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What K Street sees coming this fall
By DAVID BEAVERS
Presented by Sallie Mae®
With Daniel Lippman
WHAT K STREET IS LOOKING AHEAD TO THIS FALL: Congress is back in Washington today after a five-week summer recess, and K Street is preparing for a busy fall session — maybe. Congressional appropriators appear poised to pass a continuing resolution to keep the government open past the Sept. 30 deadline, but beyond appropriations, there's relatively little consensus on what Congress may get done this fall. "I think basically other than defense authorization and appropriations, it's really unlikely that anything other than low-hanging fruit is going to get done," Rich Gold, leader of Holland & Knight's Public Policy & Regulation Group, told PI in an interview. "I think there's a lot ahead of us that's external to Congress that could impact the mood around here," he said, adding that if consumer confidence fades, "we could start to hear more about a middle-class tax cut."
— One area on which there's consensus is that trade, and particularly the Trump administration's freshly negotiated U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, will consume a lot of attention. "I'm more optimistic than some" on trade, Steve Elmendorf, partner and co-founder of Subject Matter, told PI, adding he sees "a slightly better than 50 percent chance" of USMCA passage this fall. Sam Geduldig, a partner at CGCN Group, also expressed cautious optimism about USMCA: "If it's going to happen, I think it's going to happen by Thanksgiving."
— Beyond trade, Elmendorf predicts appropriations, health care and taxes will be the biggest drivers on K Street this fall. But there are roadblocks ahead that could derail movement on even potentially bipartisan issues like tax extenders and addressing surprise medical billing. "There's a lot of things that could make what should be easy-to-compromise bills harder," Geduldig said, including immigration, impeachment and potential movement on background check legislation.
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EDELMAN'S WORK IN CONTRAST WITH CLIMATE PLEDGE: Public relations powerhouse Edelman has maintained the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers as a client despite an internal policy against working with entities the firm views as involved in denial of climate change, POLITICO's Daniel Lippman and I report. Michael Stewart, then Edelman's president and chief executive for Europe, told The Guardian in 2015 the firm was not taking a stand against representing clients that fight against regulations cutting carbon pollution or oil and gas companies more broadly, but it was no longer working with groups including the American Petroleum Institute and the American Legislative Exchange Council.
— AFPM has recently attracted attention for reports it worked with the American Legislative Exchange Council — a group Edelman had previously decided against working with — to pass model legislation in several states outlawing protests near pipeline construction sites. In April, Royal Dutch Shell withdrew its membership from AFPM, citing differences over the group's stance on climate change. "AFPM acknowledges the risks of climate change and the need for our industries to play a role in addressing this challenge," a spokesperson for the trade group told PI in a statement. "AFPM has and will continue to work with our members to evaluate various policy proposals and the role we can play in the overall effort to address climate change." Edelman declined to comment on its work with AFPM.
— Neither Edelman nor the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers confirmed they still work together, but according to the trade group's 2017 tax filings — the most recent year available — the association paid Edelman more than $4.2 million, the highest total it paid to any independent contractors that year. A person familiar with the matter told PI that as of a few weeks ago Edelman was still doing work for AFPM.
Good afternoon, and welcome to PI. Anyone else's commute get a lot more crowded this morning? Send tips, comments and D.C. commuting hacks to [email protected] and @davidabeavers.
STUDENT LOAN GIANT TIGHTENS TIES WITH ADMINISTRATION: As FedLoan Servicing's $1.3 billion contract with the federal government is set to expire in December, the student loan behemoth "is beefing up its already close ties to President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as it competes for a new contract," POLITICO's Michael Stratford reports. The firm's parent company, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, retains a Trump-connected lobbying firm in Washington, and in April, it hired Kathleen Smith, a former top aide to DeVos, as its top lobbyist. "Perhaps one of the biggest developments for FedLoan's parent company, though, was the Trump administration's decision in mid-August to appoint Robert Cameron, a PHEAA executive, as the top student loan official at a federal agency that supervises and regulates the company."
MATTIS JOINS CONSULTING FIRM: Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis is joining global business consulting firm the Cohen Group as senior counselor, beginning in October, the group announced in a release today. "We are honored to be working with him, and our clients will benefit from his knowledge and guidance," said Bill Cohen, chairman of the firm and himself a former Defense secretary, in a statement. Since stepping down as Defense secretary in December, Mattis has also rejoined the board of directors at General Dynamics. Axios first reported the Cohen Group hire.
