Reid Expected to Pivot From Small Business to Energy

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Election 2010 Outlook – DOWNLOAD

Jobless benefits clear Congress

Reid to advance limited oil spill and energy bill, delaying climate action

Obama signs sweeping financial overhaul into law

Democrats break filibuster on jobless aid

Senate Sends Wall Street Overhaul to Obama

Harry Reid plans Tuesday jobless vote

Financial regulation bill nears finish line with support from Snowe, Brown

Deficit hits $1 trillion in June for second year

Bank bill clears House, Senate looms

Robert Byrd dies at 92

Conferees Clear Sweeping Wall Street Overhaul

Dems propose new budget cuts

Kagan Hearings Officially Set for June 28

Jobs bill blocked in Senate

F.C.C. Moves to Expand Role in Broadband

Reid Moves to Set Up Final Vote on Extenders Package

Gulf fuels new energy-bill push

Wall St. reform’s fierce final battle

Democratic Energy Builds for Energy Bill

Reid Renews Push for Climate Change Bill This Year

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Senate Passes Financial Regulation Bill

House Action on Tax and Benefit Extensions Set for Next Week

Senate Clears Key Hurdle to Advance Financial Reform

Senate Democrats delay cloture vote, work on a way forward

Leahy Announces Kagan Hearings to Begin June 28

Reid Moves for Final Vote on Financial Reform

Senate Gets a Climate and Energy Bill, Modified by a Gulf Spill That Still Grows

CBO ups health care cost projections

Obama Picks Kagan as Justice Nominee

Kerry, Lieberman to Unveil Climate Change Bill Wednesday

Financial overhaul bill gets bipartisan push in Senate

Source: Energy bill next week

Senate Readies for Financial Bill Votes

Graham stands ground on climate bill

Arizona Governor Signs Immigration Bill, Reopening National Debate

Democrats Outline Campaign Finance Bill

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Everett Crosson

Everett Crosson is the Chief Financial Officer for the firm.  He is responsible for all of the financial, accounting and banking aspects of the company.

Everett has over twenty years experience in the Services Industry.  He worked in the law firm environment for seventeen years, then transitioned to C2 Group.  His work experience includes management, acquisitions, finance and accounting.

Everett attended North Carolina Central University graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Finance.  He received his Masters in Finance and Management from University of Maryland, University College.

Kyle Cormney

Kyle serves as Staff Assistant for C2 Group.  He assists the firm in administrative, research, and legislative issues.  Kyle provides support to numerous clients, including PepsiCo, Inc.

Kyle is native of Richmond, KY.  He has contributed to numerous local, state and federal races involving Republican candidates in Ohio.  He remains active in Miami University Alumni Association events and the Miami University Government Relations Network in Washington, DC.

Kyle is a recent graduate of Miami University in Oxford, OH where he earned Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Political Science and History.

Andrea Synborski

Andrea serves as the Legislative Assistant for the firm and is the confidential aide to all the Partners and the Director of Federal Affairs.  She performs research, prepares reports and tracks issues including legislation and media coverage relating to clients and their issues.

Prior to joining C2 GROUP, she served as a Staff Assistant and Correspondent to Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH).  During her tenure in Senator Gregg’s office, Andrea conducted research and analysis into salient foreign policy and appropriations issues for staff and member utilization.  She also worked directly with the Senator and senior staff with regards to VIP requests and was the primary contact for such requests.  Andrea got her start on Capitol Hill working for Senator John E. Sununu (R-NH). There she worked directly with the Senator, Chief of Staff and senior legislative staff to develop responses to constituent and special interest inquires and requests.

Andrea is a native of New Hampshire and the “First in the Nation Primary.”  During the 2008 Presidential campaign, she served as a political director for the ONE Campaign, a branch of DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), which was founded in 2002 and is an anti-poverty advocacy organization.  There she collaborated with ONE’s senior staff to develop effective public relations tactics that significantly advanced the organizations political and communications goals in a key early presidential voting state, the NH primary.

Andrea graduated from Loyola University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Kalyn Casanova

Kalyn serves as Executive Assistant and Office Manager for the firm, directing all firm-sponsored events with clients and policymakers, as well as special events for Members of Congress and other Washington figures.  In addition, Kalyn manages all firm coalition activities and organizes and supports all communications with clients and other parties.

Prior to joining the firm, Kalyn was an Operations Manager at Regus Management Group in Atlanta Georgia, where she managed the day-to-day operations of an executive suite business center.

Kalyn is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Marketing.

Chris Dodd Won’t Commit To Dropping $50 Billion Fund

Senate Climate Bill To Be Unveiled April 26

K Streeters Launch Blue Dog Nonprofit

Six Democratic lobbyists with deep ties to the Blue Dog Coalition, including former Reps. Bud Cramer (Ala.) and Charlie Stenholm (Texas), unveiled Tuesday a new nonprofit called the Blue Dog Research Forum.

In a letter to Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), who co-chairs the Blue Dog Coalition, Cramer and Stenholm wrote that they were establishing the organization to “ensure there will always be a forum in Washington to mark that middle ground when it comes to issues affecting the country’s fiscal health.”

The group’s goal is to be an incubator for policy ideas affecting the economy, such as energy, health care, tax policy, national defense and entitlements.

The research forum takes its name from the 54 fiscally conservative Democratic Members who have emerged as a powerful voting bloc on major legislation, but no current lawmaker has been involved in setting it up, according to Cramer, an original Blue Dog and president of the new research forum.

“They actually legally cannot dictate control or dominate what happens here,” Cramer said. “We can involve them. We can involve any Member in the policy forums we will carry forward, and we hope to be able to do that.”

However, as the lobbyists quietly set up the organization over the past several months, they have kept Blue Dog leadership generally informed. And Cramer, who now lobbies at Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, said the Members have been supportive so far.

In addition to Stenholm — who works at Olsson, Frank & Weeda — and Cramer, the board of directors for the new venture includes Jeff Murray of the C2 Group, Vickie Walling of Prime Policy Group, Stacey Alexander of Elmendorf Strategies and Libby Greer of Cauthen, Forbes & Williams.

Murray, who serves as the forum’s treasurer, said he expects to send out solicitations in the near future asking potential corporate, union and other donors for pledges worth about $10,000 each to participate.

The founders say they are sensitive to keeping the research forum in line with the Blue Dogs’ principles of fiscal conservatism. Other Member-affiliated organizations such as the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation have drawn scrutiny over their fundraising techniques and ties to donors.

While political action committees associated with Congressional caucuses are subject to federal election contribution limits, nonprofit groups and charities are allowed to collect unlimited amounts of money from corporations, labor unions and trade associations.

“We’re going to make sure this doesn’t evolve into a social organization,” Murray said. “We’re going to keep our nose to the grindstone and make sure this is very policy-oriented.”

“This is not going to turn into a golf boondoggle,” he added.

The research forum’s main purpose will be to produce a series of roundtable discussions and programs, according to the board members. The group plans to bring together journalists, association, union and think tank members along with Members of Congress to determine what issues are relevant in the near term. A larger forum will follow in the next couple of months. Transcripts of the forums will be available online to non-members of the group.

“A lot of ideas don’t get to see the light of day,” said Greer, former chief of staff to Blue Dog Rep. Allen Boyd (Fla.). “We want to give them a place to breathe.”

Walling, the former chief of staff to leading Blue Dog Rep. John Tanner (Tenn.), has worked closely with the Blue Dogs during her 36 years as a Congressional aide. She said the nonprofit comes as bipartisan cooperation hits an all-time low.

