Quarterly Outlook, April 2021 BGR Group TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Overview......................................................... 3 II. Bipartisan Take.............................................. 5 III. State Advocacy and Appropriations........... 7 IV. Health and Life Sciences ............................. 10 V. Commerce..................................................... 11 VI. Financial Services........................................ 13 VII. Public Relations.......................................... 15 VIII. International..............................................16 2 Quarterly Report, APRIL 2021 BGRDC.com I. Overview KEY DATES April 13-22: President Biden and Congressio- House, Senate in session nal Democrats had a productive first quarter as they advanced a April 24: Special Runoff Elections massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 for Louisiana 05 and Louisiana 02 Congressional Districts relief package, approved multiple administration nominees and April 28: President Biden to Address filled out the Biden cabinet, and Joint Session of Congress saw the national vaccination ef- April 30: Deadline for USTR to fort ramp up dramatically. release its annual report on how well other countries protect U.S. Now, they turn their attention to the next big intellectual property rights initiative – infrastructure. Biden and the Demo- crats know where they want to go but are still May 11-20: House in session creating their roadmap to get there. They want to go big, again. Republicans are urging a less costly May 10-28: Senate in session approach, and particularly one that doesn’t raise taxes. It remains to be seen if Republicans will go June 1: Special General Election along for the ride or spend the next few months putting up roadblocks. for New Mexico 1st Congressional District The Democratic leadership has laid out an ag- gressive timeline for moving a massive infra- June 5: Trade officials from the U.S., structure package. Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has marked July 4th as her target deadline for China and other members of the Asia- getting a bill out of the House. On the Senate Pacific Economic Cooperation forum side, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will hold a virtual meeting hosted by is weighing his options on budget reconciliation and filibuster reform. Even with budget recon- New Zealand ciliation as an option, the incredibly tight mar- gins in the House and Senate make the path for June 7-11: Commerce Department passage extremely challenging. annual SelectUSA Investment At the same time, the majorities will need to conference move spending bills and potentially a National Defense Authorization bill at the same time. June 7-25: The return of earmarks – or Community Project House, Senate in session Funding – may help move bills along. Regard- less, the second quarter looks to be even busier than the first. 3 MEMBERS TO WATCH ON INFRASTRUCTURE AND TAX COMMITTEE ON POTENTIAL DEALMAKERS COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE AND TRANSPORTATION TRANSPORTATION • Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), AND INFRASTRUCTURE Chair, Senate Committee on • Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Energy • Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Chair and Natural Resources Chair • Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), • Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), • Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO), Ranking Member Member, Senate Appropriations Ranking Member Committee COMMITTEE ON FINANCE POTENTIAL DEALMAKERS WAYS AND MEANS • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Chair COMMITTEE • Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Chair, Problem Solvers Caucus • Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID), • Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), Ranking Member Chair • Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL), Co-Chair, Blue Dog Coalition • Sen. John Thune (R-SD), • Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), Ranking Member, Subcommittee Ranking Member • Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), on Taxation and IRS Oversight Member, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee • Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), Member, Senate Finance Committee 4 Quarterly Report, APRIL 2021 BGRDC.com II. Bipartisan Take CAPITOL HILL IN THE TIME BGR CONTINUES TO ADAPT, OF COVID MEET CLIENT NEEDS ONE FRED TURNER YEAR INTO PANDEMIC After more than 25 years of work on Capitol Hill, JENNIFER LUKAWSKI I really thought I’d seen it all. I was in Longworth Lobbying is a highly personal activity. As advocates when two U.S. Capitol Police officers were shot for our clients, we thrive on building and maintain- and killed in 1998. I was in the Members’ Din- ing relationships through our personal interactions ing Room on the morning of September 11, 2001. with policymakers and their staff. Yet like most in- In August 2011, I was having lunch in the Hart dustries across the country, ours was significantly Building when an earthquake impacted by the