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Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
John Whelan: Ireland behind the curve in pharma R&D amid Pfizer call
Pharma companies met with the Trump administration earlier this month to try and defer implementation of the executive order signed by President Trump on May 12, effectively forcing drug companies to commit to aligning their US prices with 'the lowest price of a set of economic peer countries''. At the meeting of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) with the Trump administration, Pfizer chief executive Albert Bourla called for the US government to lead an initiative to increase overall drug spending outside the US. While the exact mechanism of implementing the Trump executive order to reduce drug prices in the US remains unclear, the Pfizer chief proposed an alternative solution, suggesting that other countries should spend a certain percentage of their GDP per capita on innovative medicines. In an attempt to lead on the recommendation, he added that Pfizer could consider not making its drugs available for government reimbursement in some countries if the US carries through on its price control and other countries don't increase their prices. Effectively, Mr Bourla, who chairs the pharma industry lobby group PhRMA, suggested the US should push for a Nato-type agreement, which commits each country to a minimum 2% of their national GDP on defence spending. And whereas there may be good logic in the Pfizer proposal, any commitment of this nature will likely create major challenges for Ireland, as OECD and World Bank figures show Ireland lagging well behind other countries in research and development expenditure. In 2022, the last year for which finalised figures have been released, US pharmaceutical companies' R&D spending amounted to 2.33% of the nation's GDP. There is no comparable figures for the Irish market, in terms of pharmaceutical industry expenditure in research and development. However, the figures available from the World Bank and the OECD for years 2022/2023 show that total R&D for all industry as a percentage of GDP, in Ireland was 0.9%. This is well below the EU average of 2.29%, and even further below countries like the US at 3.6% and Israel at 6.3% who invest more heavily in R&D than Ireland. Economists have inferred that Trump is leveraging unfavourable policies such as drastically lowering prices points of US drugs and tariffs on imports, to coerce the pharmaceutical industry to increase investments in the US. Several large pharma companies, including Eli Lilly, Merck & Co, and Bristol Myers Squibb, have unveiled major US investments planned for the next few years in attempt to curry favour with the Trump administration. But noticeably Pfizer remains an exception to that trend. However, Mr Bourla stated that Pfizer has invested in US manufacturing and will continue to do so, but risks from those Trump policies are making it difficult for the company to commit further. "I don't think it makes sense to make announcements of future investments in an environment that is very fluid,' Mr Bourla said. That suggests Pfizer, one of our largest and longest-term investors in the pharmaceuticals space, is unlikely to back off its Irish investments anytime soon. However , we need to heed the Pfizer CEO's call for more R&D support in Europe, which clearly includes Ireland. Besides Pfizer, many pharma companies are leveraging the United States' threat of tariffs on drug imports to push for policy changes in the EU. In a letter sent on April 11 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, 32 pharma companies demanded more favourable policies in order for them to maintain operations in the EU . In the same letter they say that policy changes are needed to ensure Europe remains a location to research, develop, and manufacture medicines. The CEOs also included in their letter that European countries should rethink their drug pricing policies and enable a better commercial environment for innovative medicines. Ireland's Research and Innovation Act 2024 , replaces Science Foundation Ireland in an attempt to fast forward the provision for the funding of research and innovation, but this caters for all fields of activity and neither commits to double the level of funding to €2bn per year needed to reach EU level, nor does it commit to meet the specific requirements of the pharma industry.
