget request, despite the District legalizing the possession — but not the sale — of marijuana. GREENS LOOK TO PRESSURE CHAMBER MEMBERS OVER CLIMATE MOVES: “A coalition of 28 environmental groups called on major corporate members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to leave the trade group unless it ends lobbying on behalf of the fossil fuel industry,” reports The Hill’s Zack Budryk. In a letter obtained by The Hill, groups including the League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club and Public Citizen “said that despite lobbying on climate issues by some members, the Chamber’s actions on climate issues have been predominantly ‘some limited rhetoric.’ It cites a report by Royal Dutch Shell that noted the Chamber has not taken a position on either net-zero emissions goals or carbon pricing, and has also not issued a statement on carbon capture.” — “We are proud of the work we’re doing across the broad Chamber membership to bring meaningful, achievable solutions to the global climate challenge,” a Chamber spokesperson told The Hill. “The business community is at the leading edge of innovation and investment in the technology necessary to reduce emissions, and will be an important voice in the international and domestic policy dialogue.” | | | | DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-23. | | | | | | | | — Julius West is joining Uber’s in-house lobbying team. He most recently was chief of staff to Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.) and is a Nancy Pelosi and Chris Van Hollen alum. — Monique Frazier has joined Capitol Counsel as a partner. She was most recently a senior executive in federal relations at HSBC, and will lobby on financial and trade issues. Mac Campbell is also joining as a partner. He previously served as deputy staff director and general counsel for the Senate Finance Committee and is an Obama USTR and Sen. Maria Cantwell alum. He'll lobby on tax issues. — Former Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.) has joined the advisory council at Nuclear Matters. — Chatrane Birbal has joined the HR Policy Association as vice president of government relations. She was most recently vice president of public policy for the Society of Human Resource Management. — BGR Group has named Andy Lewin co-head of its financial services practice. Lewin joins former GOP Rep. Sean Duffy in this role. — Riester Public Affairs has added Rachel Derby to its policy and advocacy communications team. She was most recently vice president of government affairs at the Portland Cement Association and is a Senate and trade association alum. | | | | SUBSCRIBE TO "THE RECAST" TODAY: Power is shifting in Washington and in communities across the country. More people are demanding a seat at the table, insisting that 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 in 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. | | | | | | | | None. | | | Abolish Abortion PAC (PAC)
Conservative Opportunity Fund (Leadership PAC: Rep. Ralph Norman)
Physicians for Private Practice Political Action Committee (PAC) | | New Lobbying Registrations | | 2020 Strategies LLC: American Federation For Children
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Coalition For Smarter Infrastructure Investment
Atlantic Strategies Group: Avon Protections Systems Inc.
Avenue Solutions: Mdx Medical, Inc. Dba Sapphire Digital
Boundary Stone Partners: Falcon Energy Storage Holdings Cei, LLC
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Beam Global
Cj Lake, LLC: The Picard Group Obo City Of West Monroe
Corley Consulting, LLC: Lightstone Investments LLC
Fabiani & Company: Pantheon Oil And Gas Lp
Freemyer & Associates P.C.: Catron County, New Mexico
Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP (Formerly Hunton & Williams LLP): Ncta - The Internet & Television Association
Invariant LLC: Anomaly Six LLC
James P. Keese: Imcs Group
Jocelyn Hong & Associates: Gulf Shellfish Institute
King & Spalding LLP: Quest Diagnostics
Mayer Brown LLP: Zipline International, Inc.
Putalastrategies: Entertainment Software Association
Taras, LLC: Aav, Ltd.
Tiber Creek Group: Organon, LLC
Wynne Health Group: Association For Psychological Science
Wynne Health Group: Hepatitis B Foundation
Wynne Health Group: Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System | | New Lobbying Terminations | | None. | | | | A message from Tyson Foods: Tyson Foods announced its ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally by 2050. The move to net zero is an expansion of the company’s current science-based target of achieving a 30% GHG emissions reduction by 2030.
“Achieving net zero emissions has to be more than just words. It must be done together, rooted in science, so that we can truly make an impact.” said John R. Tyson, Chief Sustainability Officer, Tyson Foods.
As a first step, the company will be focusing in on key areas including:
• Updating baseline emissions target to align with the Paris Agreement by 2023.
• Establishing a pathway to using 50% renewable energy in the U.S. by 2030.
• Expanding land stewardship targets and grazing lands program by 2025.
• Eliminating deforestation risk globally by 2030.
Learn more about how the company plans to get there here. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
