| | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | | | With Daniel Lippman RTX ADDS ANOTHER OUTSIDE FIRM: RTX, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies, has retained Forbes Tate Partners, the defense giant’s third new outside lobbying firm in a year. Forbes Tate’s Jeff Forbes, Jeff Strunk, Ryan Welch, Rick Murphy, Cindy Brown, Richard Lopez and Sam McLean began lobbying earlier this month on appropriations and authorization bills for defense, tech, science and transportation, including the FAA reauthorization being negotiated by McLean’s former longtime boss, Senate Commerce ranking member Ted Cruz (R-Texas). — Last February, RTX hired the Roosevelt Group to lobby on the National Defense Authorization Act and the battle over upgrading the engine on the F-35 fighter jet; in August, the company retained West Front Strategies as well to lobby on approps and the NDAA. — RTX now has 13 outside firms on retainer, including DLA Piper, Invariant, C. Baker Consulting, S-3 Group, BGR, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. MORE NEW BUSINESS: The government of Miami-Dade County has hired Florida-based Ballard Partners. Former Matt Gaetz chief of staff Dan McFaul, Brian Ballard, Jose Diaz and Hunter Morgen will work on the account for the county to monitor legislation and provide advice on “potential opportunities regarding transportation, seaport, airport, and economic development issues,” according to a disclosure filing. The county also retained Thorn Run Partners this month to lobby for federal funding and support for climate resiliency efforts and other projects. — And the app-based delivery service Shipt has added an outside firm back into the mix, bringing on Public Strategies Washington’s Patrick O’Neill, Abbie Sorrendino and Angela Smith to lobby on retail issues, according to a disclosure. The gig company, which first registered federal lobbyists in 2021, parted ways with its only two outside firms, Rasky Partners and Commonwealth Strategic Partners, last year. Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. Send lobbying tips and wrong answers only for who should take over the naming rights for FedEx Field: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.
| | A message from Sallie Mae®: Despite continued delays, completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) remains an important step to help make college more accessible and affordable. We must ensure students and families, especially first-generation students and those from undeserved communities, can complete the FAFSA with confidence and connect to free money like scholarships, Pell grants, and other critical federal aid. | | | CHAMBER LEGAL REFORM CHIEF STEPS DOWN: Harold Kim, who spent 15 years with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Legal Reform, including most recently as executive vice president and chief legal officer, has left his post as head of ILR and is now working for the Chamber in a "new leadership role focused on building and expanding our defense of free enterprise," a Chamber spokesperson told Daniel. — Stephen Waguespack, who joined the organization earlier this year, is now the interim head of the institute. He most recently was special counsel for the Chamber and is a former Louisiana gubernatorial candidate. TEACHERS UNIONS LOBBYING AGAINST SHORT-TERM PELL BILL: Our Michael Stratford reports that “the nation’s largest teachers unions are urging lawmakers on Capitol Hill to vote against a bipartisan deal to expand Pell grants to short-term job training programs when it comes to the House floor this week.” — “The National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers both came out against the measure on Tuesday in separate letters to lawmakers. The unions’ opposition is likely to further imperil Democratic votes for the bill, which will be needed to pass the legislation.” — “On Tuesday, the teachers unions said they support the concept of boosting funding to short-term vocational programs but worry that the legislation would direct resources to shoddy training programs and potentially strain the Pell grant budget going forward.” — Some consumer groups and progressives also oppose the bill, while business groups like the Chamber of Commerce and trade groups representing for-profit universities and community colleges support the bill, which would let students use Pell Grants to pay for education programs as short as eight weeks long. WHO’S SEEDING THE CALIFORNIA SENATE CANDIDATES: “The California candidates vying for the late Dianne Feinstein’s seat in the U.S. Senate face strict rules on how much money they can accept from donors who want to support their primary campaigns,” the Los Angeles Times’ Laura Nelson and Benjamin Oreskes report, but “a handful of super PACs have spent more than $18 million on California’s Senate race so far and have at least $71 million more at their disposal.” — “Super PACs have been formed to support all three Democratic front-runners” — Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee — but “no similar group has appeared to support Republican front-runner and retired baseball player Steve Garvey.” — “Silicon Valley leaders, including venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz; cryptocurrency executives Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss; cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and its chief executive, Brian Armstrong,” have dropped $7 million so far opposing Porter and her criticism of the digital asset industry through the super PAC Fairshake, which still has more than $70 million in the bank. — Philanthropist Patty Quillin, who is married to Netflix founder and Democratic megadonor Reed Hastings, and Quinn Delaney, whose husband is the real estate investor Wayne Jordan, have steered $1.5 million to supporting Lee, while Schiff has drawn six-figure spending each from Hollywood donors and labor groups; carpenters unions; real estate developer Joseph Kaempfer; and tribes that operate casinos throughout the state, to name a few.
