Digging into the latest batch of megabill lobbying disclosures
WHO LOBBIED ON MEGABILL NONPROFIT LANGUAGE: We're learning more about who hired whom to lobby on the Republicans' reconciliation bill as disclosures poured in following the end of the second quarter on Monday. (Lobbyists have 45 days to disclose new lobbying registrations, which explains the delay, though some of the latest disclosures have overshot that deadline.)
— Take, for example, ASAE — The Center for Association Leadership, the trade association for trade association executives. ASAE retained Saunders Global Diplomacy starting on April 1 to lobby on megabill provisions related to nonprofits' tax-exempt status, according to a disclosure filed on Monday.
— An earlier version of the megabill would have granted the Treasury secretary new powers to revoke a nonprofit's tax-exempt status if designated as a 'terrorist supporting organization,' which the nonprofit sector adamantly opposed. The language was dropped before the House bill reached headed to the floor.
— Americans Against Government Censorship, a coalition of nonprofits including the AFL-CIO and liberal advocacy group Indivisible, hired Washington Council Ernst & Young in May to lobby on the same provision. And the Rockefeller Foundation brought on Michael Best Strategies beginning in June to work on the reconciliation bill's proposal to hit private foundations with a new excise tax on their assets, according to more disclosures filed this week.
MORE NEW MEGABILL BUSINESS: Here's a round-up of additional reconciliation lobbying disclosed over the past few days. Saunders Global Diplomacy disclosed this week that it began lobbying in April for ClassWallet, a fintech vendor that helps K-12 schools digitally manage public funds, on issues related to the GOP school choice overhaul included in the reconciliation bill.
— More recently, the renewable energy company Serena Power retained Thorn Run Partners and the American Academy of Pediatrics retained Haro Solutions. Lockheed Martin hired Michael Best Strategies to lobby on spectrum provisions in the bill and 3M hired the firm to work on taxes.
— Fox Corp. retained the Smith-Free Group to work on several issues, including taxes, and General Mills has tapped OGR to lobby on corporate and international policy. Montreal's BMO Bank hired Marble Arch and real estate developer KRA Management retained Ballard Partners to lobby on international tax matters as well, while the fintech Remitly hired Capitol Counsel to lobby on the remittance excise tax.
— Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has signed LS Electric America and GE Aerospace for tax work, while Ridgeline Advocacy Group signed on to lobby beginning yesterday for the American Public Gas Association and geothermal developer AlterG Resources, per disclosure filings.
Happy Wednesday and welcome to PI. Did we miss any big reconciliation lobbying moves? Drop me a line: Add me on Signal at caitlinoprysko.17, email me at coprysko@politico.com, and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko.
GORDON HEADED BACK TO DGA: Philip Gordon, who served as national security adviser to former Vice President Kamala Harris, has rejoined DGA Group as a senior counselor. Gordon is a longtime Democratic foreign policy hand who worked in both the Obama and Clinton administrations. Before coming on as Harris' national security adviser in 2021, he previously was a senior adviser at Albright Stonebridge Group (which is now a part of DGA).
— DGA Group has also added Naveen Jha and Elizabeth Linder as senior advisers. Jha is currently global director of the Mehta Family Foundation; Linder is currently founder and CEO of Brooch Associates and served as Facebook's first international corporate diplomat.
KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON: Downtown isn't letting up on the pressure to pass the Republican megabill. The National Federation of Independent Business, which was an aggressive proponent of the bill's permanent extension of the 20 percent deduction for pass-through businesses, announced the House vote on the bill will be a key vote for the group.
— 'This legislation will prevent a tax hike on 33 million small business owners,' the group's top lobbyist, Adam Temple, warned in a letter to House members on Tuesday. 'A permanent small business deduction will lead to an additional 1.2 million jobs a year and $750 billion in economic growth in the small business sector alone,' Temple continued, adding that 'making the small business deduction permanent is NFIB's number one legislative priority and the most important thing Congress can do to help small businesses and their workers.'
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN: The removal of an effort to block state and local AI regulations for as much as a decade from Republicans' reconciliation package marked Silicon Valley's first major loss of the second Trump administration. But the episode was only 'a prelude to future battles around who gets to write the rulebook on a technology that is rapidly remaking the economy,' POLITICO's Chase DiFeliciantonio writes.
