With Dana Nickel, Caitlin Oprysko, Daniel Lippman ALL EYES ON MEDICARE: Medicare Advantage is continuing to bulk up its lobbying efforts, with the Better Medicare Alliance finding itself among 10 new clients signed by Squire Patton Boggs. — The addition of Better Medicare Alliance builds on the increased lobbying push behind Medicare Advantage — the privately run alternative to Medicaid — as privatizing Medicare sees increased support from the Trump administration. — Better Medicare Alliance sent a letter today from more than 100 groups urging acting CMS Administrator and chief of staff Stephanie Carlton to protect and strengthen Medicare Advantage for seniors. — On Wednesday, President Donald Trump endorsed a House budget plan that would gut Medicaid and hinted at the possibility of changing certain elements of Medicare. Elon Musk and his DOGE team have also been eyeing Medicare payments as a route for potential budget cuts. — Other recent registrations to SPB include Heineken USA; Leidos; American Roads; Association for Accessible Medicines; Autos Drive America; Becton, Dickinson & Company; IPC International and Vertiv Group Corporation. — “The policy changes introduced by President Trump and his administration are unparalleled and present opportunities and challenges for clients across various industries, both domestically and internationally,” Ed Newberry, global managing partner for public policy and regulatory solutions for SPB, said. “In this historically dynamic period, we are seeing a wide range of organizations recognizing that it is imperative to assess how decisions in Washington D.C. influence their operations and to formulate appropriate responses. These new registrations are a reflection of our team’s strong connections and our legal and industry specific expertise.” MOVING FORWARD: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan’s for-profit charity, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, announced to employees it’s ending all diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, including initiatives on immigration reform and racial equity. What this means for FWD.us, the pro-immigration advocacy group founded by Zuckerberg, is unclear. — Zuckerberg has a somewhat complicated relationship with the Trump administration. FWD.us criticized Trump on his immigration views during his campaign in 2016, then pivoting to donate $5,000 to his presidential transition. Now, Zuckerberg seems to be leaning right, embracing Trump and Musk’s “free speech” agenda through ending Meta’s third-party fact checking program and halting DEI efforts at Facebook’s parent company. — The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative pledged $100 million to FWD.us in 2021, moving its immigration portfolio over to the group to assist in immigration reform over a three-year period. — FWD.us and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative did not respond to requests for comment. Happy Thursday and welcome to PI. I’m excited to be helming the newsletter for the next few days while Caitlin is out. For coffee recs, gossip and tips, reach out: klong@politico.com. And be sure to follow all of us on X: @katherinealong and @caitlinoprysko. COMING TODAY: Trump's unprecedented effort to reshape the federal government is consuming Washington. POLITICO is going to be your guide to all the key decisions and characters with a fresh version of one of our signature newsletters — West Wing Playbook: Remaking Government. Sign up here to get it straight in your inbox.
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FLORIDIANS ARRIVES EN MASSE: The most coveted credential on K Street these days is a tie to the Sunshine State. As the administration fills a number of top-tier positions with Floridians, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, lobbying firms are prioritizing the hiring of well-connected lobbyists in Florida, our Kimberly Leonard writes. — As PI readers will know well, Continental Strategy and Ballard Partners are two of the Florida-linked shops who have seen the biggest boon since Trump’s victory in November — with each bringing in dozens of new clients and staffing their firms with Trump-aligned figures. Others on the ascent include Rubin, Turnbull & Associates and The Southern Group. — “Everybody’s getting an offer from a lobbying firm up here that’s trying to make the Florida connection,” said prominent Tallahassee attorney and lobbyist Dave Ramba, speaking to POLITICO in Washington during a sold-out Republican Party of Florida inauguration gala. “Anybody that’s got 10, 15, 20 years in Florida politics,” he added, “their Rolodex is already filled.” — “Lobbyists and their clients see policy issues that have been big in Florida cropping up nationally. Trump aims to end diversity, equity and inclusion in government hiring practices? So does Florida. Trump wants to ban transgender athletes from women and girls’ sports? Happened in Florida almost four years ago.” — “Capital City Consulting owner and founder Nick Iarossi — who is based in Tallahassee and just expanded into Washington as managing director of BGR Group — said last week he was sitting in the lobby of the West Wing with clients ahead of meetings and bumped into several senior officials from Florida, including Bondi. ‘It was almost like you picked up Florida and placed it in the White House,” he said, adding that it was a ‘wild’ experience but also that Florida was ‘getting its due.’” NEW GROUP ALERT: Liliana Coronado is launching government affairs and litigation group Parzival Group. The firm will focus on corrections and criminal justice policy and advise on improvements to the justice system with offices in Washington and Los Angeles. — The move follows Coronado’s decadelong stint at the Brimley Group, where she was vice president and counsel. Prior to her time at the Brimley Group, she worked in the Office of the Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles and served as counsel for the House Judiciary Committee. The Brimley Group and Parzival Group plan to work in coordination on criminal justice policy. — “For the past nine years, Liliana has been an invaluable leader as Vice President of the Brimley Group, driving bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation and innovation, from her work on the First Step Act, Second Chance Reentry legislation, and the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act,” said Jessica Nickel, president of the Brimley Group. “As she embarks on this exciting new chapter, we are thrilled to continue our strong relationship and look forward to a successful partnership between our firms.” MORE MEDICAID MOVES: The Catholic Health Association is set to chair the Partnership for Medicaid — a nonpartisan coalition that represents health care providers, counties, clinicians and safety-net health plans — as congressional Republicans propose sweeping cuts to the program. — CHA Senior Director for Government Relations Paulo Pontemayor will represent the organization on the coalition. — Roughly 79 million people are enrolled in Medicaid and its related Children’s Health Insurance Program. The religious organization has long supported the expansion of Medicaid — which puts it at odds with Trump, who won the Catholic vote last year but has endorsed sharp cuts to the program. — “CHA looks forward to working with this coalition on shared priorities that advocate for policies that enhance access to care and improve health outcomes,” the group said in a statement. “We will continue to share stories of the vital role that hospitals, health systems, clinics, and long-term care facilities have in serving patients and communities.” SPOTTED Wednesday night at a National Republican Senatorial Committee fundraising dinner hosted by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, per a tipster: Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), NRSC Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Jim Banks (R-Ind.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Curtis (R-Utah), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Jon Husted (R-Ohio), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), David McCormick (R-Pa.), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.); Norm Brownstein, Ed Royce, Will Moschella, Brandt Anderson, Rosemary Becchi, Geoff Burr, Samantha Carl-Yoder, David Cohen, Samantha Corbin, Steve Demby, Leah Dempsey, Emily Felder, Lauren Flynn, Brady Howell, Jon Hrobsky, Charlie Iovino, Joe Jaso, Luke Johnson, Greta Joynes, Melissa Kuipers Blake, Marc Lampkin, Doug Maguire, Elizabeth Maier, Brian McGuire, Tripp McKemey, Lauren Mish, Bart Reising, Preston Rutledge, Adam Steinmetz, Jon Towers, Mark Warren, and Beth White.
