Perspectives on Federal Advocacy

In this episode of Association Counsel, Partners Brian D. Schneider and Dan H. Renberg talk year-end activity on the Hill, the general election, and what it all means for trade associations as they plan their advocacy strategy for year-end and beyond.

The House Financial Services Committee’s new task force on fintech held its first hearing on Tuesday, June 25th, regarding the regulatory response to fintech’s rapid expansion and the impact it is having on consumers as well as the financial services industry overall.

As the dust settles on a campaign cycle that was unprecedented in many ways, we have composed this biennial post-election analysis to assist our clients in assessing the potential impact of the elections on their organizations and their industries.

Below is a roundup of headlines that matter and key takeaways from the industries and issues we’re following closely. We’ll be back later today with more in-depth analysis.

Congressional Republicans have reached an agreement on a tax reform proposal that will dramatically change the US tax code. The final agreement will have widespread implications for small business, partnerships, and multinational corporations.

On Thursday, Republicans in the US House of Representatives released an ambitious plan to reform the federal tax code for individuals and corporations.

The Group Purchasing Organization sector continues to drive down healthcare costs for hospital and nursing facility purchases, while facilitating bringing new products to market – that’s the key finding from the latest Annual Report from the Healthcare Group Purchasing Industry Initiative HGPII.

On June 15th, 2017, Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and the Budget, issued OMB Memorandum M-17-26, which purports to reduce the “Burden for Federal Agencies by Rescinding and Modifying [previous] OMB Memoranda.”

Arent Fox Senior Policy Advisor Senator Byron Dorgan weighed in on Trump’s travel ban in an op-ed for CNBC. The article focused specifically on international tourism and the adverse effects the travel ban has on jobs and America’s image to outside travelers.

Senator Byron Dorgan, Senior Policy Advisor at Arent Fox, and Dan Renberg, partner and co-leader of Arent Fox’s Government Relations practice, offered distinct perspectives on recent developments and the prospects for policy changes affecting companies that do business in the United States.

On March 24, 2015, the Washington, DC office of Arent Fox LLP, in cooperation with the Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy, hosted the latest edition of their Public Policy Forum Series.

On January 16, 2015, Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced S. 181 (The Startup Act), which is meant to promote new business formation, especially in the information technology industry.

Congress created the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program to help the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) identify improper payments made to providers by Medicare and Medicaid.

. TRIA provides a federal backstop given that catastrophic terrorism is an uninsurable risk, as described in a 2014 RAND Corporation analysis. Congress approved two TRIA extensions with reforms in 2005 and 2007.

On July 17, 2014, responding in part to the expiration of numerous tax incentives last December 31, the House of Representatives approved by a 277–130 vote a bill (H.R. 4719, The America Gives More Act) containing permanent extension of several tax incentives related to charitable deductions.

Arent Fox Government Relations partner Jon S. Bouker was quoted by Congressional Quarterly (CQ) in a cover story highlighting a different tone on Capitol Hill that has seen appropriators encouraging administration officials to increase their spending requests after a half-decade of belt tightening a

Earlier today, the Senate Finance Committee approved the Expiring Provisions Improvement Reform and Efficiency (EXPIRE) Act, which would resurrect roughly 50 expired tax incentive provisions that lapsed on December 31, 2013.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) today released the details of his long awaited tax reform proposal.

This afternoon, the House of Representatives approved by a 359-67 margin the “omnibus appropriations” bill (H.R. 3457) that emerged late Monday from several weeks of negotiations between the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Arent Fox Government Relations advisor Philip S. English wrote an opinion article published in Investor’s Business Daily on five ideas for tax reform created by the late Rep. Jack Kemp that would still work today.

Philip S. English, served as moderator for a panel at the Aspen Institute’s International Business Summit.

Arent Fox Government Relations Senior Policy Advisor Sen. Byron Dorgan was featured in an article in Environment and Energy Daily previewing testimony he gave before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee that focused on the potential for increasing the exportation of natural gas.

Political Law partner Craig Engle’s testimony before the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on campaign finance contributions was again covered by The Washington Post.