FACEBOOK'S TOP EU LOBBYIST STEPPING DOWN: "Facebook's vice president of policy solutions Richard Allan will soon leave the global social media giant after more than a decade," reports BuzzFeed News' Mark Di Stefano. Allan, Facebook's chief lobbyist in Europe, is leaving as Facebook faces growing scrutiny over a series of privacy scandals and its role in the spread of misinformation, particularly around elections.
FLYING IN: The Natural Products Association will be on the Hill Tuesday for a fly-in, focusing on regulation of cannabidiol products. They'll meet with Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Reps. Ross Spano (R-Fla.), Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and John Shimkus (R-Ill.), among others.
— The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is hosting its annual Ambassador's Ball at the Anthem on Tuesday. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) and Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González of Puerto Rico are expected to attend.
IF YOU MISSED IT FRIDAY: The National Rifle Association "tapped Wade Callender, the former general counsel for Gearbox Software LLC, to replace David Lehman, who had served as deputy executive director and general counsel for the NRA's lobbying arm, two sources told" CNN's Sara Murray and Michael Warren. "A source said staffers are perplexed about why the NRA would hire someone with no apparent political experience from an industry [chief executive Wayne] LaPierre has demonized, particularly at a time when the issue of gun control is back in the news following a spate of mass shootings." Gearbox is a video game developer — an industry that has been a frequent punching bag for the NRA.
— S&P Global has hired Adam Noah as its new head of government affairs and Public Policy for North America. Noah previously was the American Bankers Association's senior vice president of congressional relations. The financial services company also hired Kellin Clark, previously a senior economic adviser to Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.), as director of government affairs and public policy.
— Sony Music Entertainment has hired Lisette Morton as vice president of public policy and governmental affairs. She previously was director of policy, planning and member services for House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.).
— Anthony Campau is joining Clark Hill as director of government regulation in Washington and Detroit, Playbook reports. He previously was chief of staff and counselor at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at the Office of Management and Budget.
— Nichole Francis Reynolds is joining the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America as vice president of government and public affairs, POLITICO's Morning Energy reports. She previously was vice president of public policy and community relations at Mastercard.
— The National Rental Home Council has hired David Howard as the group's new executive director. Howard previously was chief development officer at the Home Builders Institute, the workforce development affiliate of the National Association of Home Builders.
— Becker & Poliakoff has hired Alfonso Lopez as a senior corporate and government relations consultant in the firm's federal lobbying practice. Lopez also currently represents the 49th District in the Virginia House of Delegates.
— Capitol 6 Advisors, the firm founded by former National Rifle Association top lobbyist Chris Cox, has hired Phil Hoon, POLITICO's Morning Score reports.
— Sard Verbinnen & Co. has hired Karen Boykin-Towns as a senior counselor. Boykin-Towns retired at the end of last year as vice president of corporate affairs at Pfizer.
— Ha McNeill is rejoining BSA | The Software Alliance after a two-plus year stint at the Transportation Security Administration, POLITICO's Morning Tech reports. She'll be the trade group's chief operating officer. The group has also promoted Adam Coates to general counsel and vice president.
— Arjun Mody has been named staff director for the Senate Republican Conference, Playbook reports. He previously was a principal at S-3 Public Affairs.
— Reservoir Communications Group has hired Eva Fowler Whaley as a director. She previously was vice president at Crosscut Strategies.
— Digital public affairs firm Hadron Strategies has hired Evan Walker and Lara Barger as partners.
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New Joint Fundraisers
Katie Porter Victory Fund (Rep. Katie Porter, California Democratic Party)
Kansas New Mexico Victory Fund (Reps. Deb Haaland, Sharice Davids, Ben Ray Luján)
New PACs
Defend Texas Fund (Super PAC)
Freedom PAC (PAC)
People for Justice and Liberty for All (PAC)
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation Political Action Committee (PAC)
Healthy Living PAC (Super PAC)
Occupy Democrats Election Fund (Super PAC)
American Energy Advocates (PAC)
New Lobbying Registrations
Babbage Cofounder: Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition
Envision Strategy: AFFF Litigation Corporation
Frost Brown Todd LLC: Democracy Fund Voice
Quadripoint Strategies LLC: Venable LLP (on behalf of Agility Public Warehouse Company KSCP)
New Lobbying Terminations
Hettinger Strategy Group LLC: Discover Technologies
McGuireWoods Consulting (a Subsidiary of McGuireWoods LLP): Smithfield Foods Inc
About The Author : David Beavers
David Beavers serves as a senior web editor with POLITICO Pro and as a contributor to POLITICO Influence. He's a graduate of Cornell University and George Washington University.
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