Shimkus lands on K Street — K Street mourns the loss of Lincoln Policy Group co-founder — The state of play for one last relief push

From: POLITICO Influence - Monday Jun 21,2021 09:23 pm
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By Caitlin Oprysko

Presented by Facebook

With Daniel Lippman

SHIMKUS LANDS DOWNTOWN: Former congressman John Shimkus (R-Ill.), who retired earlier this year after more than two decades in the House, has joined KBS Group, the lobbying firm founded by former Sen. Kit Bond, as a principal. He’ll also join a former colleague, former Rep. Kenny Hulshof, who chairs KBS (formerly known as Kit Bond Strategies).

— Shimkus is the latest senior member of the influential Energy and Commerce Committee to land on K Street after leaving the Hill this year — the panel’s longtime top Republican Greg Walden in February founded the consultancy Alpine Advisors in partnership with Alpine Group. Shimkus is banned by federal ethics rules from lobbying his former colleagues for a year after leaving office. KBS did not immediately respond when asked whether Shimkus would register once his ban is up.

— The Illinois Republican joins several other members of this year’s class of retired or defeated former lawmakers to head to K Street. Former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) joined the lobbying firm Arent Fox last month. Former House Ag Chair Mike Conaway (R-Texas) started his own lobbying shop since leaving office, though he hasn’t registered to lobby, and former Senate Ag Chair Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) joined Capitol Counsel as a partner; former Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) joined Hance Scarborough and former Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.) rejoined his old firm Adams and Reese earlier this year.

Good afternoon and welcome to PI. Send K Street tips, and if you feel so inclined, here is a GoFundMe for the family of Robert Holifield. Write me at coprysko@politico.com, and be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.

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IN MEMORIAM: Robert Holifield, a longtime aide to former Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln who was a co-founder of and principal at the Lincoln Policy Group , died last week at the age of 43. Holifield graduated from Arkansas State University with a degree in political science before moving up to D.C., where he spent the better part of the next decade working for Lincoln, spending a few years at Alston & Bird before helping Lincoln found LPG.

— Friends and former colleagues remembered Holifield’s infectious laugh, including the way he would rub his hands together when he got very happy, and his passion for bringing people together. He loved golf and coached a little league baseball team in Capitol Hill, where he was “kind, patient, and encouraging with the kids” and recently “clearly won the adult home run derby while the kids pitched,” Amy Oberhelman, a lobbyist for Target and one of Holifield’s assistant coaches, said in an email.

— “Although I am going to miss him in a devastating way, he will always be a part of me and my family because of who he was and the life that he lived,” Lincoln said in an interview. He always left others “with a really positive feeling about not just him, but everybody else too, because he never built himself up. He always built up others,” she added.

— “He touched so many lives in such a significant way,” said Anna Taylor, a Chuck Schumer aide who's known Holifield since college and worked in Lincoln’s office with him. “The Lincoln alumni family is a tight knit one. We may be scattered around D.C. and all over the country now, but we remain extremely close. Robert was at the core of that family and we feel his loss profoundly.”

THE STATE OF PLAY FOR ONE LAST RELIEF PUSH: “The growing list of trade associations lobbying for a new round of pandemic aid — also representing gyms, amusement parks, travel agents and horse shows — say they suffered massive, unrecoverable financial losses because of social distancing restrictions and still face uncertainties as the economy recovers,” POLITICO’s Zach Warmbrodt reports, though even lobbyists concede they’re facing an uphill battle persuading lawmakers to continue to spend money to help the businesses that have made it this far.

— Still, “the lobbying effort is gaining traction, with Republicans signing on to bills to give grants to restaurants and gyms even as the GOP balks at President Joe Biden ’s multitrillion-dollar infrastructure spending plans. Lawmakers from both parties are sympathetic to businesses that were forced to curtail operations, and they say that many didn’t get enough help from earlier aid programs.”

— The effort has sprouted a whole new lobbying group that formed last month “to convince Congress to pass more financial assistance for businesses. The Economic Bridge Coalition has since grown to 13 members, including the American Rental Association, the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, the Professional Photographers Association and the American Horse Council. ‘PPP was very helpful but the issue now is not so much relief but rebuilding,’ said John McClelland , vice president of government affairs for the American Rental Association, which represents the equipment and event rental industry. ‘How do we get these businesses back and prosperous sooner rather than later?’”

SUPREME COURT DEALS NCAA A MAJOR BLOW: “The Supreme Court sided unanimously with college athletes on Monday, ruling the National Collegiate Athletic Association ’s restrictions on education benefits for players violate the nation’s antitrust laws,” POLITICO’s Leah Nylen and Juan Perez Jr. report. “The 9-0 decision represents a landmark victory for college players and a significant moment in the history of college athletics, as lawmakers in Congress and statehouses weigh new laws to allow athletes to profit from personal endorsements and sponsorships.”