“We are really going to work hard to put together the kind of forums and information to be helpful to start finding the sweet spot or centrist approach,” Walling said.

There are several Member-affiliated nonprofits, including the CBC Foundation and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

Ethics lawyers said setting up such a group brings a certain amount of public relations risk, giving fuel to critics — including political opponents — who charge that Members of Congress are too closely tied to lobbyists and corporate interests.

“It’s not the most popular thing,” said Covington & Burling lawyer Rob Kelner, a campaign finance and lobbying expert.

But the forum’s founders say the current political environment — where Blue Dogs are facing tough re-elections and partisan politics are dominating the political discussion — makes it the right time to start an organization that is focused on policy solutions for fiscal and national debt issues as well as energy and health care.

The research forum is not the first organization to attempt to be the incubator for centrist political ideas. In the mid-1980s, Al From started the Democratic Leadership Council as a place to come up with a set of ideas that would move the Democratic party to the middle.

“It’s pretty well-known the difficulties the Congress and the House are having because of the polarization,” Stenholm said of the reason he and his K Street colleagues decided to form the group. “It can be very helpful now to have experts from various entities that might be perceived as centrist to give them an opportunity to discuss those [ideas] and present those ideas to Congress.”

The foundation is set up as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit. While its tax status means that contributions are not tax deductible for donors, Blue Dogs tend to be money magnets.

The Blue Dog political action committee has raised $1.8 million so far this election cycle. The PAC raised $2.6 million in the 2008 cycle.

The research forum will not lobby, but the tax status gives it more flexibility if the group decides to broaden its mission in the future, according to Murray.

And for now, the research forum will not have any staff.

“We want to slow grow this so that we are careful about where we go,” said Cramer, who was elected to a two-year term as president of the nonprofit.

Justice John Paul Stevens Announces His Retirement From Supreme Court

Health Care Reform

Lobbyists Ice Members in Hockey Fundraiser

Score one (well, seven) for K Street.

While the war between Congress and lobbyists isn’t likely to end anytime soon, K Street denizens won a battle on the ice Tuesday night, handily defeating Members and Congressional staffers 7-2 in the second annual Congressional Hockey Challenge, held at the Fort Dupont Ice Arena.

The Lobbyists made it a long night for the Lawmakers, scoring all seven goals before the Members’ squad made its first shot. Left wing Nelson Litterst of the C2 Group — nicknamed “Half Nelson” — scored back-to-back goals in the first period to put his team up 2-0. Forward Ian Bennitt of Ball Janik LLP quickly followed with another to put the team up 3-0 at the first break.

The slaughter continued for most of the game, with the Lobbyists going up 6-0 by the end of the second period and scoring a seventh early in the third. Right wing John Goodwin of the National Rifle Association scored a goal and had two assists, and defender Jeff Kimbell of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates Inc. made what was perhaps the play of the game when he scored a goal over the right shoulder of the Lawmakers’ goalie, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), late in the second period.

The Lawmakers did manage two goals toward the end of the heated matchup, but it was too little, too late.

“Things may not have gone our way, but as a long-suffering Chicago Cubs fan, I can say with some practice that there’s always next year,” said Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), who played right wing for the Lawmakers. “I was also reminded that in D.C. you can’t even hide your true colors on the ice: The NRA’s lobbyist was playing right wing.”

While the action on the ice was at times violent, plenty of goodwill came out of the event.

Quigley and his teammates, Reps. Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.), officially launched the Congressional Hockey Caucus on Tuesday night, promising to find ways to promote the sport among youths. In addition, the game raised more than $52,000 for the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, which provides inner-city youths with the opportunity to play in an organized ice hockey program.

It still might not be enough, however. According to an event spokesman, Neal Henderson, the founder and head coach of the club, plans to donate the $3,600 in proceeds from the door donations, silent auction and sales of cups and T-shirts to the arena, which is facing a funding shortfall of more than $200,000.

Higgins:  Hill Tougher Than Hockey (VIDEO)

At the Congressional Hockey Challenge charity game Tuesday night, team “Lobbyist” overtook team “Lawmakers” with a 7-2 score. And the face-off on ice was a welcome contrast from their day jobs.

“[This is] much more fun, not as many rules,” said lobbyist Chris Coleman from inside the team’s box at the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club. “You can knock people down. You can hit them. You can slash them. No problems there, no ethics committee’s going to take you up for that.”

His teammate John Cline, of C2 Group, agreed, jokingly saying: “Oh, this is much more rewarding. You actually get to push them a little bit and shoot at them.”

Reps. Brian Higgins, Mike Quigley and Anthony Weiner were the three members of Congress that skated for the charity ice game—along with some senior aides.

And despite the scoreboard, Higgins agreed with the lobbyists that this game was easier than their work in Washington.

“It’s a lot a rougher on the Hill, more contact ... less margin of error,” he said during the second period.

Raul R. Tapia

Raul is a Partner in the firm where he focuses mainly on coordinating client issue management with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Conference.  Raul has worked mainly in the area of broadcasting, telecommunications, municipal services, health care and public affairs.

In addition to his work with the firm, Raul is also the founder and former Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Republic Communications Corporation, a Fox Network affiliated television station serving San Antonio, Texas.  Raul was also a founder, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer of AMO Broadcasting Company, which was owned and operated as the licensee of KIVA-FM, Santa Fe/Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Raul served for five years as one of nine members of the Board of Directors of Denny’s Corporation where he was a member of the Audit and Finance Committee.  During this period Fortune magazine, in its annual review of the top 1200 companies in the United States, selected Denny’s as among its “America’s 50 Best Companies for Minorities”.

From 1981 until 1992, Raul was a founding partner in the law firm of Tapia & Buffington, and prior to that with the law firm of Doub, Purcell, Muntzing & Hansen.  Raul’s law practice focused mainly on corporate, legislative and administrative law matters.

From 1979 to 1981 Raul served in the White House for President Jimmy Carter as Deputy Assistant to the President for Hispanic Affairs.

Raul served as Law Clerk to the Honorable Edmund W. Burke, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the State of Alaska from 1976 to 1977.  Raul is admitted to the bar in the District of Columbia, the State of California, the US Supreme Court and various subsidiary federal courts.

Raul received his J.D. from the Harvard Law School and a Master’s in Public Administration degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government of Harvard University.  Raul received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1972 from California State University at Fullerton.

Becky Halkias

Becky is a Partner in the firm and specializes in bipartisan federal and state legislative strategies, for a wide range of clients, industries and issues.  She has expertise in health, appropriations, economic development, education and tax.

Becky has worked in government and the private sector in Washington for the past twenty-five years; during that time she has held several high level positions in the Executive Branch, Congress and at the state level.  Becky served Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge as his Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of his Washington, DC office.  Later, when Governor Ridge became the first Homeland Security advisor to the President, Becky served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs for Homeland Security.

During her tenure as Deputy Chief of Staff for Federal Affairs for the Governor, Becky worked with the Pennsylvania Congressional delegation on a number of important issues, including Medicaid Disproportionate Share Funding clean air issues appropriations for Pennsylvania state agencies and other special projects.

Becky has worked also for two Democratic Pennsylvania Members of Congress on many issues, including their committee assignments, the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Becky has represented clients and worked in government on issues of health care and tax since the 1980s.  Her representations have included a teaching hospital and a university, medical schools, community hospitals, the National Coalition of Public Health Care Dentists and PhRMA.  Additionally, she has represented in Washington life science start-ups, small entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 companies and seaports.  Becky works closely with many of the nation’s governors on issues ranging from pharmaceuticals to energy.

Becky received her B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from Georgetown Law Center.

