Under The Influence

National Journal Discontinues Under The Influence

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:53:43 GMT

Editors Note:

In October 2008, National Journal supported my idea to create Under The Influence as a way for me and my colleagues to bolster our in-depth magazine work with daily news and analysis of the advocacy and lobbying community. Over the past two years, we built a following of thousands of readers and I am grateful for your support. Thank you to my colleagues Peter Stone, Julie Kosterlitz, Alexis Simendinger, Jim Barnes, Eliza Krigman, Eliza Newlin Carney, Amy Harder, Sara Jerome, Gregg Sangillo and editors Bob Gettlin, Randy Barrett, Lucas Grindley and Kevin Friedl for helping to make this blog so successful.

National Journal this summer is undergoing a restructuring as it implements a new digital strategy and merges newsrooms. As part of that plan, National Journal has decided it will not continue to support the Under the Influence blog or its online forum.

Thank you again to all of our readers and stay tuned. While I will be leaving the company on July 30, National Journal's coverage of lobbying will continue but in a different format.

-- Bara Vaida

Abramoff Tries Out Pizza Business

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 12:30:00 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "A lively mix of regulars and families with small children ate lunch at a kosher pizzeria in northwest Baltimore on Wednesday, and several said they have no problem with the restaurant's new employee: ex-Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff," CongressDailyAM (subscription) reports.

Travel Group Finds Novel Way Raise Funds

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:25:50 GMT

As the recession has pounded the travel industry over the past year, its chief lobbying group, the U.S Travel Association was in a search for funds, so it came up with a clever way to raise money: an online auction tied to travel products donated by the association's members.

"We called it a kind of bake sale," said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of public affairs for U.S. Travel.

Twenty six of the group's largest members, including travel companies, airlines, hotels, resorts, and convention centers, donated dozens of packages. Between May 4 and June 4, visitors to the group's DiscoverAmerica website could bid on trips like a Las Vegas vacation for two that included airfare, limo service, four nights at a hotel, concert tickets, dinners, a shopping spree, helicopter ride, a celebrity makeover and a spa treatment. The association asked for a starting bid of $5,500, which was snapped up in about a half hour.

Through the auction of the packages, the organization raised more than $1 million that it can use for lobbying and public policy efforts to support the travel industry. The effort was so successful that U.S. Travel will likely have another round of auctions in December, tied to the holidays.

"The benefit of this program is that it simultaneously addressed the needs of the organization in terms of resources and it was great for the marketing of travel too," said Freeman.

Watchdogs Chide FCC For Meeting Privately With Tech Companies

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:12:44 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• The Federal Communications Commission "came under fire Tuesday from public-interest groups demanding that the agency -- which regularly trumpets its openness -- disclose its private meetings with telecommunications industry lobbyists," CongressDailyAM (subscription) reports.

• "A handful of Members of Congress have accepted more than $100,000 worth of free international travel from the religious organization affiliated with the 'C Street house,' a Capitol Hill townhouse linked to recent Congressional sex scandals," Roll Call (subscription) reports.

• "The chairman of the Business Roundtable, an association of top corporate executives that has been President Obama's closest ally in the business community, accused the president and Democratic lawmakers Tuesday of creating an 'increasingly hostile environment for investment and job creation,'" the Washington Post reports.

Lawmakers' Privately Funded Travel Surges

Mon, 21 Jun 2010 12:30:00 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "Non-profit groups and special interests spent 73% more in the first three months of the year jetting members of Congress on domestic and foreign trips, a USA TODAY review of records compiled by CQ MoneyLine shows," USA Today reports.

• "Companies involved in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill are hiring a bevy of high-priced Washington lobbyists and consultants to help them weather the crisis, as investigations heat up and calls for policy changes intensify," the Washington Post reports.

• "Business and advocacy groups eagerly await the release of the government's first-ever strategic plan for intellectual property enforcement, as a Senate panel prepares to assess the performance of the post tasked with coordinating enforcement efforts and drawing up the plan," The Hill reports.

• "As Congress rushes this week to complete the most far-reaching financial reform plan in decades, the banking industry is mounting an 11th-hour end run," the New York Times reports.

Labor Group Creates Chamber Watchdog

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:48:36 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "The labor federation Change to Win today is launching a group called U.S. Chamber Watch, a new organization to put pressure on one of labor's top opponents, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce," Roll Call (subscription) reports.

Democrats Secure NRA's Support For Campaign Disclosure Rules

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 12:46:07 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "Displaying its remarkable clout, the National Rifle Association agreed on Tuesday to permit House passage of tougher disclosure requirements on campaign advertising and other political activity, one day after Democrats pledged to exempt the gun-owners' group from the bill's key provisions," AP reports.

• "Under pressure from the FCC, the communications industry is lobbying Congress to pass narrowly focused legislation to blunt two contentious, game-changing proposals championed by Chairman Julius Genachowski," CongressDailyAM (subscription) reports.

• "This appropriations season is even more precarious," for lobbyists "than past years with new earmark bans in place," Roll Call (subscription) reports.

Lobbying Disclosure Rules Revised By Congress Offices

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:45:55 GMT

The Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate announced they have revised two sections of the Lobbying Disclosure Act to clarify reporting requirements related to lobbyists and their campaign contributions, and their previous employers.

The congressional document offices appear to have streamlined the disclosure reporting process. The offices clarified that once a lobbyist files a report for a client and discloses the names and titles of previous employers that are considered "covered" under the LDA, they do not have to report that information again on subsequent forms unless the lobbyist files on behalf of a new client.