— “‘To the extent [the NCAA] means to propose a sort of judicially ordained immunity from the terms of the Sherman Act for its restraints of trade — that we should overlook its restrictions because they happen to fall at the intersection of higher education, sports, and money — we cannot agree,’ Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court.”

— The ruling “focused on whether the NCAA’s hard limits on athlete compensation violate antitrust law, not the policy debate on player endorsements smoldering inside Capitol Hill, state legislatures and stadiums. But the antitrust case represents a fundamental threat to the athletic association’s business model, which is playing out while the NCAA and powerful college sports conferences lobby Congress to regulate how players can sign third-party endorsements.”

 

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WHERE DO WE GO AFTER GAMESTOP: Six months after the GameStop investing saga sent jitters across Wall Street, “financial institutions should expect sustained scrutiny from the House Financial Services and Senate Banking Committees, and a slate of regulatory reforms,” Hogan LovellsAaron Cutler and Chase Kroll write in a warning to the industry for Bloomberg Law.

— “Based on the roughly 16 hours of congressional hearings, stacks of prepared testimonies, discussion drafts, and congressional statements that have already come to pass from” the GameStop frenzy and Archegos Capital Management’s collapse on margin calls, “there are a few key takeaways beginning to emerge. These expected developments likely will affect every corner of the market.”

AVISA ADDS 2: Avisa Partners has named Aline VornDick as a principal in the international practice with a focus on the Middle East. She previously served as a senior adviser at the consulting firm Duco and served in several roles in the Middle East policy office at the Pentagon. The firm also added Nicholas Fitzgerald as a principal focusing on international corporate communications, public affairs, and issues management campaigns. Fitzgerald was most recently a vice president at Rational 360 and is a Target alum.

FLYING IN: The American Truck Dealers, a division of the National Automobile Dealers Association , kicked off its virtual fly-in this week where members will push for the repeal of a 12 percent federal excise tax on heavy-duty trucks and trailers while urging lawmakers to modernize America's truck fleet.

— The advocacy group UsAgainstAlzheimer's is hosting its first virtual fly-in today and tomorrow, with more than 75 meetings scheduled on the Hill for Alzheimer's advocates to call for higher federal funding for research on the disease, earlier detection and diagnosis, prevention, and paid leave for dementia caregivers.

— Meanwhile The ESOP Association, which represents employees who own shares in their companies through employee stock ownership plans, is hosting what it believes is the first large-scale, in-person conference in D.C. since the pandemic struck. The conference will feature in-person and virtual remarks from SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman, acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Ali Khawar , Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and House Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee ranking member Adrian Smith (R-Neb.), in a addition to virtual meetings on the Hill on Tuesday.

 

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Jobs Report

Mary Beth Donahue will be named the new president and CEO of the Better Medicare Alliance, succeeding former Rep. Allyson Y. Schwartz (D-Pa.), who announced plans to step down in January. Donahue is executive director of Kidney Care Partners and is a Clinton HHS alum.

Jarrod Loadholt has joined Ice Miller as a partner. He previously served as the head of Credit Karma’s D.C. office as its first director of legislative and regulatory affairs.

Ben Tugendstein has joined Monument Advocacy’s public affairs shop. He was most recently a marketing manager at Katz, Marshall, & Banks.

Adfero has added Rebekah Pepper as a senior account supervisor in the health practice, Jordan Reabold as a senior account executive in the public affairs practice, Casey Stephan as an assistant account executive in the health practice, and Abby Vendt as an account coordinator in the public affairs practice. Pepper was most recently at Subject Matter, Reabold was most recently at kglobal, Stephan was most recently at global biopharmaceutical company UCB.

United for Infrastructure COO and co-founder Patrick Sabol will be the group’s next chief executive, replacing Zachary Schafer, who stepped down last week.

Christopher Kenny is now the diversity, inclusion and belonging strategy lead at Spotify. He most recently was director of brand marketing at SHRM.

Tiffany Waddell has been named director of government relations at the National Governors Association. She most recently was senior adviser and director of federal relations for Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan.

Amy Cloessner has been named chief operating officer of Direct Impact and Alissa Hinkson will serve as brand and corporate strategy lead of the grassroots agency.

Tom Bush is now senior director for government relations at Airbus, Playbook reports. He previously was legislative director for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.).

