Political committees controlled by former President Trump have paid more than $2 million to law firms whose attorneys represented Jan. 6 committee witnesses, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Law firms connected to former White House lawyer Stefan Passantino, who previously represented committee witness Cassidy Hutchinson, were the top recipients, receiving $1.6 million from Trump-connected…
Author: Karl Evers-Hillstrom
Intel hiked lobbying spending by 65 percent amid chip subsidies push
Intel Corp. spent record sums on lobbying in the second quarter as it pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would provide the chipmaker with billions of dollars in new subsidies. The lobbying blitz comes as Congress prepares to pass a slimmed-down bill to boost U.S. competitiveness with China by spurring domestic semiconductor manufacturing. The bill…
Lobbying firms report massive profits amid reconciliation, China bill fights
K Street’s top lobbying firms raked in enormous revenues in the second quarter, according to figures shared with The Hill, indicating that the prolonged lobbying boom isn’t letting up just yet. Lobbyists have keyed in on Democrats’ budget reconciliation package, bipartisan legislation to boost U.S. competitiveness with China and annual government funding bills, among other…
Home sales fall for fifth straight month as prices keep rising
Existing home sales declined for the fifth straight month in June, falling 5.4 percent from the previous month, according to data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) released Wednesday. The figures indicate that record prices and higher interest rates are driving Americans out of the market. The median home price rose to $416,000 last…
Lobbying world
Intel Corp. hired Steve Pinkos to its global government affairs team as senior director of security policy. Pinkos previously served as deputy national security adviser under former President Trump and policy director for House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.). The Consumer Brands Association named Stacy Papadopoulos as its interim CEO. Papadopoulos joined the organization in…
New home construction falls to nine-month low
New U.S. home construction slipped in June to the lowest level since September 2021, underscoring a housing market slowdown. Housing starts fell 2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.56 million units, according to Commerce Department data released Tuesday. The decrease was driven by an 8.1 percent decline in single-family housing…
Bottom line
PRIVACY The Walt Disney Co. hired Alpine Advisors to lobby on the American Data Privacy and Protection Act. Former Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), who previously chaired the House Energy and Commerce Committee that is handling the privacy bill, will work on the account. Walden will also lobby for Fox Corp. on the privacy bill. H&R…
On The Money — Biden resorts to pushing scaled-back spending plan
The White House is continuing its calls for senators to pass a scaled-back reconciliation package that doesn’t include climate or tax overhauls. We’ll also look at Yellen’s most recent comments, one key impact of the strong U.S. dollar and President Biden’s low approval on the economy. But first, guess which part of the U.S. has the…
US dollar’s power is a boon to Americans traveling abroad
The surging value of the U.S. dollar in recent weeks is a boon to the American traveler, who will get more bang for their buck overseas despite surging inflation at home. But a strong American currency could limit international visitors to the U.S., where tourism firms are still licking their wounds from the height…
Lobbying world
Subject Matter hired Lindsay Kryzak as senior vice president of policy communications and Caitlin Canter as a lobbyist. Kryzak most recently served as director of public affairs at the Federal Trade Commission and previously led digital media for Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). Canter most recently was a principal at Capitol Counsel and previously…