| | | | On the ground in Albany. Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Track how power brokers are driving change across legislation and budget and impacting lobbying efforts. Learn more. | | | | | PARLIAMENTARY PRESSURE: “The leaders of 23 European parliaments are imploring Speaker Mike Johnson to take up and pass additional assistance for Ukraine amid its ongoing war with Russia,” according to our Anthony Adragna. — “‘We believe that thanks to your personal leadership, the Congress will demonstrate historic bipartisan unity in support of the collective effort to assist Ukraine,’ they wrote in an open letter. Supporting passage of further aid would ‘provide Ukraine with the necessary funds to continue its fight,’ the leaders added.” — “Johnson's office said in response that ‘while Speaker Johnson believes we must confront Putin, and is exploring steps to effectively do so, as he said at the White House, his immediate priority is funding America’s government and avoiding a government shut down.’” FLY-IN SZN: Advocates for a number of different causes are blanketing D.C. this week as negotiations on funding bills continue. Among the groups flying in this week are the Alliance of Community Health Plans, which will push for Medicare Advantage policy reforms, lowering drug prices and the permanent extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits. — Almost 400 emergency communications leaders from across the country are in town as well to lobby for funding to implement next generation 911, following a call last week from former FCC chairs to make a nationwide transition to the technology an “urgent, top priority.” The group has already heard from Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Ted Budd (R-N.C.), along with Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.). — The American Association of Orthodontists is holding a fly-in too, and the group’s PAC hosted a fundraiser last night where attendees included Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and more. In meetings on the Hill, the group will discuss consumer protection issues related to direct-to-consumer products, access to care, and student loans and flexible spending accounts. SPOTTED at a fundraiser last night hosted by Emily Katz of Prime Policy Group, Melanie Nathanson of Nathanson+Hauck and Sarah Egge of SplitOak Strategies to benefit the DSCC, per a tipster: Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Hassan; David Montes of Sen. Alex Padilla’s (D-Calif.) office, Elizabeth Falcone of Sen. Mark Warner’s (D-Va.) office, Dara Cohen of Rosen’s office, Sherry Widicus and Emma Lange of Quest Diagnostics, Aquila Powell and Karen Antebi of Prime Policy Group, Nellie Wild of Perspectum, Ivette Rivera of the National Automobile Dealers Association, JC Scott and Jocelyn Wiles of the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association, Christine Keck of American Water, John-Michael Villarama of the American Osteopathic Association, Vijay Yadlapati of the National Association of Realtors, David Opp of Boston Medical Center, Javier Martinez of Davita, Wendy Sussman of Johnson & Johnson, Brendan Devine of Cigna, Natalie Williams of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Thomas Brunet of Bristol Myers Squibb, Liz Fox of UnitedHealth Group and Dave Caruolo of Anheuser-Busch.