Lesley Elliott

Lesley Elliott serves as Director of Federal Affairs for the firm and specializes in coordinating clients’ interests in both the House and Senate.  Lesley represents a variety of clients in many industries – energy, health care and transportation – and helps direct their legislative and political strategies in Congress.  Lesley has been actively involved in several major legislative efforts on behalf of clients, including the recently enacted health care bill, appropriations bills and telecommunications and broadband deployment.

Lesley is a Lexington, KY native with five years of Capitol Hill experience.  Lesley spent three years as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the Secretary of the Senate and two years as Legislative Aide in the Office of Senator Mitch McConnell handling Education, Health and Social Security issues.

Lesley is active in the community; her main charitable activity centers on her role as a key organizer for Taste of the South where she served on the Kentucky Committee for five years and was then elected to serve on the Executive Board.  This 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raising money for deserving charities boasts an Honorary Congressional Host Committee comprised of the members of the congressional delegations for 13 southern states.  Additionally, she is active in the Kentucky Society of Washington.

Lesley graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.

Patrick Robertson

Patrick Robertson is a Partner in the firm and focuses mainly on energy, communications, trade, transportation and tax.  Prior to joining C2 GROUP, Patrick served on the staff of Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) for nine years, the last five as Deputy to the Chief of Staff.  He also served as Campaign Manager for Senator Rockefeller’s 2008 re-election campaign.

During his time on Capitol Hill, Patrick helped the Senator distill and attack problems and shaped solutions on a wide spectrum of issues from economic development to the complexities of the tax code.  He worked closely with the Finance Committee on tax bills, trade policy and Trade Adjustment Assistance issues.  In addition, he tackled telecommunications and transportation issues on the Senate Commerce Committee.  Patrick also worked with the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on translating its enormously important and classified work to a broader audience.  He worked closely with state officials across West Virginia on large-scale projects and development, such as the West Virginia Summit on Homeland Security, plant relocations and openings, and on trade missions both overseas and here in the US.

Patrick is a graduate of American University’s Washington College of Law and the University of Pittsburgh.

Michael Hanson

Michael Hanson is a Partner in the firm and focuses mainly in the areas of tax, energy, auto manufacturing and healthcare.  Michael has been actively involved in developing strategies during the progress of several recent successful legislative efforts including the energy bill and recent tax bills.  Michael has also been at the forefront of the development of new automobile emissions and efficiency regulations by both Congress and the Executive Branch.

Prior to joining C2 GROUP, Michael served ten years for Congressman Sam Johnson (R-TX), the last four years as his Chief of Staff.  Congressman Johnson serves on the Committee on Ways and Means (Health, Social Security and Oversight Committees) and the Committee on Education and Labor, where he was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.

Michael served as Congressman Johnson’s chief staff member for the Republican Study Group (then the “Conservative Action Team”) from its inception in 1995 when Congressman Johnson, along with several other conservative members, first established the coalition.  During that same time Michael served as the Congressman’s Legislative Director with direct oversight over all the tax, Social Security and welfare legislation being considered by the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Additionally, Michael served as the point of contact between the Congressman and his duties as part of the Majority Leader’s Whip and Deputy Whip teams.  Michael served as the liaison between the Smithsonian Institute (SI) and the Congressman, who was appointed to the SI Board of Regents.

Michael graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a degree in Political Science.

Jefferies Murray

Jeff Murray is a Partner in the firm and represents a variety of clients in many industries – energy, technology, financial services, automobile manufacturing and consumer products and helps direct their legislative and political strategies in Congress.  Jeff also specializes in coordinating clients’ interests in the Blue Dog Coalition of the House.  Most recently Jeff became a co-founder of the Blue Dog Research Forum and currently serves on the board of directors and as their treasurer.

Jeff also has been actively involved in several major legislative efforts on behalf of clients, including the recently enacted energy bill and the appropriations bills through Fiscal Year (FY) 2010.

Prior to joining C2 GROUP, Jeff served as chief of staff for Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL), a member on the Appropriations Committee and the Select Committee on Intelligence.  Congressman Cramer was a founding member of the Blue Dog Coalition where Jeff served as executive staff for the coalition during Congressman Cramer’s Chairmanship during the 106th Congress.  Jeff also directed the Blue Dog political operations during the 107th Congress.

Before joining Congressman Cramer’s team, Jeff served for six years as Government Relations Director for the American Gas Association; the AGA is the trade association representing the natural gas distribution industry in the USA.  Jeff also served as Executive Director of the American Gas Foundation.  He also has extensive experience working on political campaigns for Congressman Bill Brewster (D-OK) and Senator Pete Domenici (R-NM).

Jeff completed his undergraduate studies at University of the South and holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Hunter Bates

Hunter Bates is a Partner in the firm directing the legislative strategies of a variety of clients in many industries – auto manufacturing, technology, health care, financial services, and consumer products.  He has been actively involved in several recent major legislative efforts on behalf of clients, including energy and climate change legislation, Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization, pension reform, class action litigation reform, patent reform and telecommunications and broadband deployment.

From 1997 to 2002 Hunter served as chief legal counsel and then chief of staff to current Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY).  During this time, Hunter worked with McConnell and other members of the Senate and House on issues including senate procedure, campaign finance law civil justice reform, labor law and healthcare.

He has played a key role in two statewide McConnell senate campaigns, most recently in 2002, where he served as campaign manager helping McConnell win with a record 65% of the vote.
Hunter was a Delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention and Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher appointed him to the Eastern Kentucky University Board of Regents, where he served as Chairman.

He is a graduate of the Harvard Law School and of Eastern Kentucky University where he graduated magna cum laude.

Nelson Litterst

Nelson Litterst is a Partner in the firm and represents a variety of clients in many industries – energy, environment, natural resources, technology, financial services, consumer products and automobile manufacturing and helps direct their legislative and political strategies in Congress.  Nelson has been actively involved in several recent major legislative efforts on behalf of clients, including the immigration bill, the energy bill and the stimulus bill.

Prior to joining C2 GROUP, Nelson served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush for Legislative Affairs.  In this role Nelson was a liaison for the President on Capitol Hill where he focused on numerous issues including pension reform, environment, labor, interior and small businesses.

Specifically Nelson developed the legislative strategy for passage of the Administration’s pension reform and retirement security legislation and the Administration’s energy bill.  In addition, Nelson worked with Congress to pass historic Brownfields legislation that was signed into law by the President in 2001.  He was also part of an Administration team that helped develop the President’s pension reform proposal, forest management initiative and Yucca Mountain nuclear storage approval.

Prior to his service in the White House, Nelson was Director of Federal Government Relations at the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s largest small-business advocacy group.  In 2000, NFIB was ranked by Fortune Magazine as the number two Lobbying organization in the country.  As Director, Nelson managed and developed grassroots and lobbying strategies for the small business lobby.

Nelson began his career in Washington working for House Republican Leader Robert H. Michel (IL).  He also served as a Senior Legislative Assistant to Representative Gary A. Franks (R-CT), the nation’s highest-ranking African-American Republican at the time.

Nelson completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University with a degree in Public Affairs.

Tom Crawford

Tom Crawford is a founding partner of C2 GROUP and focuses mainly on serving clients in the fields of tax policy and regulation, budget matters, corporate governance and retirement security.  He has worked on every tax measure and budget reconciliation package considered by Congress over the past two decades.  Tom’s practice in the area of taxation is highlighted by his representation of some of the largest and most eminent life insurance and financial service companies.