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— David Laufman has joined Caplan & Drysdale as senior counsel in the firm’s Political Law group. Laufman most recently was a partner at Wiggin and Dana and previously served as chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Control section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. — Albert Bourla, CEO and chair of Pfizer, is now chair of the PhRMA board of directors. Sanofi CEO Paul Hudson is board chair-elect, and Merck CEO Robert Davis is treasurer, per Morning Pulse. — David Ferris is Cohere’s new head of global public sector. He was most recently principal at Pallas Advisors, focusing on tech integrations within national security, per Morning Tech. — Stephen Bell has been promoted to senior vice president of communications at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He has spent over a decade at NRECA, previously serving as vice president of advocacy, press and member connections. — Stephen Neuman has been promoted to be SVP and global head of government affairs at American Airlines. He previously served as managing director. — Rachel Reisner is joining Platform Communications as director of public relations. Reisner previously served as director of national communications for the Republican National Committee and handled regional and battleground communications for the Trump 2024 campaign. — Former Taft Stettinius & Hollister partner Sohan Dasgupta is making his return to the Department of Homeland Security, which has tapped him to serve as assistant secretary for trade and economic security. In his previous government stint he served as the deputy general counsel for DHS and special counsel for the Education Department. — The Department of Housing and Urban Development has added a handful of new staff members, a majority of whom are HUD alumni. Kasey Lovett, previously at JPMorganChase, makes her return to the department as head of public affairs. Jacklyn Ward, press communications manager for former Secretary Ben Carson at the American Cornerstone Institute, also rejoins HUD as press secretary. The department also hired Samantha Seal as press assistant. Seal most recently worked at the America First Policy Institute as strategic communications coordinator for former Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf.
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Ajw, Inc.: Renewable Fuels Association Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Sustana Group Inc. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: US Chamber Of Commerce Arentfox Schiff LLP: American Electric Power Company, Inc. Axadvocacy Government Relations: Public Properties LLC Bockorny Group, Inc.: Cvs Health Inc Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Faire Wholesale, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Fh Cann & Associates, Inc. Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Havocai Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Protect Coalition Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Skillful Communications, Inc. Dba Big Interview Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: The Nuclear Company Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: University Of Health & Performance Freeman Mathis Decisions: Braves Holdings, LLC Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Vistra Corp. Green Mountain Strategies LLC Dc: Lifecenter Northwest Hb Strategies (Fka Husch Blackwell Strategies): Promontory 150 LLC Ice Miller Strategies LLC: Tulsa Innovation Labs Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: Business Council Of Canada Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough: Lig Nex1 Co., Ltd. Pennsylvania Energy Resources Group, LLC: West View Water Authority Pennsylvania Energy Resources Group, LLC: Wilkinsburg-Penn Joint Water Authority Quill Advisers LLC: Shanda Asset Management LLC River Public Affairs Group: Mith-Ih-Kwuh Economic Development Corporation River Public Affairs Group: National Mobile Shower And Catering Association River Public Affairs Group: National Wildfire Suppression Association River Public Affairs Group: Salem Media Group River Public Affairs Group: Wildfire Water Solutions Rulon & White Governance Strategies: Veritaseum Inc., Ryan Costello Strategies: Centerline Action Scissortail Strategic Consulting Partners LLC: Capcventures LLC On Behalf Of Tcom Lp Skyline Capitol LLC: Gregory Ingram Skyline Capitol LLC: Seek Labs, Inc. Squire Patton Boggs: American Roads Squire Patton Boggs: Arapahoe County, Colorado Squire Patton Boggs: Association For Accessible Medicines Squire Patton Boggs: Autos Drive America Squire Patton Boggs: Becton, Dickinson And Company Squire Patton Boggs: Better Medicare Alliance Squire Patton Boggs: Heineken USa Squire Patton Boggs: Ipc International, Inc. Squire Patton Boggs: Leidos Inc. Squire Patton Boggs: Vertiv Group Corporation Steptoe LLP: Exxonmobil The Bridge Advisory Group: Sign In Solutions Thorn Run Partners: Boom Technology, Inc. Twinlogic Strategies, LLP: Network Advertising Initiative
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