Politico
13-06-2025
- Business
- Politico
PhRMA bolsters its lobbying lineup
Presented by Recycled Materials Association With Daniel Lippman PhRMA HIRES RUBIN TURNBULL: Florida transplants Rubin Turnbull & Associates have registered to lobby for the brand name drug lobby PhRMA. The trade group retained Rubin Turnbull in March to lobby on a range of issues related to the drug industry, according to a newly filed disclosure. — It's the third new outside lobbying hire for PhRMA this year, after the organization hired DLA Piper and GOP lobbyist Doug Schwartz of HillNorth at the beginning of January. — PhRMA's latest hire came about a month into vocal industry skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure atop the Health and Human Services Departmen. He has heaped criticism on vaccines and blamed drug industry lobbying for contributing to chronic disease among children in a report last month. — The industry already has no shortage of lobbying prowess, of course, with more than 40 other outside firms on retainer and lobbying outlays of $12.9 million just in Q1 of 2025 — a quarterly record. MORE IRA TAX CREDIT LOBBYING: Energizer Holdings has brought on Washington Council Ernst & Young for help salvaging an Inflation Reduction Act incentive for advanced manufacturing of products like batteries and battery components. — Tommy Brown, who worked in Treasury's legislative affairs office during the Biden administration, will work on the account along with Bob Schellhas, Evan Giesemann and Ryan Abraham, who was the Democratic tax counsel on the Senate Finance Committee during negotiations on the 2017 GOP tax bill, according to a disclosure filing. — The battery behemoth previously had just one other outside lobbying firm — Holland & Knight — on its roster. — Meanwhile, the Residential Solar Association retained a team of lobbyists at Becker & Poliakoff that includes a former chief of staff to Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to help save the IRA's residential clean energy credit and the clean electricity investment credit, according to a disclosure filing. TGIF and welcome to PI. Send K Street tips and gossip. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. NEW BUSINESS: Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck has signed more than a dozen new clients, including chrome and nickel mining giant Corex Holdings, insulin management software company Glytec, and the philanthropy Daniels Fund. — Florida-based grocery chain Publix, meanwhile, has hired Ballard Partners to lobby on labor issues, compliance with environmental regulations and PBM reforms, according to a disclosure. — And Moody's Corp., the parent company of the credit rating service that downgraded the creditworthiness of the U.S. last month — eliciting brushback from the White House — has hired Republican firm CGCN Group. CGCN's Sam Geduldig, Ja'Ron Smith and Scott Riplinger began working on April 30 to provide 'education on economic trends impacting the global economy,' according to a disclosure filing. MORE TRUMP FALLOUT IN BIG LAW: 'Seven partners at Willkie Farr & Gallagher, a prominent law firm that cut a deal with President Trump to head off a potentially crippling executive order, announced on Friday that they were departing to join a firm that helped successfully challenge one of Mr. Trump's orders in court,' The New York Times' Mike Schmidt and Maggie Haberman report. — 'The decision by the partners, who are leaving Willkie Farr to join the law firm Cooley, is the latest of several high-profile departures of lawyers from firms that cut deals with the president. Cooley represented Jenner & Block in that firm's legal efforts to challenge an executive order rather than settle with the president. Last month, a federal judge struck down the executive order against Jenner, saying it was 'doubly violative of the Constitution.'' — 'Two of the partners leaving Willkie led its San Francisco office: Benedict Y. Hur and Simona Agnolucci, who served as a member of the firm's executive committee. Both are litigators and have told others they were extremely disappointed that the firm capitulated to Mr. Trump, according to two people briefed on the matter.' — Those departures are the 'latest reshuffling amid the fallout from the executive orders. In just the past month, six top partners at the law firm Paul Weiss, the first firm to cut a deal with Mr. Trump, decided to leave. Four of them started their own law firm, while another joined one of the other firms that has successfully fought Mr. Trump in court.' CVS TROUBLE ON THE BAYOU: 'Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Thursday she is investigating whether pharmaceutical giant CVS improperly used customers' personal information to send out text messages lobbying against a proposed state law' that would have prohibited companies like CVS from owning both PBMs and drug stores, per the Associated Press' Sara Cline and Jack Brook. — 'Murrill also said she plans to issue a cease-and-desist letter to the company to stop the messages. As lawmakers debated a now-failed bill on Wednesday they held up screenshots of text messages sent by CVS.' — 'Last minute legislation in Louisiana threatens to close your CVS Pharmacy — your medication cost may go up and your pharmacist may lose their job,' one text obtained by The AP read. The company's texts 'to Louisiana residents included a link to a draft letter urging lawmakers to oppose the legislation that someone could sign with their email address and send to legislators.' ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: 'The House Ethics Committee is launching a subpanel to review its guidance on campaign activities,' POLITICO's Hailey Fuchs writes. A new working group led by Texas Reps. Nathaniel Moran, a Republican, and Sylvia Garcia, a Democrat, will 'review and make recommendations to improve, clarify, and modernize the Committee's guidance regarding campaign activity by House Members, officers, and employees,' according to the panel. — 'It's unclear what prompted the committee to create a new body tasked with improving resources around campaign activity rules. A spokesperson for the Ethics Committee did not respond to a series of questions about the working group.' — 'However, a number of lawmakers have been dogged by allegations in recent years that they violated rules around campaigning — including, for example, accepting a campaign donation in connection to some kind of official action as a lawmaker.' FOR YOUR RADAR: 'As the Trump administration considers approving a proposed merger between two of the world's largest advertising agencies, Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group, regulators may impose unusual conditions,' per NYT's Lauren Hirsch, Benjamin Mullin, Kate Conger and Tiffany Hsu. — 'A proposed consent decree would prevent the merged company from boycotting platforms because of their political content by refusing to place their clients' advertisements on them, according to two people briefed on the matter.' — 'The restrictions being discussed by the Federal Trade Commission as part of its merger review are part of an effort by the Trump administration to use federal agencies to root out what it considers political bias in corporate America against conservative voices and causes.' — Omnicom has faced scrutiny from Republicans in Washington for its participation in the advertising coalition Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which launched in 2019 in an effort to persuade social media companies to tighten up their content moderation policies. — The group came into the spotlight more recently for recommending a pause for advertising on X following Elon Musk's takeover of the company, triggering an antitrust lawsuit from Musk and prompting the alliance to shut down not long after, though the alliance maintained it had done nothing wrong. Jobs report — Patrick McGill is now director of client services at StackAdapt. He previously was lead associate account director at Trade Desk. — Joe Grogan and John Czwartacki have launched Public Policy Solutions. Grogan is a Trump OMB and Domestic Policy Council alum. Czwartacki is a Trump OMB and CFPB alum. — Jesse Binnall and former Rep. John Sweeney (R-N.Y.) have launched King Street Solutions, a boutique government affairs firm. Binnall currently is a partner at Binnall Law Group. — NCTA announced two major retirements: Rick Chessen, senior vice president of legal and regulatory affairs and chief legal officer, and Mark Bell, senior vice president of creative services. Chessen will be succeeded by Russ Hanser, who joined NCTA in 2024 by way of the Commerce Department. Kristin Buch, who joined NCTA in 2012 and currently serves as NCTA's veep of creative services, will ascend to Bell's role. — Anthony DiGrado is joining ClearPath as a senior manager. He was previously the director of public affairs at the Plastics Industry Association. — Liya Rechtman has joined Evergreen Action as senior transportation policy lead. She previously worked as an environmental protection specialist at DOT. New Joint Fundraisers Frontline Organizing for Representation, Change & Equity (FORCE) PAC (Reps. Emilia Sykes, Steven Horsford, Jahana Hayes, Don Davis, Janelle Bynum) New PACs CITIZENS FOR A HEALTHY NEW MEXICO (Hybrid PAC) Nezarus (PAC) Rising Dems (Hybrid PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Agios Pharmaceuticals: Agios Pharmaceuticals Asha Strategies LLC: Nigerian Physician Advocacy Group Ballard Spahr LLP: Wallenius Wilhelmsen Ocean As Barker Leavitt, Pllc (Ska Mr. James C. Barker): Advantage Capital Boundary Stone Partners: The Ray Breakaway: Arnall Golden Gregory (On Behalf Of The Local Housing Administrators Coalition) Breakaway: National Rental Home Council Breakaway: Pretium Breakaway: U.S. Mortgage Insurers Capitol Hill Consulting Group: Acadiana Regional Airport Capitol Hill Consulting Group: United Network For Organ Sharing Cgcn Group, LLC: Moody's Corporation Crossroads Strategies, LLC: The Law Offices Of Christopher E. Chang On Behalf Of Mr. Jerry Wang Ernst & Young LLP (Washington Council Ernst & Young): Energizer Holdings Inc. Fierce Government Relations: Haas Automation, Inc. Invariant LLC: American Automotive Leasing Association Invariant LLC: Mysten Labs, Inc. John Watts: California Natural Resources Agency K&L Gates, LLP: Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Lot Sixteen LLC: American Physical Society Mike Williams Capitol Strategies LLC (F/K/A Mw Capitol Strategies LLC): Andronaco Industries Mike Williams Capitol Strategies LLC (F/K/A Mw Capitol Strategies LLC): Waterfleet LLC Oculus Strategies, LLC: The Livingston Group, LLC Obob Health Supply LLC O'Neill And Associates: Cora Systems US Inc Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: Phrma Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: Universal Technical Institute Rubin, Turnbull & Associates: USantibotics Strategics Consulting, LLC: Town Of Stanley The Friedlander Group: Logista Advisors LLC The Roosevelt Group: Thermoanalytics New Lobbying Terminations Invariant LLC: Nextdoor Law Offices Of Frederick H. Graefe, Pllc: National Medical Funding Services Richard Sawaya: Halliburton Energy Services
Mint
12-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Trump wants cheaper drugs like Europe has. How it works.