New Joint Fundraisers

Murray Schatz Victory Fund (Sens. Patty Murray, Brian Schatz)

New PACs

A Fab Today (PAC)
Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association PAC (AMFA PAC) (PAC)
Authentically Blue (PAC)
Blue One By One (Super PAC)
Ending Jim Crow Political Action Committee (Super PAC)

 

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New Lobbying Registrations

Academic Partnerships, LLC: Academic Partnerships, LLC
Acceleron Pharma Inc: Acceleron Pharma Inc
Adrian Matadeen: Egeac Energy
Ajw, Inc.: Clearflame Engines, Inc.
Akerman LLP: Portals Hotel Site, LLC
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld: Center For Sportfishing Policy
Allon Advocacy, LLC: Doublecheck Solutions, LLC
Ballard Partners: Florida Sheriffs Association
Ballard Partners: Florida Sheriffs Risk Management Fund
Ballard Partners: Indian River State College Foundation, Inc.
Ballard Partners: Relx Inc.
Ballard Partners: Renewable Energy Aggregators, Inc.
Blue Star Strategies LLC: New Venture Fund
Brody Group L.L.C. Public Affairs: Oregon Institute Of Technology
Brody Group L.L.C. Public Affairs: Austin Center For Manufacturing & Innovation
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: International Brotherhood Of Teamsters
Capitol Counsel, LLC: Ar-Tx Redi
Capitol Counsel, LLC: William Shields
Capitol Hill & Friends, LLC: California Waste Solutions, Inc.
Carmen Group Incorporated: Hdnet LLC
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Ctc Global
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: First Cobalt Corp.
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Husch Blackwell Strategies On Behalf Of Missouri State University
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Kinsa, Inc
Cassidy & Associates, Inc.: Oregon Desert
Chamber Hill Strategies: Peak International Partners LLC
Clark Hill, Plc: Gallant Technologies Inc.
Clark Hill, Plc: National Diaper Bank Network
Clark Hill, Plc: Sames, Inc.
Covington & Burling LLP: Zymergen Inc.
Crossroads Strategies, LLC: Percepto, Inc.
Cura Strategies: Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Foundation
Davidoff Hutcher & Citron, LLP: Storm King Art Center
Dentons US LLP: Indiana Historical Society
Dentons US LLP: Vascular Birthmark Foundation
D&P Creative Strategies, LLC: The Border Network For Human Rights
Environmental & Energy Consulting: California Association Of Local Conservation Corps (Calcc)
Esp Advisors, LLC: Waxman Strategies On Behalf Of Ocean Power Technologies
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP: Gift Of Life Donor Program
Farragut Partners LLP: Beyondspring Inc.
Farragut Partners LLP: Spr Therapeutics
Fgh Holdings, LLC (Formerly Known As The Glover Park Group LLC): Obesity Care Advocacy Network (Ocan)
Grayrobinson Pa: Ngvamerica
Holland & Knight LLP: Amazon.Com Services LLC
Holland & Knight LLP: Coalition For Green Capital Action Fund
Holland & Knight LLP: Hampton Roads Transit
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.: International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.
K&L Gates LLP: Ctc Global Corporation
K&L Gates LLP: Matthew Donegan
Mayer Brown LLP: Globalfoundries U.S. Inc.
Meeks, Butera & Israel Pllc: Society For Brain Mapping & Therapeutics (Sbmt)
Michael Best Strategies LLC: David Lynch Foundation
Ms. Tami Wahl: Leloi Ab
Natural Resource Results LLC: Watershed Results
Organon & Co.: Organon & Co.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP: Academy Of Truck Accident Attorneys
Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.: Cornerstone Care, Inc.
Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.: Gateways Hospital And Mental Health Center
Prime Policy Group: City Of Glendale, Arizona
Prime Policy Group: City Of Indianapolis Department Of Public Works
Rampy Northrup LLC: Evofem Biosciences, Inc.
Shumaker Advisors, LLC: Seacor Marine Holdings Inc.
Squire Patton Boggs: Compact Power Inc.
Steptoe & Johnson LLP: Mr. Vladimir Peftiev
The Bridge Advisory Group: Dynamis Power Solutions
The Bridge Advisory Group: Skydex Technologies, Inc.
The Bridge Advisory Group: Wintec Arrowmaker, Inc.
The Ferguson Group, LLC: No Casinos, Inc.
Thegroup Dc, LLC: Southern Company Services, Inc.
The Jerry Costello Group, LLC: Strategic Marketing Innovations (Obo U. Of Massachusetts, President'S Office)
The Raben Group: Demos
The Raben Group: Ebay
Thompson Coburn LLP: Cogility Software Corporation
Timothy Lovain: Whatcom Transportation Authority
Workmoney, Inc (Dba Workmoney): Workmoney, Inc (Dba Workmoney)
Zymergen Inc.: Zymergen Inc.

New Lobbying Terminations

Bose Public Affairs Group: Cigna Corporation
Provident Strategies LLC: Bayou Meto Water Management District
Provident Strategies LLC: East Arkansas Good Roads' Association
Sweeney & Associates: General Motors Company
Sweeney & Associates: Michael Best Strategies On Behalf Of Trc
The Blackoak Group Formerly Know As John Collison: American Clean Power Association

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