— 'The main driver of the measure, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, has threatened to bring the measure back, suggesting the fight is far from over. … The freeze became a rallying cry for much of the tech industry and their moneyed backers, who have long argued a patchwork of state AI rules will hobble the United States' ability to compete with rivals like China when it comes to the technology — an argument that has resonated with the Trump administration and its MAGA allies.'
— But 'states are already gearing up for the next battle, with legislators crafting measures they hope will be immune to Washington's preemption trump card. The push for a federal freeze on state AI laws also forged unlikely bipartisan coalitions across red and blue states that helped to crater Cruz's first effort. Those alliances will still be there should he try again.'
MOVING ON: Tech groups don't seem to be dwelling on the loss much, so far. 'The proposed moratorium on state AI laws is dead,' Adam Kovacevich, the head of the Chamber of Progress, wrote in a post on X today.
— Kovacevich laid out the next state AI policy battlegrounds where 'people who worry about states botching AI policy' should be actively engaged on, including efforts to regulate AI models in New York, California and Michigan; efforts to crack down on AI discrimination in Colorado and California; and legal and policy fights over intellectual property and copyright, where he warned that one pending California measure would be a 'litigation honey pot.'
UAP UNION: As Capitol Hill considers the threat of unidentified anomalous phenomena (previously known as unidentified flying objects), three groups focused on the issue are merging to help continue to drive advocacy, pass legislation and help protect whistleblowers on the issue, Daniel reports.
— Historically, the UAP community has been extremely fragmented. Activists say the union of three groups — the UAP Disclosure Fund, Disclosure Advocacy Group and UAP Caucus — could make their efforts more efficient. It could also improve whistleblower advocacy and better the chances of passing legislation about UAPs.
— The UAP Disclosure Fund is a 501(c)4, the Disclosure Advocacy Group represents whistleblowers and files FOIA requests and the UAP Caucus is an online grassroots platform trying to build a political constituency around the issue.
— 'With this first-of-its-kind merger of efforts in the UAP space, we have assembled an accomplished team of specialized professionals dedicated to what may be the most important issue of our time,' Jordan Flowers, executive director of the UAP Disclosure Fund, said in a statement. 'The transaction will augment our ability to engage at all levels of government — as well as in court if necessary — and expand our reach to new audiences inspired by the call for greater transparency.'
Jobs report
— Adam Szubin has joined Covington & Burling as of counsel in the national security practice. He previously led Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence and served for nearly a decade as director of Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control.
— Theo Wold is joining the Heritage Foundation as a visiting fellow for law and technology in the Center for Technology and the Human Person. He is a senior counselor at Palantir and previously was Idaho's solicitor general and U.S. assistant attorney general.
— Sean Savett is now associate director of comms at the Open Society Foundations, leading comms for the U.S. and the Americas. He previously was spokesperson for the NSC in the Biden White House.
— Molly Tuttle is now director of workforce development at the American Council of Engineering Companies. She previously was associate vice president for strategic comms at AECOM.
— Lisa Bercu is joining the National Consumers League as senior director of health policy. She previously was senior adviser to the deputy FDA commissioner for policy, legislation and international affairs.
— The Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation has promoted Taylor Schmitz to senior vice president. He has been with CSF for nearly a decade, most recently as director of federal relations.
New Joint Fundraisers
Maasdam Victory Committee (Trident Values PAC, Matt Maasdam for Congress)
SCOTT BROWN VICTORY COMMITTEE (Scott Brown for New Hampshire, Inc., Strong Country for Today and Tomorrow)
WHITSON VICTORY COMMITTEE (LIBERTY & LAW PAC, Whitson for Congress)
New PACs
LIBERTY & LAW PAC (Leadership PAC: Stewart Whitson)
NE-02 REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FUND 2026 (PAC)
Peace Democrats (PAC)
Rough Riders PAC (Super PAC)
Trident Values PAC (Leadership PAC: Matt Maasdam)
W&T OFFSHORE, INC. PAC (PAC)
Walleye PAC (Leadership PAC: Josh Williams)
New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: General Electric Company Dba Ge Aerospace
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Ls Electric America, Inc.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Volvo Group North America, LLC
Ankura Advocacy LLC: Vytalize Health
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Elliott Investment Management L.P.
Capitol Asset Strategies: Metrika, Inc.