Prior to forming the firm, Tom served as a Legislative Director and Managing Partner of Murray, Scheer, Montgomery and O’Donnell, a Washington, DC firm that specialized in representation related to legislative tax matters.  Since assuming ownership of the firm in 2001, and forming C2 GROUP, Tom has overseen the firm’s growth and development into the Washington “Top 20” of lobbying firms.  Before Tom came to Washington he served as the Legislative Director in the Michigan Legislature handling tax and finance issues for the Senate Floor Leader and as a professional campaign staff through four election cycles for both statewide and federal races.

Tom is a member of The Tax Council and a member of the Board of Directors of the Harvard University Center on Media and Child Health where he serves as Chairman.  He has addressed numerous groups around the world on insurance, tax policy, advocacy and the Washington process and has been a lecturer in the Smithsonian series.

Tom graduated with honors from Michigan State University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in Political Science and Economics.

John Cline

John Cline is a founding partner of C2 GROUP and focuses mainly on serving clients in the fields of transportation, financial services and energy.  Over his nearly twenty-five years of experience in the transportation field, he has developed an expertise in federal transportation programs, legislative policy and strategy.  During the past twenty years, John has represented some of the largest public transportation systems in the nation, as well as numerous private transportation investors and operators.

Prior to forming the firm, John worked as a Consultant, directing the public transportation
practice at Mercer Management Consulting Inc.  He later served as the Director of Commuter Rail at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) where he was responsible for the daily operations of the commuter rail service for the Boston metropolitan area.

Before joining Mercer, John served in the White House as a Special Assistant for Intergovernmental Affairs under President George H.W. Bush, where he was the President’s liaison with Governors and all statewide elected officials working closely on matters concerning defense restructuring, welfare and health care reform and transportation.  Prior to his service in the White House, he was Director of the Office of Congressional Affairs for the US Department of Transportation (DOT), where he played a key role in the enactment of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) and completion of the National Transportation Policy.  John entered public service in 1989 upon his selection by President Bush as Associate Administrator for the Federal Transit Administration at DOT.

John completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in business, with an emphasis in labor relations, at Northern Illinois University.

K Street Files: Ice Ice Baby

With the second annual Congressional Hockey Challenge just days away, the trash talk has started among last year’s losing club of lobbyists, who are promising a comeback against the reigning champions on the Members and staff team.

Jeffrey Kimbell of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates said the K Streeters have regrouped and undergone “extensive off-season training” that will turn the tables on the lawmakers’ team, which bested the lobbyists 6-4 in the inaugural game last year.

In addition to mountain climbing and power lifting, Kimbell joked that the lobbyists have been listening to positive-thinking records of the great Swami Baha, a reference to the success secret of a character in the hockey movie “Slap Shot.”

An impressive roster of K Streeters and Members of Congress and their staff are signed up to face off at the game, which is slated for Tuesday from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Fort DuPont Ice Arena. The event raises money for the Fort DuPont Ice Hockey Club, an inner-city youth ice hockey program based in Washington, D.C.

Brad Card of Dutko Worldwide; John Cline and Nelson Litterst of the C2 Group; Bob Filippone and Steve Tilton of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; and Nick Lewis of UPS are among the lobbyists suiting up to battle Members of Congress and their staff.

John “Goody” Goodwin of the National Rifle Association and Kimbell will also be on the K Street team, whose coach/publicist is Jonathan Grella of Securing America’s Future Energy.

Reps. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.), Brian Higgins (D-N.Y.) and Patrick Murphy (D-Pa.), along with last year’s MVP, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), are also poised to take to the ice.

Team lobby has its eye on Weiner in the goalie position, according to Kimbell who has been perfecting his super fast “Ukrainian Howitzer” slap shot all year.

“It’s possible that I [will] put Congressman Weiner back into the goalie cage with a shot from the point,” Kimbell said.

Duffield’s Endgame. Steven Duffield, former policy director and counsel for Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), has hung his own shingle. The former Republican National Committee senior staffer and corporate litigator at Mayer Brown has formed Endgame Strategies. The public affairs firm is focusing on reaching out to Republican leadership, the House and Senate Judiciary committees and clients looking for Senate Republicans to use their power to filibuster to hold up legislation.

Free[dom] Songs. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (Mich.), flanked by representatives from musicians and civil rights groups, on Tuesday framed the ongoing battle over radio royalties for musicians as a struggle akin to slavery.

Conyers said musicians are subject to protections under the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlaws involuntary servitude. “When you tell somebody that you’re benefitting from their work product and there’s no compensation, it kind of hearkens back to the great problem that was not resolved when our country was formed,” he said.

The remarks came at an event to publicize a partnership between civil rights groups and the musicFIRST Coalition, which is in a heated battle with the National Association of Broadcasters over the Performance Rights Act, sponsored by Conyers. The bill would grant musicians compensation when their work is broadcast on the radio.

Grammy award-winning R&B singer Dionne Warwick said the typical musician or singer doesn’t get paid as much as the public thinks; in fact, the average is $40,000, she said. “I’m sure you all thought I walked on by with my little check in hand,” she said, referring to her 1964 hit. “I wish I had, but all I did was walk on by.”

The NAACP, League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Council of Women’s Organizations have also joined the musicians’ cause. And musicFIRST Executive Director Jennifer Bendall said the coalition will step up its advocacy this year with more campaigns and advertising.

Conyers said he thinks the bill can pass this year.

Advocacy Invasion. Nearly 1,000 members of the veteran’s group American Legion stormed the Hill on Tuesday to lobby legislators on military issues.

The group’s legislative director, Steve Robertson, said it’s not specific legislation that they’re pushing, but mostly administrative matters, such as advancing quality of life for retired military members and speeding up the disability claims process. He said they also want to support President Barack Obama’s budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The group also presented a distinguished public servant award to Rep. Bill Young (R-Fla.), a veteran and ranking member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

K Street Moves. Susan Schwab, the U.S. trade representative during the Bush administration, has signed on as a strategic adviser with Mayer Brown. She is the firm’s second former trade representative, following Mickey Kantor, who held the job during the Clinton administration and has been a partner with the firm since 1997.

“The firm’s global platform gives me a unique opportunity to continue working on important strategic issues at the highest levels of business and government,” Schwab said in a statement.

• Freddie Mac’s former senior lobbyist David Lynch has landed at the Independent Community Bankers of America. Lynch was listed as a senior director of Congressional relations at Freddie Mac in Senate lobbying disclosure reports until 2008. Lynch has previously worked for the National Association of Realtors.

• Powell Moore is headed to Venable. The secretary of Defense’s former Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe will be in the firm’s government affairs group. Moore has previously worked as a registered lobbyist at McKenna, Long & Aldridge for clients like Emergent Biosolutions, Research in Motion and SAP America, according to Congressional lobbying disclosure records.

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This site has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control.

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Site visitors may remove or change their information in our databases, stop all future, direct communications from us by emailing or mailing us at the address provided above.

Employment

Over the past seven years, C2 GROUP’s recruitment and retention efforts have been both innovative and progressive, demonstrating a commitment to increasing the number of diverse employees in the firm.

Our firm has also employed numerous college-level interns interested in government and politics. C2 GROUP offers opportunities to minority undergraduate students who plan to pursue a career in government through the C2 intern program.