COVID-19 pan- struck. demic One year ago we abruptly Yet none of that could have transitioned to what was sup- prepared me for the afternoon posed to be a brief period of re- of March 12, 2020. As chief of mote work. It soon became clear staff, I convened a conference that the shift would last longer call so that our colleagues in than anticipated. At the same Newark, NJ and Camden, NJ time, the need to engage law- could all be on the same page. makers grew as the health care We shut down all three of our crisis intensified and economic offices except for essential ser- fallout worsened. vices/personnel required to Unfortunately, traditional ac- serve the Senator when he was tivities such as in-person meetings, business trav- in Washington or back in NJ. Our offices transi- el, fundraising events, Washington fly-ins, and tioned to a full-time work from home capacity ex- chance encounters with lawmakers and staff were cept for two people in Washington and 1-2 people not possible. Without these opportunities- how in New Jersey. We assumed this would last “per- would our clients’ voices be heard? haps until the end of March…” BGR Group quickly adapted to effectively serve Exactly 13 months later and Capitol Hill is just our clients when they needed us most. We ad- beginning to see signs of normalcy. But what vocated for legislation and regulatory waivers happened to life on the Hill in the interim? needed for our clients. We conveyed information Turner continued on next page Lukawski continued on next page 5 Turner continued Lukawski continued There were very few staff around Members of to policymakers and their staff using video or audio Congress. What had been done by 30 colleagues conference calls in an informative, efficient, and pro- in the office was now being done completely re- ductive way. We hosted more than 100 remote brief- motely with the exception of a couple staff to print ings for clients with Members of Congress, Senators, speeches, log on to Zoom, take calls, and manage key administration officials and senior staff to ensure the schedule. Our conference room was still used real-time communication and information-sharing. for meetings with New Jersey’s other elected offi- We transitioned to virtual fly-ins and saw participa- cials, health care providers, and first responders— tion soar. Many attendees were eager to meet with but they were on a screen. Lobbying became some- their elected officials but in years past been unable to thing nearly unrecognizable. Lobbyists—the term make the trip to Washington. We were quick on our itself derived from spending time in the lobby of feet and found new and creative ways to ensure our a building—were finding new, creative ways to get clients had a seat at the policymaking table. their messages across. Fast forward to now. With the pandemic beginning to Some temporary changes might become more per- come under control, many in the government affairs manent. Will Members of Congress host a meeting community are asking– will things return to the way of 40 people in a room meant for 20? Will doctors, they used to be or is virtual advocacy the “new nor- longshoremen, clergy members, and restaurant mal”? Given some of the upsides we have experienced workers travel to Washington to tell their stories with virtual meetings, and feedback I have gotten and advocate for public policies or will those meet- from a variety of people, it seems clear that remote ings only happen back at home or in some hybrid advocacy will continue in some form beyond the in-person/online fashion? These are just a few of the pandemic. In a survey conducted over the summer unanswered questions for the balance of 2021 and by the Public Affairs Council, more than 70% of re- beyond. spondents believed that there will be limits on meet- ing federal policymakers in person post-pandemic. Notwithstanding the January 6th insurrection and Given the violent events of January 6th, this is likely the massive military presence that created during the to be even more so as a matter of national security. last three months, we are slowly seeing more staff in We can and must adjust. the buildings each morning. Some eateries have re- opened and you can even visit the Senate gift shop Thinking creatively, being flexible, and adapting to again for a few limited hours per week. changing circumstances is the sign of an innovative team working in unison to achieve success over the There is certainly a light at the end of the tunnel. long-term. This approach enabled BGR Group to bring With more Americans getting their vaccinations, new opportunities to our clients in these challenging Capitol Hill will soon alight with young staff run- times. With light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, I ning from meeting to meeting. But it will take am confident BGR Group will continue to provide un- much longer, with additional guidance from the compromised value to the clients we represent, wheth- CDC and the Office of the Capitol Attending Phy- er that be in-person, virtually or a combination of both. sician, for the Capitol Complex to return to pre- As we celebrate our 30-year anniversary as a firm this Pandemic days.