President Donald Trump doesn't just want to bring down prescription drug prices for Americans. He wants European countries to raise them to make up the revenue that drugmakers would lose from his policy. Trump is proposing a so-called most-favored-nation pricing model, which would set U.S. drug prices at the lowest level in other wealthy countries. But the pharmaceutical industry isn't buying into tying drug prices in the U.S. to prices in Europe—at least not knowing the details of the president's proposal. More details about the government's pricing model could come this week. On May 12, Trump directed government health officials to benchmark drug prices to international standards within 30 days. The lobbying group PhRMA, with members including U.S. pharma giants Eli Lilly, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, and AbbVie, has argued there are two reasons why U.S. drug prices are high: foreign countries not paying 'their fair share" for medicines, and middlemen such as pharmacy-benefit managers. Today, U.S. drug pricing is largely market driven. It involves negotiations between drug manufacturers, pharmacy-benefit managers, healthcare insurers and providers. European countries do it much differently. Each has its own way of determining drug prices, but most follow one of two broad approaches. The first approach, which Germany and France use, considers the overall clinical effectiveness of a new medicine. How does the new treatment compare to existing ones? Does it have added therapeutic benefits? If the new drug is substantially better, its price would reflect that. A second approach, used by the U.K., the Netherlands, and Sweden, analyzes cost effectiveness. This model not only compares the new drug to existing ones but also assesses the incremental value that the medicine brings to the health system. After the assessments, negotiations between drugmakers and the countries begin. Because many European countries have national health systems, they are in a strong negotiation position. If government negotiators think a medicine is too expensive for its effectiveness, they won't recommend its use. How Trump's MFN policy would work in practice isn't clear. Drug prices would probably be based on list prices in Europe since the prices paid by national health systems, or net prices, are confidential. The president's open-ended directive, laid out in an executive order, has many wondering how the U.S. could raise prices in Europe. Trump has made clear he wants to close the gap between U.S. and international prices, and has suggested he would use tariffs and export controls to achieve his goal. In theory, drugmakers could set list prices higher in Europe as long as it doesn't affect net prices, health policy expert Dr. Huseyin Naci told Barron's. In the U.K., for example, a higher list price could still lower the prices in other European countries. 'So that would still not be an acceptable approach to many other European countries," said Naci, who is associate professor of health policy at the London School of Economics. Overhauling Europe's decades-old pricing approaches would require fundamental changes to their pricing regulations—and there will be 'little appetite or ability" to alter them, Naci added. Cost is another complicating factor. 'Pharmaceutical spending is already one of the top categories of spending in many countries in terms of healthcare expenditure, so there's little room to accommodate higher prices and spending for pharmaceuticals in Europe," according to Naci. How Trump is planning to make Europeans pay more for drugs is the big question. He could use tariffs and trade negotiations as leverage. In early April, the president said a 'major" tax on pharmaceutical imports is coming 'very shortly," however nothing has been announced yet. In a trade agreement with the U.K. a month later, there is a provision on pharmaceuticals that states the U.K. will 'endeavor to improve the overall environment for pharmaceutical companies." What that means in practice still isn't clear. Write to Elsa Ohlen at
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
What's next for Trump's ‘most favored nation' policy?