Client Portfolio OLD

7-Eleven, Inc.	Minden Air Corporation
AKJ Industries Inc.	National Cable and Telecommunications Association
Alliance Bernstein	National Council of Coal Lessors
Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers	National Rifle Association
Altria Client Services, Inc.	National Surgical Hospitals
AMGEN USA, Inc.	Pacific Life Insurance Company
Appriss, Inc.	PepsiCo, Inc.
Association of International Automobile Manufacturers	Piedmont Environmental Council
AXA Financial/Equitable Life Assurance	Pikeville Medical Center
AXA SA	Pinecrest Community
Biotechnology Industry Organization	Porsche Cars of North America
BNSF Railway Company	Pulte Homes Inc.
Brown-Forman Corporation	RJ Corman Railroad Group
Central Basin Municipal Water District	Sammons Enterprises
Comcast	SHPS, Inc.
Connected Nation Development Corporation	South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (Tri-Rail)
E. ON U.S. (FKA Louisville Gas & Electric)	Standard Pacific Corporation
eBay	Tejon Ranch Company
Metro Transportation Authority of Harris County (Houston Metro)	TFC Holdings, LLC
Historic Tax Credit Coalition	Tigaco
Homes for America Alliance	Toll Brothers, Inc.
Intuit Inc.	Tousa, Inc.
Iron Ore Lessors Association	UPS
K. Hovnanian Companies, LLC	US Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform
KB Home	Vista Research, Inc.
Lennar Corporation	Wagner & Brown
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority	WellMed Medical Management, Inc.
MAGNA International	YUM! Brands (Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Long John Silvers, A&W Root Beer)

 

Tax

C2 GROUP partners have represented clients before the Congressional tax-writing committees for more than 20 years. C2 GROUP founding partner Tom Crawford has worked on every tax measure and budget reconciliation package considered by Congress during the past twenty years.  Our experience and understanding of the committee process offers our clients insights and access that helps to generate positive, tangible results.

C2 GROUP specializes in advising clients on the legislative and technical issues that play into the committees’ consideration of all matters.  Our expertise also covers the political landscape that has such a significant impact on the tax-writing committees and its members.  We know any changes to the tax code can present opportunities as well as challenges to an organization’s bottom line.  Our track record is marked by success – we have been successful in developing and implementing strategic plans that have benefited our clients.

We are dedicated to producing measurable results for our clients and protecting their interests throughout the legislative and regulatory process.  C2 GROUP specializes in the important regulatory implementation stage of tax legislation.  While Congress can provide clear direction, the implementation is left to the executive branch and this important step can lead to unintended results if the process is not clearly monitored.  C2 Group has worked on numerous regulatory implementation issues and has developed a strong working relationship with the executive branch on tax related issues. 

Transportation

C2 GROUP has extensive experience and expertise with all modes of Transportation.  Several partners have many years of experience in the field and with the development of programs, policies and regulations and thus our team can navigate the bureaucratic reviews to ensure that proposed projects receive the proper attention and feedback.

One specific area of expertise is with the New Rail Starts program at the Federal Transit Administration, which is the Federal Government’s primary financial grant program for supporting locally-planned, implemented, and operated transit rail projects.  At any one time, approximately 100 projects are under review but only a select few receiving funding, following a rigorous evaluation and rating process that is presented as a part of the President’s budget recommendations.  C2 Group Partner John Cline has worked on many rail projects that have received full funding grant agreements providing federal funds for such projects.

C2 GROUP has extensive experience with a wide range of transportation issues for all modes and can help formulate strategies and assist in promoting a strong and targeted message to the Hill.  Whether it be founding partner John Cline, a former Department of Transportation (DOT) official, working to develop a strategy for addressing the impact of new regulations from DOT and any sister agencies, or Patrick Robertson working with the Senate Commerce Committee to review a policy or legislative proposal, all of the C2 GROUP partners stand ready to address any issue in the transportation field.

Leadership

Understanding the process on Capitol Hill takes years of experience and know-how.  It also takes a critical understanding of the important role the House and Senate leadership plays in the legislative process.

From scheduling bills for consideration on the floor to ensuring legislative provisions are incorporated in a final conference agreement, relationships with the congressional leadership can prove vital to accomplishing legislative goals.  C2 GROUP has developed over the years, working relationships with Leadership for both parties and their staff.

Nelson Litterst works closely with House Republican leaders having represented the issues under the Administration of President George W. Bush. Hunter Bates formerly served Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (KY) as his chief of staff and counsel.  Michael Hanson worked with House Republican Leadership on behalf of his boss, Representative Sam Johnson, who was Deputy Whip to the then Republican majority.  Patrick Robertson interacted regularly with the Senate Democratic Leadership on behalf of his former boss, Senator Jay Rockefeller, and he continues to communicate regularly with them today on behalf of clients.  Becky Halkias has worked closely with the Democratic Leadership in the House, and in particular with the Majority Leaders Office.

C2 GROUP works on a regular basis with both Republican and Deomcratic leadership in both the House and the Senate and those ongoing relationships have served the interests of our clients and their unique legislative needs.

Pro Bono Services

C2 GROUP has a long tradition of providing pro bono services.  Our pro bono policy strongly encourages all partners to devote time to pro bono matters, including assistance to charitable, community or other non-for-profit organizations that would otherwise be unable to afford such representation.

Environment

C2 GROUP has broad and in-depth experience with environmental issues, policies and regulations.  Unlike many other issues in Washington that are easily addressed on Capitol Hill, most environmental issues are handled in the executive branch, particularly in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  However, several other Cabinet Departments, such as the Department of Energy, Department of Transportation and the Department of the Interior, can play big roles in environmental policy and often times share jurisdictional issues with EPA.

C2 GROUP has extensive first-hand experience with these agencies as well as the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the federal government’s coordinator for all environmental policy in the Administration.

Several members of C2 GROUP have extensive first-hand experience in environmental policy and thus possess the ability to navigate through the many agencies that have an impact on environmental policy and oversight.  Nelson Litterst, who specialized in environmental issues in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs worked extensively on all environmental policies of the Administration, including the Clear Skies Initiative, Healthy Forests and automobile emissions/fuel economy.  Another member of C2 GROUP’s team with an environmental policy background is Michael Hanson who has worked extensively on automobile emissions/fuel economy issues.  In addition Patrick Robertson has similar experience working with the Senate Commerce Committee, on similar environmental issues handled by several federal agencies.

Environmental issues cut across many subject areas.  C2 GROUP has extensive knowledge and access to key decision makers that can be a critical asset for all environmental issues.

Health Care

Health care is one of the most important policy issues facing the US today.  It is a complex and sometimes divisive issue and therefore requires special expertise and strong relationships to ensure client requirements are met.  C2 GROUP has a very well qualified team with the experience necessary to advocate our clients’ issues in the Congress and with the Administration.

Over the years, C2 GROUP partners have developed strong relationships with the Members and staff who serve on the committees of jurisdiction over health care issues – the Senate Committee on Finance as well as the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor.  Michael Hanson specifically covered the health care issue as it related to Ways and Means Committee.  Tom Crawford worked closely with the Senate Committee on Finance concerning a number of tax provisions affecting health care.

During the debate over the recently enacted health care overhaul bill, C2 GROUP partners were engaged on a number of issues on behalf of several clients.  This broad-spanning legislation and the reconciliation bill that followed contained far-reaching policy changes.  From the start of the debate through the bills’ passage, C2 GROUP partners were engaged with members of Congress and committee staff to ensure that our clients’ issues were advanced in the process.

Homeland Security

Perhaps the single most significant change in the federal government in the past 25 years was the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, following the terrorists attack of September 11, 2001.  The Department was established shortly after in 2002 to mobilize and organize the nation to secure the homeland from terrorist attacks – an exceedingly complex mission – that has been difficult to initiate and even more difficult to fully implement.  As the Department and Congress work through ongoing questions and issues surrounding their roles and responsibilities during continually changing times, C2 GROUP can provide the necessary expertise and experience to work with DHS and the individual agencies.