Continental Strategy, LLC: Save Our Simulation
Continental Strategy, LLC: Sea Energy Shipping LLC
Disability Community For Democracy, Inc.: Disability Community For Democracy, Inc.
Federal Hall Policy Advisors, LLC: Enova International
Hogan Lovells US LLP: Tencent America LLC
Holland & Knight LLP: Li-Cycle Corp.
Law Offices Of George Harris, LLC: Hospital Authority Of Irwin County
Michael Best Strategies LLC: 3M Company
Michael Best Strategies LLC: Linn County, Oregon
Michael Best Strategies LLC: Lockheed Martin Corporation
Michael Best Strategies LLC: Payward, Inc. Dba Kraken
Michael Best Strategies LLC: The Rockefeller Foundation
Miller Strategies, LLC: Jetzero, Inc.
Miller Strategies, LLC: Keeping Americas Edge
Miller Strategies, LLC: Kps Capital Partners, Lp
Miller Strategies, LLC: Mark Foods
Miller Strategies, LLC: Medline Industries, Lp
Miller Strategies, LLC: Sibelco North America, Inc.
Miller Strategies, LLC: Twenty-Nine Palms Band Of Mission Indians
Miller Strategies, LLC: Vial Health Technology Inc.
Penn Hill Group: Association Of Private Nonprofit Institutions LLC
People United For Privacy: People United For Privacy
Porter Group, LLC: Bullseye Target Systems, LLC
Ridgeline Advocacy Group LLC: Alterg Resources LLC
Ridgeline Advocacy Group LLC: American Public Gas Association
Ridgeline Advocacy Group LLC: Quintessence Marine Inc. D/B/A Inversa Leathers
Ridgeline Advocacy Group LLC: Tetra Pak Inc.
Saunders Global Diplomacy: Asae - The Center For Association Leadership
Saunders Global Diplomacy: Classwallet
The Smith-Free Group, LLC: Fox Corporation
Tulipifera Strategies: Campaign For Trauma Informed Policy And Practice
Tulipifera Strategies: Treatment Advocacy Center
New Lobbying Terminations
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Advanced Mobile Solutions
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: American Home Furnishings Alliance
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Apprenticeships For America, Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Armorworks
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Baker Engineering, Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: California Workforce Association
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Carbon Sic Technologies, Inc
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Centegix Holdings, LLC
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: C. H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Cimpress USa
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Cubrc
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Excelsior College
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Fibernet Mercurydelta
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Friends Of Falun Gong USa
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: H2L Solutions, Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Highway 36/City Of Boulder (F/K/A Highway 36/City Of Louisville)
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Hntb Companies (The)
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Liberty Steel Holdings USa Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Lima 7, LLC
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Michigan Research Institute
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Michigan Works! Association
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Midwest Urban Strategies
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: National Association Of Workforce Development Professionals
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: National Skills Coalition
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: National University
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: New York Association Of Training And Employment Professionals
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: North American Home Furnishings Association
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: North Salt Lake, Ut
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Saginaw Valley State University
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Sandy City
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Strawberry Waters USers Assn
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Surface Tech, LLC
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: The Central Iron Country Water Conservancy District
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: The Metropolitan Water District Of Salt Lake & Sandy (Fka Provo River Water Assn
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Tutor.Com, Inc.
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Vericarbon
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Wayfair LLC
Dutko Worldwide, LLC: Western Governors University
Homesafe Alliance: Homesafe Alliance
Law Offices Of George Harris, LLC: Irwin County Commission
Ledge Counsel, Inc.: National Americorps Seniors Association Fka National Senior Corps Association
Lewis-Burke Associates, LLC: Education Reform Now Advocacy
Lxr Group: Broadridge Financial Solutions
Mr. Vincent A. Panvini: Phrma
Porter Group, LLC: Reno-Sparks Convention And Visitors Authority
Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.: Alaska Federation Of Natives
Powers Pyles Sutter & Verville, P.C.: Eastern Navajo Land Commission
Ridgeline Advocacy Group LLC: Fti Consulting On Behalf Of Tetra Pak
Simmons Energy And Environmental Strategies LLC: Carboncapture Inc.
Taxbit: Taxbit
Timothy Lovain: Capitol Strategies US, LLC On Behalf Of Port Of Everett
Tusk Strategies, LLC: Trustwell
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