This story was originally published on PharmaVoice. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily PharmaVoice newsletter. Following through on President Donald Trump's 'most favored nation' policy, the HHS is about to drop a drug pricing hammer on the pharma industry. But that doesn't mean drugmakers will comply. The policy, issued by an executive order earlier this month in an attempt to bring U.S. drug prices in line with those paid in other countries, asks drugmakers to voluntarily lower their own price tags first. If they don't, HHS is then directed to 'impose' the policy, which is expected to be met with legal challenges, as it was when Trump proposed a similar plan during his first term. Meanwhile, pharma's largest lobbying group is aiming to shift the blame for drug prices to pharmacy benefit managers and the 340B hospital drug pricing program. PhRMA launched a new ad campaign last week that called out 'markups' from the hospital program and 'middlemen fees' from PBMs as reasons for higher drug prices in the U.S. compared to the rest of the world. While HHS takes its first steps toward implementation, Congress is also looking into new reforms to lower drug prices. As HHS determined target prices that 'pharmaceutical manufacturers are expected to meet,' the agency disclosed that they're equal to the lowest price paid by an OECD country with a GDP capita that's at least 60% of the U.S. measure. And the president and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plan to highlight price commitments from drugmakers in the coming weeks, the agency said. 'For too long, Americans have been forced to pay exorbitant prices for the same drugs that are sold overseas for far less,' Kennedy said in a statement. 'That ends today. We expect pharmaceutical manufacturers to fulfill their commitment to lower prices for American patients, or we will take action to ensure they do.' In his executive order and accompanying fact sheet, Trump called out European countries for 'free-riding' on American pharma innovation by charging lower prices than the U.S. for the same medicines. Trump hopes the plan will convince other countries to raise drug prices to make up for lost pharma revenues. Kennedy last week called the plan a 'revolution in healthcare affordability', drawing on price comparisons for GLP-1 drugs in the U.S. and the U.K. — a patient may pay $88 for the same weekly shot in London for which an American shells out more than $1,000, he said. HHS announced the new targets just over a week after Trump directed the agency to implement the lower prices within 30 days. Despite HHS expecting compliance from drugmakers, many critics and analysts have noted the policy lacks teeth for enforcement and therefore may have a limited effect in lowering drug prices. While the policy may impact list prices, many patients would not see a change in drug costs because most pay a different price through their insurance. 'We do not [expect pharma companies to voluntarily comply], given that this is coming out of an executive order, and we have precedent from the first administration of this president where this was attempted; we expect a strong legal response, just like last time,' Maximilian Vargas, vice president, U.S. access strategy at Certara, said in an email. 'Federal authority to regulate drug pricing in the commercial books of business compared to government is limited.' HHS could come up with an enforcement mechanism down the line through a proposed rule, but firmer drug pricing reforms are already in the works. Two bills have been introduced in Congress that target drug prices, including one that codifies core provisions of Trump's most favored nation executive order into law. The Global Fairness in Drug Pricing Act, introduced the same day as HHS' price target announcement, would similarly direct HHS to propose a rule to implement the MFN strategy. It would also facilitate direct-to-consumer sales of drugs at the new benchmark prices and authorize the FDA to import prescription drugs from countries with lower prices. The FDA already allows states to apply for waivers to import drugs from other countries, and last week said it would enhance these options for imported drugs from Canada in compliance with the executive order. So far, only Florida has been granted a waiver to import drugs from Canada at a lower price. Canadian officials noted last year that the nation intended to 'safeguard' its drug supply, underscoring importation plans may meet roadblocks from other countries. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., also introduced a bill targeting pharma companies that charge prices that are higher than the median in other countries. The legislation, sent to the Senate HELP committee, would end pharma monopolies in the U.S., according to Sanders. Recommended Reading Trump's 'most favored nation' policy is back. Here's why it failed the first time.