The offices also said that active lobbyists and their registrants, both must file a semi-annual report (on January 30 and July 30) disclosing campaign contributions during the period, even if no reportable contribution was made during that time.

Finance Bill Discussions Intensify Lobbying

Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:30:00 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "Wall Street's lobbying army is marching around Washington in a push to shape the final financial-overhaul bill," the Wall Street Journal (subscription) reports. "But it has gotten harder to get through the door with some lawmakers."

• "National Association of Convenience Stores lobbyist Lyle Beckwith had some sharp words for Members of Congress on a credit card interchange fee proposal," Roll Call (subscription) reports.

NRA Gets Carve Out In DISCLOSE Act

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:12:48 GMT

Powerful gun lobbying group, the National Rifle Association, has won a carve-out in the DISCLOSE Act that will exempt them from having to disclose the names of top donors behind its political ads, according to sources.

After the NRA threatened to oppose the legislation, which would require companies, unions and other parties to disclose the donors behind political ads, House Democrats negotiated with the NRA to find common ground. Under the agreement, the bill would exempt from the disclosure requirements, non-profit organizations that have over one million members, that have been in existence for more than 10 years, that have members in all 50 states, and that raise 15 percent or less of their funds from corporations. The NRA falls under that category.

The DISCLOSE Act was introduced after the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United vs the FEC, to strike down restrictions on election spending by corporations and unions. Democrats and some Republicans, fear the the ruling will result in overwhelming expenditures by corporations and introduced the disclosure requirements in hopes of curbing excessive spending.

The House is expected to take up the bill this month.

BP In For A Tricky Week

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:45:00 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "As BP ramps up its public relations effort to stem the fallout of the oil spill crisis that has badly stained its reputation, the company faces another big hurdle this week when its gaffe-prone chief executive, Tony Hayward, testifies before a House panel" Roll Call (subscription) reports.

• "Congress' final tinkering with Wall Street overhaul this month offers lobbyists a last-ditch shot to reshape the package on behalf of clients with billions at stake," AP reports.

• Roll Call (subscription) profiles the advocacy group CodePink: "What started in 2002 as a small group of women staging anti-war protests has become an international organization that raises about $500,000 each year from its more than 200,000 members."

Former Hill Staff Work Ex-Bosses In Wall Street Reform

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:58:50 GMT

There are 56 former Hill staff, now lobbyists, who have ties to the lawmakers who have been named to the conference to reconcile Wall Street reform, according to an analysis conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics and Public Citizen.

The financial services industry's links to the Senators on the panel, including Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, Sens. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. and Richard Shelby, R-Ala. are particularly extensive. Each senator once employed at least one current lobbyist.

"Lobbyists with these sorts of connections can have a profound effect on the outcome of legislation," said Sheila Krumholz, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics. "Their knowledge extends not only to the issues, but, perhaps more importantly, to their former bosses' cell phone numbers."

Health Care Leaders Press WH To Promote Innovation

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 12:49:10 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "Health care industry leaders are pressing the White House to get more involved with promoting health care innovation, saying the U.S. leads the world but faces growing challenges," The Hill reports.

Rothkopf Steps Down From Chamber

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:09:58 GMT

Longtime education veteran Arthur Rothkopf announced today that he would be leaving the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at the end of July. Since 2005, Rothkopf has overseen the Chamber's Education and Workforce initiative, including the nonprofit Institute for a Competitive Workforce.

"After 52 years of putting on a coat and tie and going to an office every day, I decided that it was time to take more control of my time," Rothkopf said about the decision to leave the Chamber. He also told National Journal that he would not be playing golf but rather continuing work in the education reform area. He will continue to be a member of the Education Department's National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and serve as a trustee of American University and the Educational Testing Service.

Former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings will oversee the Chamber's education programs for the time being.

Previous to his work at the Chamber, Rothkopf spent 12 years as president of Lafayette College. Before entering the field of education, Rothkopf held two top positions in the Transportation Department, Deputy Secretary and General Counsel. In a statement released today, Thomas Donohue, president of the Chamber, called Rothkopf a "major force in education reform in both the public and private sectors"

Players Large And Small Battle Over Interchange Fees

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 12:30:00 GMT

From this morning's Earlybird:

• "The battle over interchange fees assessed on debit and credit card purchases has been a knock-down, drag-out lobbying war for years between banks and retailers. But the lobbying fight has turned from those behemoth industries to a smaller scale, pitting state treasurers and a hip-hop impresario against colleges and the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians," CongressDailyAM (subscription) reports.

Under The Influence

National Journal Discontinues Under The Influence

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Abramoff Tries Out Pizza Business

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Travel Group Finds Novel Way Raise Funds

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Watchdogs Chide FCC For Meeting Privately With Tech Companies

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Lawmakers' Privately Funded Travel Surges

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Labor Group Creates Chamber Watchdog

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Democrats Secure NRA's Support For Campaign Disclosure Rules

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Lobbying Disclosure Rules Revised By Congress Offices

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Finance Bill Discussions Intensify Lobbying

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NRA Gets Carve Out In DISCLOSE Act

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BP In For A Tricky Week

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Former Hill Staff Work Ex-Bosses In Wall Street Reform

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Health Care Leaders Press WH To Promote Innovation

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Rothkopf Steps Down From Chamber

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Players Large And Small Battle Over Interchange Fees

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