Becky Halkias served as the Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs for Homeland Security prior to joining C2 GROUP and has detailed knowledge of the structure of the Department, its mission and the decision making process.  Becky has worked on behalf of numerous clients on policy and regulatory matters, as well as Appropriations through the Homeland Security committees in Congress.

John Cline and Tom Crawford worked closely with the Transportation Security Administration during the transition from US Department of Transportation and continued to work with them as they implemented new aviation and public transit procedures.  John Cline also has first-hand experience working with the Coast Guard.

Blue Dogs

C2 GROUP enjoys a close working relationship with the Blue Dog Coalition through the relationships that Jeff Murray and Tom Crawford have developed over the past six years.  Jeff served as the first Executive Director for the Coalition, during his tenure as Chief of Staff to former Alabama Congressman Bud Cramer, a founding member of the Blue Dogs.  Earlier this year, Jeff Murray helped to assemble as a founding member, the Blue Dog Research Forum (BDRF), which was founded to provide a forum for the mainstream principles espoused by the Blue Dog movement.  The BDRF strives to approach the national debate with a commonsense perspective by focusing on constructive, evidence-based solutions and opinions to current federal issues. Jeff Murray serves on the Board of Directors of the Blue Dog Research Forum.

The Blue Dog Coalition has built a reputation as a serious player in the policy arena, promoting positions that bridge the gap between ideological extremes.  Many of the group’s policy proposals have been praised as fair, responsible and positive additions to a Congressional environment often marked as partisan and antagonistic.  It is in this arena where Jeff Murray has helped to bring many client issues for consideration by the Coalition.

The fifty-four conservative and moderate Democrats in the group hail from every region of the country, although the group acknowledges some southern ancestry that accounts for the group’s name. Taken from the South’s longtime description of a party loyalist as one who would vote for a yellow dog if it were on the ballot as a Democrat, the “Blue Dog” moniker was taken by members of the Coalition because their moderate-to-conservative-views had been “choked blue” by their party in the years leading up to the 1994 election.

The Coalition now represents a critical voting block within Congress.  With the Democratic majority holding a significant margin in the House, the Coalition is often credited with moderating the positions adopted by the Democratic leadership.

The Coalition was formed in the 104th Congress as a policy-oriented group to give conservative and moderate Democrats in the House of Representatives a commonsense, bridge-building voice within the institution.  Most agree that, since then, the Blue Dogs have successfully injected a moderate viewpoint into the Democratic Caucus, where group members now find greater receptiveness to their opinions.  In fact, the continuing political success of new Blue Dog members in the 2004, 2006 and 2008 elections points to the public’s approval of the centrist, fiscally responsible message represented by the Coalition.

Blue Dog Leadership Team

Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Administration
Rep. Baron Hill (IN-09), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Policy
Rep. Jim Matheson (UT-02), Blue Dog Co-Chair for Communications
Rep. Heath Shuler (NC-11), Blue Dog Whip

Blue Dog Members

Altmire, Jason (PA-04)
Arcuri, Mike (NY-24)
Baca, Joe (CA-43)
Barrow, John (GA-12)
Berry, Marion (AR-01)
Bishop, Sanford (GA-02)
Boren, Dan (OK-02)
Boswell, Leonard (IA-03)
Boyd, Allen (FL-02)
Bright, Bobby (AL-02)
Cardoza, Dennis (CA-18)
Carney, Christopher (PA-10)
Chandler, Ben (KY-06)
Childers, Travis (MS-01)
Cooper, Jim (TN-05)
Costa, Jim (CA-20)
Cuellar, Henry (TX-28)
Dahlkemper, Kathy (PA-03)
Davis, Lincoln (TN-04)
Donnelly, Joe (IN-02)
Ellsworth, Brad (IN-08)
Giffords, Gabrielle (AZ-08)
Gordon, Bart (TN-06)
Harman, Jane (CA-36)
Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie (SD)
Hill, Baron (IN-09)
Holden, Tim (PA-17)
Kratovil, Jr., Frank (MD-01)
McIntyre, Mike (NC-07)
Markey, Betsy (CO-04)
Marshall, Jim (GA-08)
Matheson, Jim (UT-02)
Melancon, Charlie (LA-03)
Michaud, Mike (ME-02)
Minnick, Walt (ID-01)
Mitchell, Harry (AZ-05)
Moore, Dennis (KS-03)
Murphy, Patrick (PA-08)
Murphy, Scott (NY-20)
Nye, Glenn (VA-02)
Peterson, Collin (MN-07)
Pomeroy, Earl (ND)
Ross, Mike (AR-04)
Salazar, John (CO-03)
Sanchez, Loretta (CA-47)
Schiff, Adam (CA-29)
Schrader, Kurt (OR-05)
Scott, David (GA-13)
Shuler, Heath (NC-11)
Space, Zack (OH-18)
Tanner, John (TN-08)
Taylor, Gene (MS-04)
Thompson, Mike (CA-01)
Wilson, Charles (OH-06)

Appropriations

“No money shall be drawn from the Treasury but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement of Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time”
– US Constitution Article I, Section 9, Clause 7.

Of all the committees in the United States Senate and House of Representatives, the Appropriations Committee is the most unique.  Specifically mentioned within the Constitution and created in 1867, the Appropriations Committee has the unique responsibility of determining how our federal monies are spent.

The Appropriations Committee is divided into twelve different subcommittees – listed below – corresponding to specific areas of spending within the federal government.  All other congressional committees are limited to no more than six subcommittees.  Each of the thirteen subcommittees is charged with drafting and passing only one piece of legislation each year and each of those pieces of legislation originate in the House of Representatives.  This legislation provides in detail how our federal money will be spent within the jurisdiction controlled by that Subcommittee.  Unlike other committees, the Appropriations Committee is required to pass legislation yearly.

Early each year the twelve subcommittees are given 302(b) allocations.  These allocations represent the amount of money each subcommittee has to spend,  operating on a fiscal year calendar, running from October 1st to September 30th.  If annual appropriations are not completed by September 30th, then the Committee is responsible for passing a continuing resolution providing for the continued funding of the government through a date set forth in the resolution.  Additionally, in emergency situations, such as a war or a natural disaster, the Committee is responsible for passing supplemental appropriations to cover the additional funding necessary to address the situation.

Agriculture
Commerce, Justice, State
Defense
Energy & Water
Financial Services
Homeland Security
Interior & Environment
Labor, HHS, Education
Legislative Branch
Military Construction & Veterans Affairs
State & Foreign Operations
Transportation, HUD

C2 GROUP has worked on every Appropriations cycle since 1976.  We have been successful in securing for our clients hundreds of millions of dollars for programs run by our clients and supported by the federal government on behalf of the American public.  Additionally, C2 GROUP partners have either worked with or for members of the Appropriations Committee and know how to interact with each of the twelve subcommittees to ensure our clients are considered during the program selection process.  Because the appropriations process is calendar driven, we are very sensitive to deadlines and strictly adhere to Subcommittee request procedures to ensure our clients are not disqualified in the consideration process.

Administration

At C2 GROUP we pride ourselves on having strong relationships with the White House and Administration as a whole.  We believe we have a unique appreciation for the perspective of the Administration in the federal government because we have partners who have served in the Executive Branch.

Three partners at C2 GROUP have extensive Executive Branch experience. John Cline was a Special Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations in the first Bush Administration and served as Director of Congressional Affairs at the Department of Transportation.  Nelson Litterst served in the Office of Legislative Affairs under President George W. Bush as Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs. Becky Halkias joined the firm following her service in the White House as Deputy Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs at Homeland Security. 

