| | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by American Hospital Association | With Daniel Lippman A GUIDE TO TOM COLE’S ALUMNI ON K STREET: New House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) may not have as many alumni on K Street as his predecessor Kay Granger (R-Ala.), but the veteran lawmaker and former House Rules chair (who our colleagues Jennifer Scholtes and Caitlin Emma profiled this morning) does have a decently sized network of former staffers downtown. Here’s a (non-exhaustive) guide. — Several of Cole’s former chiefs of staff are now multiclient lobbyists, including Leslie Belcher, now a managing director of Steptoe’s government affairs practice lobbying for clients including Starkist, Prudential Financial, the University of Oklahoma and the Travelers Companies. Former chief Pete Kirkham, who runs the lobbying and consulting firm Red Maple Consulting, lobbies for clients that include the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, Chickasaw Nation and the Indian Gaming Association, according to disclosures. — Maria Bowie, who served as Cole’s deputy chief of staff and legislative director for a decade, is now a vice president at Strategic Marketing Innovations, working for clients that include New Balance, Seacorp and U.S. Vanadium. Chris Caron, who also served as Cole’s deputy chief, now works at the Livingston Group, the lobbying firm founded by former Rep. Bob Livingston. — Other former Cole aides who now call K Street home include Stratton Edwards, who’s now at the National Rural Utilities Cooperative Finance Corp.; Caitrin Shuy, now with the National Indian Health Board; Robert Powell of CSS Strategies; former Approps Committee staffers Allison Deters and Karyn Richman, who are now at Northrop Grumman and Cornerstone Government Affairs, respectively, and former Rules Committee aides James Fitzella of Ferox Strategies and Karas Gross of Jazz Pharmaceuticals. Forbes Tate Partners’ Tyler Roberts previously worked with Cole at the NRCC, and Elections LLC political law counsel Derek Ross was previously a staff assistant for Cole. Happy Monday and welcome to PI, where it feels great to be back in the saddle (though, admittedly, not as great as being in the South Florida sun). Huge thanks again to Hailey Fuchs and Megan Wilson for pinch hitting for me while I was out. Let me know what I missed: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.
| | | | A message from The American Hospital Association America’s hospitals and health systems are ready for you, 24/7. This week, about 1 in 100 of us will visit the emergency room. And by the end of this year, more than 130 million of us will have made this visit. You may not know when you’ll need us, but in America’s hospitals and health systems, we’re always ready — because emergencies don’t wait for business hours. This is the hospital story. | | | HAPPY TAX DAY: The business community is using today’s tax filing deadline to ramp up pressure on the Senate to take up legislation renewing a set of prized tax breaks. The American Hotel & Lodging Association is holding a “Tax Day of Action” urging hoteliers to call their senators about the bipartisan bill, which passed the House in January but is on the brink of collapse in the Senate due to criticism from the chamber’s top GOP tax writer, Idaho’s Mike Crapo, among others. — Eric Fanning, the head of the Aerospace Industries Association, also issued an industry plea to pass the tax bill, which would restore businesses’ ability to immediately write off research and development costs rather than spacing them out and allow a 100 percent deduction for things like new equipment or machinery and deductions for business interest, along with expanding the child tax credit. — “American innovation has always led the way, from airplanes to moon landings. But the 2022 research and development (R&D) expensing change is holding us back; we’re now one of only two countries not allowing full deductions for R&D expenses,” Fanning said in statement, arguing that failure to restore the tax break “hampers our economy and global competitiveness, forcing employers to reduce their workforces and disincentivizing the very innovation that propels us forward.” — American Council of Engineering Companies board Chair Jay Wolverton said today’s filing deadline “brings another crippling tax increase on America’s engineering industry and other sectors of the economy that embrace innovation,” arguing that sunsetting tax breaks that would be addressed by the bill are “literally punishing [companies] for the innovation our economy needs to stay competitive.” — And FreedomWorks added its voice to a chorus of conservative groups pushing the bill, reiterating the libertarian group’s support with a bit of, er, historical analysis: “This session, the House has been broiled in a level of infighting and dysfunction not seen since Fleetwood Mac wrote and recorded the album Rumors,” FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon said in a statement. “And yet, they found the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act important enough to pass 357 to 70. A bipartisan win in a chamber seemingly allergic to compromise.” — In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Senate Finance ranking member Crapo, Brandon added that the group will be scoring senators’ votes on the bill, including procedural votes. — Meanwhile 500 beer distributors from across the country will head to the Hill this week as part of the National Beer Wholesalers Association’s annual fly-in, which will focus on a different tax bill, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which would make permanent the 20 percent deduction for qualified pass-through businesses. Attendees are expected to meet with 400 offices on the Hill. HOW TELECOMS ARE SHAPING THE BROADBAND EXPANSION: “AT&T, Charter, Comcast and Verizon are quietly trying to weaken a $42.5 billion federal program to improve internet access across the nation, aiming to block strict new rules that would require them to lower their poorest customers’ monthly bills in exchange for a share of the aid,” The Washington Post’s Tony Romm reports. — “In state after state, the telecom firms have blasted the proposed price cuts as illegal — forcing regulators in California, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and elsewhere to rethink, scale back or abandon their plans to condition the federal funds on financial relief for consumers.” — The state-focused lobbying campaign “threatens to undermine the largest burst of money to upgrade the country’s internet service in U.S. history,” which was included in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, prompting