Politico
20-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
A big pharma move
With Daniel Lippman FIRST IN PI — CURRIE HEADS TO BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB: Bristol Myers Squibb has picked up a veteran drug lobbyist to lead its Washington office at a key moment for the pharmaceutical industry. Rodger Currie, who served as the top lobbyist at PhRMA before moving over to the cancer diagnostic startup GRAIL in 2019, will join Bristol Myers Squibb next month as senior vice president of U.S. policy and government affairs. — Currie worked at PhRMA for nearly a decade, including when Congress created the Medicare Part D program for prescription drugs in the early 2000s. He returned to the drug lobby early in the first Trump administration. Currie also led government affairs at the American Psychiatric Association and drugmaker Amgen. — He joins Bristol Myers Squibb at a pivotal time for the drug industry in Washington. The Inflation Reduction Act's drug pricing provisions dealt the pharmaceutical industry's lobbying operation a major blow, and BMS has had one of its drugs selected for Medicare price negotiations in both rounds of talks so far. CEO Chris Boerner was among the pharma executives hauled to the Hill last year for a grilling by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) over drug prices. — Drugmakers haven't fared much better under GOP President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order last week aimed at pegging the U.S. cost of prescription drugs to prices paid in other countries. The president is prepping tariffs on the drug industry, in addition to continuing with drug price negotiations. Trump also installed one of the industry's most vocal detractors, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., atop the nation's health agencies, where Kennedy has continued to shred pharmaceutical companies. — Currie is well known in pharmaceutical lobbying circles. A 2020 Wall Street Journal story described him as 'a tall, domineering figure who volunteers for the Washington, D.C., police and sometimes leads Mr. Trump's motorcade through downtown Washington on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. … In lobbying, Mr. Currie believed in strength over negotiation.' — His hiring by BMS could signal a shift in approach by the company, especially when taken with an op-ed from Boerner earlier this month in which the chief executive took aim at the administration's funding cuts, tariff and drug pricing policies. 'Just as government policies have bolstered U.S. leadership' in the drug sector, he wrote, 'they can also destroy it.' Happy Tuesday and welcome to PI. Send lobbying tips. You can add me on Signal, email me at coprysko@ and be sure to follow me on X: @caitlinoprysko. SPOTTED: Apple CEO Tim Cook going through security at the White House on Tuesday, a PI tipster told Daniel. Cook met with Trump on his visit, according to a person familiar with the matter. FIRST IN PI — FOREIGN STAKEHOLDERS TRIP UP ILFA LOBBYISTS AGAIN: A lobbying firm representing the International Legal Finance Association again is correcting a failure to disclose that the association has foreign entities that have a direct interest in its lobbying activities, Daniel reports. — When S-3 Group filed its LD-1 lobbying registration form in January for ILFA, it identified six foreign entities with that interest. However, when it recently filed its LD-2 disclosure form for the first quarter, it checked the box that said there were no foreign stakeholders. — The lack of disclosure comes as there are increasing concerns that foreign litigation financing could be used to undermine American interests. Several lawmakers have introduced legislation aimed at forcing more transparency around the practice — something the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also lobbied hard for. — The head of DOJ's FARA Unit reaffirmed last year that foreign litigation funding is an area of interest in terms of the unit's enforcement priorities, though it is unclear if that will remain the case under Attorney General Pam Bondi. — At the start of this year, ILFA switched lobbying firms and is now represented by S-3 Group. The two people lobbying on its behalf at S-3 Group, Kristi Remington and Craig Kalkut, also previously represented them at West Front Strategies, which is no longer retained by ILFA. When West Front filed quarterly disclosures for the group, it disclosed the interest of foreign entities in the work. — This is the second time in two years that a firm representing ILFA has failed to disclose that the association has foreign stakeholders that have a direct interest in its lobbying activities. Jeff Miller's Miller Strategies, which no longer represents ILFA, had to amend its report for ILFA last year for the same reason. — John Scofield, a partner at S-3 Group, told PI that the lack of disclosure was a 'clerical mistake that