Additionally, many of the partners have great working relationships with a broad cross-section of agencies.  Tom Crawford, for example, has worked closely with the Department of Treasury on a wide range of issues, including working with the Office of Tax Policy concerning the impacts of the Department’s “cash balance” regulations for pensions.  John Cline has worked closely with the Department of Transportation (DOT) on a wide variety of matters.  As a former DOT official John understands the process involved at the Department and is often sought out for advice on maneuvering through the bureaucracy within various agencies within the Department.  Nelson Litterst has been working closely with the Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service on budgetary issues regarding forest fires.

The Administration plays a critical role in policy development, and it is important to have not only access but an understanding of the process.  C2 GROUP has extensive access to individuals in the Administration, and unlike many other firms, the people who know the process in the White House and Administration.

Meet the Group

C2 GROUP was established as a strong, aggressive and highly regarded firm representing corporate America and government entities in legislative and regulatory areas and quickly established a preeminent position in Washington.

Our Mission

To Offer Our Clients a Dedicated Team of Professionals.

To Adhere to the Highest Ethical Standards.

To Provide the Highest Quality of Professional Services to Our Clients.

To Maintain a Culture of Openness and Collegiality to Better Serve Our Clients and Our Community.

To Offer a Level of Collective Competence for our Clients’ Interests that also Serves for the Betterment of Our Profession.

C2 GROUP Makes Top 50 Lobbying Firms 2009

To View the PDF of the Industry Top 50 click the link below:

http://pdfserver.amlaw.com/nlj/INF50_Top%20Lobby%20Firms2009.pdf

Porsche, other car companies lobby to ease new fuel efficiency standards

A Porsche Carrera can go 0 to 60 in under five seconds. But can it go from 26 miles per gallon to over 40 in six years?

It would be a tough road, the luxury automaker says, which is why Porsche has sent lobbyists to the White House seeking changes to proposed fuel economy and tailpipe emissions standards.

Porsche and other automakers that serve niche markets argue the new standards could slow down sales in the United States. As the administration fleshes out the new standards before the spring, a broad range of car companies will likely lobby regulatory officials.

The standards were an early victory for the Obama administration on an issue that automakers and environmentalists had clashed over for years.

Fuel economy standards for cars had not been raised in three decades, but under a compromise plan unveiled in March automakers pledged to improve the efficiency of their cars in exchange for a single federal standard.

Frustrated by inaction in Washington, California regulators were working to raise standards on their own, which spurred concerns among automakers of an eventual patchwork of fuel economy regulations. Under the agreement negotiated by the administration, California pledged not to move forward with a new standard until 2016 at the earliest.

The problem for Porsche and other companies is the rule is structured in a way that forces them to increase their fuel economy levels at a faster clip than other automakers do.

Porsche, for example, must go from an average fuel economy of 26.2 mpg to 41.4 mpg by 2016, according to one chart company lobbyists have shown administration officials.

The new standards will be impossible to meet, said John Cline, a lobbyist at the C2 Group representing Porsche. The automaker has paid C2 $90,000 this year to lobby on the matter.

Cline and others representing Porsche met in late November with officials at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), according to administration records. Lobbyists and representatives for Jaguar Land Rover also met with administration officials earlier in November about the fuel economy standards.

Jaguar Land Rover hired PACE LLP to lobby on fuel standards in the third quarter and spent $20,000, according to congressional lobbying records.

A PACE lobbyist represented the company at the November meeting, according to OMB records.

“All of our manufacturers are committed to meeting the goals of the program, but there are still many questions that remain about how implementation and how compliance will be handled,” said Charles Territo, spokesman at the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which includes Porsche and Jaguar Land Rover.

Cline said Porsche is committed to improving the fuel economy of its fleet. It is planning on introducing a hybrid version of its sport utility vehicle, Cayenne, sometime in 2012. Cline added that Porsche is ready to meet annual percentage increases in fuel efficiency, but the new rules would require a year-to-year boost of 10 percent.

The problem is that Porsche makes a relatively small number of cars, about 100,000 a year, and relatively few models. Most of its cars are classified as small passenger vehicles, which have the highest bar to meet under the new fuel economy rules.

But the company is also satisfying a market worried more about speed, handling and a certain cool factor than about fuel economy. General Motors can offset its Corvette, which gets poor fuel mileage, with a Malibu. Porsche can’t.

“We just can’t get there technologically,” Cline said.

The company only recently has met the 27 mpg the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) requires. Customers now pay up to $300 more for a Porsche as a penalty for failing to meet those standards.

One concern the car company has is the penalty the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will apply for failure to meet its standards. EPA is new to the issue, which has previously been handled by NHTSA.

Both agencies are involved in the rulemaking under way.

EPA can now regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions through the Clean Air Act. The agency is working on a corresponding emissions rule to NHTSA’s corporate average fuel economy.

Cline said OMB officials listened to his company’s argument, without indicating which way they were leaning.

The company is hoping that government regulators moderate the requirements for fuel economy increases.

Big Builders Erect New Trade Association

After a bitter fight with the National Association of Home Builders, a breakaway group of 16 of the industry’s largest builders has decided to form its own trade association. The new entity, called Leading Builders of America, is still in the early stages of formation.

The CEOs of the biggest builders found themselves at odds with the NAHB over a tax-code provision, which reignited a long-standing rift between them and the NAHB’s leadership.

Ken Gear, executive director for the new association, said the big builders decided to form an association because they wanted to have more direct communication with policymakers.

“The points of emphasis might be different,” Gear said, comparing his group to the NAHB. “But having a direct line to [Congress] was the broader objective.”

Leading Builders is still looking for office space in Washington, D.C., and is reviewing what its policy initiatives will be and whether it will start a political action committee. The group is also looking to broaden its membership beyond just large builders. In addition to adding other homebuilders, the association wants to lure suppliers and other vendors into its ranks, according to Gear.

Leading Builders will also focus on creating a better dialogue with other industry groups and companies that regularly interact with the builders.

“We really want to reach out and build relationships not only to policymakers but also to industry groups and to our vendors and our suppliers,” Gear said. “There’s a lot of synergy that can happen within that.”

While the largest builders say they will remain members of the NAHB, the two associations could face off on issues when there are disagreements between small and large builders, as they did earlier this year over the net operating loss tax provision.

Gear said there is an “ongoing dialogue” between the large builders and the NAHB.

NAHB President Jerry Howard was unavailable to comment for this article.

NAHB Chairman Joe Robson, a homebuilder from Tulsa, Okla., said in a statement that the large builders are valuable to his trade group.

“Our large builders remain an important part of our federation, and we continue to work closely with them on issues of mutual interest,” Robson said.

Further, Robson noted that the NAHB is made up of more than 200,000 members across the housing industry and will collectively construct about 80 percent of the new housing units projected to be built in 2009.

It’s unclear how the new association will affect the NAHB’s bottom line. Organized as a federation, a significant portion of the association’s dues come from state builder associations.

Still, the NAHB has not been immune to the ongoing economic turmoil. The trade group, whose membership has been struggling with the decline of the housing market, imposed a weeklong furlough on its employees this summer, according to lobbyists familiar with the association.

The NAHB has spent nearly $2.9 million on lobbying so far this year, according to Senate lobbying disclosure reports. That’s down about $1 million compared with the same period last year when the NAHB reported spending $3.8 million on lobbying for the first nine months of 2008.

The NAHB’s powerful BUILD PAC could also take a hit if Leading Builders decides to form its own PAC. The NAHB reported raising nearly $1.2 million through the end of October, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

The decision to form Leading Builders comes after a public fight erupted in February between the big builders and the NAHB president. The dispute was triggered by a letter that Howard wrote to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) questioning the NOL provision. Howard argued, at the time, that the tax measure could allow bigger builders to offload excess inventory for a tax benefit.