fears from officials that “the massive influx of aid could fall short of its potential, particularly if Americans cannot afford the new broadband service in their long-neglected communities.” WITH ARMS WIDE(R) OPEN: “Heading into an election in which energy prices figure to be a key issue, President Biden and some of the country’s biggest oil companies have reached a surprising detente,” the Wall Street Journal’s Collin Eaton reports. — “The truce comes after years of acrimony: The White House routinely slammed windfall oil-and-gas profits as pump prices surged in 2022, and industry executives bemoaned Biden’s campaign promise to transition the U.S. away from oil.” — “Lately though, top executives from Exxon Mobil, Occidental Petroleum and other producers say they have enjoyed cozier relations with the White House, spending more time discussing—and sometimes influencing—the administration’s thinking on climate investments, energy policy and global oil markets with top Biden officials.” ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: Daniel and Oriana Pawlyk reported over the weekend that Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) “has decided to stop accepting campaign donations this year from Boeing executives because of the Senate inquiry she’s leading into the company’s safety practices.” — “Following a door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight earlier this year, Cantwell’s committee has been examining whether Boeing cut corners in manufacturing its airplanes. Boeing’s 737 MAX assembly facilities reside in Cantwell’s home state.” — Under the new policy, Cantwell — who OpenSecrets records show has received $20,000 in donations from Boeing employees since 2019 — is returning a $500 donation from December from Elizabeth Lund, who was promoted in February to senior vice president of quality for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, per Daniel and Oriana. CHINESE CASH FLOODS AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES: “Chinese companies are feeling a cold shoulder in the U.S. — except at universities, where they are welcomed as customers,” per the WSJ’s James T. Areddy. — “American universities sign contracts around the world to sell their research and training expertise, and some of their most lucrative agreements have been with companies based in China. The decadeslong trade thrives despite a deepening U.S.-China rivalry and rising sensitivities about Beijing’s influence on American campuses.” — “Nearly 200 U.S. colleges and universities held contracts with Chinese businesses, valued at $2.32 billion, between 2012 and 2024, according to a review by The Wall Street Journal of disclosures made to the Education Department. … The extensive trade in American expertise presents a quandary for universities and policymakers in Washington: Where’s the line between fostering academic research and empowering a U.S. rival?”
| | | | THE GOLD STANDARD OF POLICY REPORTING & INTELLIGENCE: POLITICO has more than 500 journalists delivering unrivaled reporting and illuminating the policy and regulatory landscape for those who need to know what’s next. Throughout the election and the legislative and regulatory pushes that will follow, POLITICO Pro is indispensable to those who need to make informed decisions fast. POLITICO Pro dives deeper into critical and quickly evolving sectors and industries—finance, defense, technology, healthcare, energy—equipping policymakers and those who shape legislation and regulation with essential news and intelligence from the world’s best politics and policy journalists. Our newsroom is deeper, more experienced, and better sourced than any other—with teams embedded in the world’s most active legislative and regulatory power centers. From Brussels to Washington, New York to London, Sacramento to Paris, we bring subscribers inside the conversations that determine policy outcomes and the future of industries, providing insight that cannot be found anywhere else. Get the premier news and policy intelligence service, SUBSCRIBE TO POLITICO PRO TODAY. | | | | | | | | | — Former South Carolina governor and U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley will join the Hudson Institute as Walter P. Stern chair. — The American Cleaning Institute promoted James Kim to senior vice president of science and regulatory affairs and added Jessica Eason as manager of environmental and scientific affairs. Eason was previously at NOAA. — Kyle Shelly will be a director of federal affairs at General Motors. He was most recently a public policy manager at GM Financial. — Alliance for Justice President Rakim H.D. Brooks will be leaving to become senior vice president of risk and legal strategies for the JPB Foundation. Keith Thirion, AFJ’s vice president of strategy, and Betsy Miller Kittredge, the group’s vice president of operations and chief of staff, will become interim co-presidents. — Takeda hired Rebecca Mandell as director of federal affairs. She comes from Organon, where she launched the federal government relations operation following its spin-off from Merck, and previously spent 14 years at Amgen. — Nona McCoy is joining Torrey Advisory Group as a vice president. She was most recently a senior staffer on the Senate Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee, and before that worked for the Senate Ag Committee. — Michael Robbins will be the next president and CEO of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International. Robbins was previously chief advocacy officer for the trade group. — Matt Aks has joined Evercore ISI as vice president for policy research, focusing on energy transition, fiscal policy, trade and geopolitics. He was previously a senior adviser in Treasury's Climate Hub and is also an alum of the Obama CEA and NSC. — Cara Rich is now chief growth officer for global and Americas at SEC Newgate. She most recently was chief growth officer for North America at BCW Global. — Edie Guy is now senior program manager of the Presidential Administration Academy of Project 2025 at the Heritage Foundation. She most recently was comms director for Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.), and is a Trump OMB alum. — Combiz Abdolrahimi is joining ServiceNow as vice president for the global public sector. He previously was global emerging technology and innovation leader at Deloitte, and is a Treasury Department alum. — Tara Burchmore, a TechCongress fellow, is joining Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-N.Y.) office as an economic policy fellow. She previously ran Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ (R-Wyo.) Financial Innovation Caucus.