| | | | A message from Sallie Mae®:   | | | | | — Lo Isidro has joined Narrative Strategies as a senior director. Isidro most recently held the same title at Real Chemistry, and is a Stand for America and Americans for Prosperity alum. Narrative has also added Katie Hernandez as a senior manager from Energix Renewables, Charlie Bluestein as a paid media manager from NP Agency, and Hunter Stephens as a senior associate from Real Chemistry. — Karen Groppe is joining the Wireless Infrastructure Association as vice president of communications. She was previously senior director of global communications for ACT | The App Association. — VOX Global has added Celina Spielman as a managing supervisor and Camille Pipino as an account supervisor in the health care practice. Spielman was previously at Spectrum Science and Pipino was previously at Palladian Partners. — The Digital Media Association named Colin Rushing as its executive vice president and general counsel. Rushing was previously the chief legal officer of SoundExchange. — Cavnue has added Nathan Read as general counsel and Amandine Muskus as vice president of external affairs and policy. Read previously led legal for Astra Arteria’s North American toll road business, and Muskus was previously vice president of government affairs at StreetLight. — Travis Considine is now vice president for government relations at Pape-Dawson Engineers. He most recently was director of communications at the Texas Department of Public Safety and is an alum of Rick Perry and John Cornyn. — Nick Nastasi has joined Warwick Group Consultants as a policy adviser. Nastasi was most recently a legislative aide to Rep. John Joyce (R-Pa.). — Destinee Easton is now an account director at ROKK Solutions. She was previously a project manager at BCW. — Prism Group has hired Jamiyl Peters as senior director of small business policy. He was previously a vice president at Mercury Public Affairs. — Josh Cook is the new president of Be a Good Influence and its brand, atAdvocacy, an influencer network for progressive causes and campaigns. He previously was executive vice president at BerlinRosen, leading the digital and marketing verticals. — Nana Gongadze is now digital comms specialist at the German Marshall Fund. She most recently was head of advocacy comms at Razom. — Mark Meservey is retiring as Oshkosh Corporation’s top lobbyist. — Louisa Imperiale has joined Issue One as chief advancement officer to lead fundraising efforts. She previously served as vice president for development at Common Cause, and is an RNC and NRSC alum.
| | | | YOUR TICKET INSIDE THE GOLDEN STATE POLITICAL ARENA: California Playbook delivers the latest intel, buzzy scoops and exclusive coverage from Sacramento and Los Angeles to Silicon Valley and across the state. Don't miss out on the daily must-read for political aficionados and professionals with an outsized interest in California politics, policy and power. Subscribe today. | | | | | | | | | DEATON VICTORY COMMITTEE (John Deaton for Senate Inc., Massachusetts Republican Party, NRSC) KMR VICTORY FUND (Michigan Democratic State Central Committee, Kristen for Michigan)
| | National Political Independence Convention, Inc. (Super PAC) Tennessee Values PAC (PAC) Vote for Peace PAC (PAC)
| | New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | Brian Glackin & Associates LLC: St Engineering North America, Inc Capgov, LLC: Enchanted Forest Mutual Domestic Water Association Capgov, LLC: Utah Lake Authority Capitol Hill Partners: Meristem Carpi & Clay, Inc: Cardinal Infrastructure LLC On Behalf Of Hennepin County Regional Railroad Auth Forbes-Tate: Association Of American Medical Colleges Forbes-Tate: Cytovale, Inc. Forbes-Tate: Rtx Corporation Forbes-Tate: Seven States Power Corporation Hanka Advisor LLC: Duluth Seaway Port Authority K&L Gates, LLP: Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization Laura Wood Peterson Consulting, Inc.: Frenzy Crop Systems, Inc. Mms Products, Inc: Mms Products, Inc Shumaker Advisors, LLC: National Open Commerce And Safer Highways Coalition Tai Ginsberg & Associates, LLC: Luetkehans, Brady, Garner & Armstrong, LLC On Behalf Of Dupage Water Commission Tusk Strategies, LLC: Birmingham Bio Innovation Corporation William A. Cohan, P.C.: Teklium, Inc.
| | New Lobbying Terminations | | Correia & Osolinik: Vizient Inc (Formerly Novation LLC) Gordon Thomas Honeywell Governmental Affairs: Hdg, Lp
| | A message from Sallie Mae®: As a responsible private lender, Sallie Mae advises students and families to explore free money like scholarships and grants before borrowing. The gateway to much of this aid is through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), which provides access to more than $100 billion in scholarships, grants, state-based, and federal financial aid. Recent delays and complications accessing the form point to broader issues with the federal financing system for higher education, but it’s still critical that students and families complete the FAFSA to maximize the free money available. See how Sallie Mae helps students and families navigate and complete the new FAFSA. | | | | | | | Follow us | | | | |