The measure, which passed in November, expands to five years the time that companies can use to offset revenue losses against profits. Companies can normally only carry back tax losses for two years under current law.

The measure will allow big builders, many of which are facing huge losses, to write off billions of dollars.

Some small builders have been opposed to the tax change, saying it could further depress the housing market if the big builders exploited the loophole to sell property for artificially low prices to generate a loss for tax purposes.

Still, Howard’s letter caused an angry response by big and small builders alike because members of the trade association were not consulted before it was sent.

After the NAHB was unsuccessful in getting the measure added to the economic stimulus bill this spring, the builders decided in May to take matters into their own hands and form a coalition, Homes for America Alliance.

Headed by Gear, the group quickly added lobbying muscle, hiring the C2 Group, Hecht Spencer & Associates, Patton Boggs, Polsinelli Shughart and Van Heuvelen Strategies to push the measure. Since June, the alliance has spent $410,000 on the lobbying campaign.

Industry lobbyists said they weren’t surprised by the large builders defection given the unworkable relationship that they have with Howard.

“They absolutely can’t work this out with Howard,” one industry lobbyist said. “They are where they are at because of one personality.”

Still, the lobbyist says the biggest homebuilders may need the NAHB more than they realize.

“Politically, as far as making an argument to Members of Congress, they want to hear from local homebuilders rather than corporate mega builders,” the lobbyist said. “It’s the small guys that get the Members’ attention.”

New Leadership at NFIB Makes a Return to Roots

“We know who runs Congress. We know who is at the White House, and at the end of the day, regardless of party, what our members really want is solutions,” Danner said.

To that end, Danner has also continued to forge relationships with Democrats with whom the trade group shares a turbulent past. Former NFIB President Jack Faris frequently sparred with liberals and even publicly fought with pro-business senior Blue Dog Coalition members, including Reps. Allen Boyd (D-Fla.) and John Tanner (D-Tenn.).

The association is also taking a more pragmatic stance on other issues important to its members, such as the estate tax. The NFIB has long argued that the estate tax should be completely eliminated. However, it has recently voiced support for a permanent 35 percent tax on estates worth more than $10 million.

Nevertheless, under Danner’s leadership, the NFIB will continue to work to swing the political pendulum to the right by contributing more heavily to Republicans than Democrats.

“We base our [political contribution] decisions on positions that legislators take to support small business,” Danner said. “The reality is there will be more Republicans that support those things than there will be Democrats.”

The trade association has spent about $1 million in House and Senate races during the past two election cycles, contributing another $5 million on independent expenditures in high-profile races and get-out-the-vote activities, according to Danner. This cycle, the group’s fundraising has dipped to about $30,000. Danner said that will pick up.

Danner has also turned the top lobbying job over to his former deputy Susan Eckerly, a former Labor Department official for the George H.W. Bush administration.

The NFIB has long been known as part of the farm team for Republican staffers heading downtown.

The association’s tentacles are deep into many of Washington’s venerable lobby shops and corporate offices. Former NFIB lobbyists include John Motley, who runs his own firm, Policy Solutions; Ralph Hellmann, now top lobbyist at the Information Technology Industry Council; Kent Knutson of Home Depot’s Washington operation; Mark Isakowitz, name partner of Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock; and Nelson Litterst, a partner at C2 Group. Other former NFIB lobbyists include Brian Reardon, now at Venn Strategies; and John Emling, senior vice president at the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

Danner attributes the success of lobbyists moving onward and upward from the NFIB to giving junior lobbyists responsibility and reach on Capitol Hill.

The NFIB isn’t only focused on old-fashioned, face-to-face lobbying. It is also modernizing its operations under Danner, who says technology is a top priority.

The NFIB launched a new Web site in April and unveiled a database that will help the association improve its ability to target and mobilize its members.

“I’m a big believer in and an advocate for microtargeting,” Danner said.

He’s also looking to utilize social networking for NFIB members and wants to add social networking companies and other small technology firms to the NFIB’s roster.

That roster apparently has been shrinking. The small-business lobby, which reportedly had a membership of 645,000 in 2001, now counts its membership at about 350,000.

The NFIB’s own operations have not been immune to the struggling economy. While the association hasn’t had layoffs, Danner said the NFIB has cut back on travel, frozen any new hires for open positions and cut down on overhead for things such as the association’s publications.

But he doesn’t expect a large dip in membership.

“We might lose a few, but not a lot,” Danner said.

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The experience and relevance to stay ahead in Washington.

C2 GROUP provides a broad range of bipartisan government affairs consulting services to meet the needs of our diverse client base including Fortune 100 and 500 companies in a wide range of industries and business sectors, governments, banks, insurance and financial institutions, professional firms, foundations, institutions, associations and individuals. C2 GROUP is a Virginia limited liability corporation based in Washington, DC operating as a government affairs consulting firm employing registered lobbyists representing clients before the Congressional and Executive branches of the federal government.

C2 GROUP offers expertise in tax and corporate governance, financial services, and multiple transportation modes. Major practice disciplines include tax and transportation, automobile, corporate, energy, health and welfare, banking, innovative project finance, real estate, defense, and appropriations.

C2 GROUP offers extensive experience working with the Executive Branch on regulatory matters and policy formulation. Main regulatory practice areas include tax, transportation, automobile safety, defense, energy and environmental, intellectual property, product liability and international trade.

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Our Expertise

With C2 GROUP, you are no more than one degree of separation from the process. At its very core, Washington is a vast and complex network. Our role is to be your direct connection to policy and decision makers. With our comprehensive coverage of Congress and the Executive Branch, we pride ourselves on keeping clients directly engaged - we are the bridge to whoever and whatever you need.

We ensure you are never separated from the process by more than one degree. This guarantees responsiveness, accountability and responsibility. The incredibly high turnover in Congress and the White House over the past 10 years is proof that you cannot stand still in today’s Washington. So C2 GROUP doesn’t rely on just a few good friends. We are committed to the broadest range of relationships and maintain a constant presence in Congress and the Executive Branch. This provides us the agility to seize the moment when opportunities suddenly become available, and gives you a voice when important decisions are made.

Core Concept
Whatever the issue or the opportunity, our approach is the same. We analyze the problem, learn the substance, establish a course of action and aggressively design and execute a strategy.

Client Comprehension
At C2 GROUP we understand that every client is different. We take time to understand your business, community or issue, and especially your unique culture. While we certainly represent clients before specialized audiences, we also know the most effective spokesperson for your cause is you - so we listen.

C2 GROUP combines an understanding of each client’s business with our extensive Washington experience. This guarantees the outcome reflects your interests and priorities.

Cultivating Consensus
C2 GROUP is a bipartisan firm. We believe that clients are best served whenever a consensus can be fashioned. We maintain close relationships with key White House and Administration officials, the leadership of both parties in the House and Senate and work both sides of the aisle on committees of relevance. We keep you out of the crossfire. At the end of the day, constituency, merit and hard work should prevail on your issue, and we make the politics line up by fostering consensus.

Collective Competence
The professionals at C2 GROUP have a proven track of getting results. Each individual brings a unique command of the Washington process honed the right way - through hands-on experience. Our principals have the collective ability to solve problems or advance issues. C2 GROUP’s proudest achievement is that our clients stay with us year after year. This continuity speaks directly to our success. Intelligence, integrity, creativity, excellence and results are the hallmarks of our representation. We call it competence.

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