| | | | A message from American Hospital Association   | | | | | HAMLEN VICTORY COMMITTEE (Bill Hamlen for Congress, The Granite State PAC) Illinois Virginia Victory Fund (Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Tim Kaine) WAR VETERANS FUND 2024 (Derrick Anderson for VA, Inc., Friends of Singleton for Congress, Mercuri for Congress, The Pat Harrigan Committee, Tom Barrett for Congress, Troy Downing for Congress, War Veterans Fund PAC)
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| | | | A message from American Hospital Association America’s hospitals and health systems are ready for you, 24/7. This week, about 1 in 100 of us will visit the emergency room. And by the end of this year, more than 130 million of us will have made this visit. You may not know when you’ll need us, but in America’s hospitals and health systems, we’re always ready — because emergencies don’t wait for business hours. This is the hospital story. | | | | | New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | Corcoran Street Group: Vogel Group On Behalf Of Healthcare Supply Chain Association Exigent Government Relations: National Association Of Mutual Insurance Companies Mcallister & Quinn: San Francisco Community Clinic Consortium Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP: Amc Health, Inc. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP: Ukraine Focus Tarplin, Downs & Young, LLC: Advamed Tarplin, Downs & Young, LLC: Crinetics Pharmaceuticals Thorn Run Partners: Pubrec LLC On Behalf Of Peopleconnect Tremont Strategies Group LLC: Galls, LLC Vaccinate Your Family: Vaccinate Your Family
| | | | POLITICO IS BACK AT THE 2024 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO will again be your eyes and ears at the 27th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles from May 5-8 with exclusive, daily, reporting in our Global Playbook newsletter. Suzanne Lynch will be on the ground covering the biggest moments, behind-the-scenes buzz and on-stage insights from global leaders in health, finance, tech, philanthropy and beyond. Get a front-row seat to where the most interesting minds and top global leaders confront the world’s most pressing and complex challenges — subscribe today. | | | | | | | New Lobbying Terminations | | | Acg Analytics: American Trade Association For Cannabis & Hemp Acg Analytics: Chia Network, Inc. Advanced Policy Consulting, LLC: M&A Securities Group, Inc. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Abiomed, Inc. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Ahs Management Company, Inc Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Alliance To Protect Nantucket Sound Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: City Of Plano Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Elliott Investment Management L.P. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Softrams LLC Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: The Crosby Group American Association Of Port Authorities: American Association Of Port Authorities Ardent Strategies: Playmaker Strategies, On Behalf Of Owensboro Grain Augusta Associates, LLC: Crucial, Inc Carpi & Clay, Inc: California Earthquake Authority Chamber Hill Strategies: Adc Energy Chamber Hill Strategies: Liberty Government Affairs On Behalf Of Honduras Prospera Inc Chamber Hill Strategies: Tenet Healthcare Corporation Chamber Hill Strategies: The Committee For The Protection Of Online Consumer Data Dentons US LLP: Scanstat Technologies, LLC Glaze Consulting, LLC: Stephens Shared Services, LLC Holland & Knight LLP: Marsh & Mclennan Agency, LLC F/K/A Thomas Rutherfoord, Inc. Holland & Knight LLP: Self Esteem Brands, LLC Holland & Knight LLP: Ultimate Fitness Group LLC D/B/A Orangetheory Fitness Holland & Knight LLP: Wallbox USa Inc. King & Spalding LLP: Sumitomo Pharma America (Formerly Sunovion Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) Klein Law Group Pllc: Coalition For Alt. To Letter Of Credit K&L Gates, LLP: Roger F. Nyhus K&L Gates, LLP: Sierra Pacific Industries Mccaulley&Company: Lorain County Board Of County Commissioners Mccaulley&Company: Urban Community School Miller & Chevalier Chartered: Juul Labs, Inc. Monument Advocacy: Powdr Monument Advocacy: Xr Association Strategic Capitol Group, LLC: Applied Ai Company Strategic Capitol Group, LLC: San Francisco Research Institute Thegroup Dc, LLC: Pepsico | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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