will be corrected shortly.' As of Tuesday afternoon, PI had not spotted the amendment online. ILFA didn't respond to requests for comment. A WALL STREET FIRM PIVOTS TO TAX, ENERGY: Rich Feuer Anderson has registered to lobby for half a dozen new clients, including Tesla, the Auto Alliance for Innovation, the Clean Energy Buyers Association and oil refinery Suncor Energy. It's part of a new push from the longtime financial services-focused lobbying shop to build out its portfolio of energy and tax work. — Steering the firm's budding energy practice is Matt Kellogg, a former Independent Petroleum Association of America general counsel who's also worked for Kevin McCarthy, Treasury, MoneyLion and HSBC. Justin Sok, a SIFMA and Treasury alum who previously served as legislative director for now-House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), is heading up the firm's tax work — though the two policy areas have been linked over the past few years. — The Biden administration's unsuccessful push to force companies to disclose their climate-related risks and emissions forced the issue onto Wall Street's radar. But 'the IRA was something that really — at least in the energy and tax space — kind of exploded interest' in the intersection of clean energy and tax policy, Sok told PI of the Inflation Reduction Act. The firm is working to persuade Republicans to spare the law's tax incentives in their reconciliation package. ANNALS OF FUNDRAISING: Elon Musk plans to drastically cut his political spending after unleashing a gusher of cash to help elect Trump and down-ballot Republicans last year It's 'a likely blow' to the GOP ahead of next year's midterms, Bloomberg's Gregory Korte and Bill Allison write. — 'I'm going to do a lot less in the future,' the Tesla CEO and DOGE chief told the Qatar Economic Forum today, adding in a response to a question about the shift that 'I think I've done enough.' — 'The world's richest man …contributed about a quarter of a billion dollars to various political groups in the 2024 cycle — more than any other donor to US elections. Most of that money supported Trump, who rewarded Musk by appointing him to lead an ambitious effort to reduce the size and scope of the federal government' that has given the tech executive unprecedented access to the president and the inner workings of the federal bureaucracy. RELATED READ: Trump's 'Gulf Deal-Making Spree Also Benefited Elon Musk and His Family,' by The New York Times' Mara Hvistendahl, Rebecca R. Ruiz and Ryan Mac. CRAIG JOINING FOLEY HOAG: Greg Craig has found a new home downtown. The former Obama and Clinton White House counsel has joined Foley Hoag as a senior counsel, the firm announced today. Craig was part of former President Bill Clinton's impeachment defense team and was the first top White House lawyer for former President Barack Obama. — After leaving the White House, Craig joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, where his work related to a 2012 report on former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko landed him in the crosshairs of former special counsel Robert Mueller and caused a bitter split between Craig and the firm. — Craig became the only Democratic official to face charges stemming from Mueller's probe of Russian election meddling, but in 2019, a jury acquitted Craig on a felony count of intentionally misleading DOJ about his Ukraine lobbying work. FLYING IN: Member executives with the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association are in town this week. AV leaders have met with Treasury Secretary Sean Duffy and are slated to meet with other DOT staff as well as a mix of bipartisan members and staff from the Senate Commerce House Energy and Commerce and House Transportation and Infrastructure committees to try and keep up momentum for the development of a federal AV policy framework. — The National Grocers Association will be on the Hill today and tomorrow for a well-timed fly-in to lobby for various tax provisions and push back against cuts to SNAP funding in the reconciliation bill. Independent grocers will also hear about antitrust enforcement from FTC Chair Andrew Ferguson and meet with lawmakers ahead of a possible amendment vote in the Senate on swipe fees legislation. — The Natural Resources Council of Maine was on the Hill today to call on members of the Maine delegation to preserve the IRA's clean energy tax incentives and protect funding for coastal climate change resilience and EPA clean air and water funding. — The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors hit the Hill today for more than 300 scheduled meetings with congressional staff and lawmakers, including Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), French Hill (R-Ark.), Young Kim (R-Calif.), Seth Magaziner (D-R.I.) and Jason Smith (R-Mo.). DOGE DATA TRACKER — POLITICO just launched a new Pro tool to track the latest actions by Trump's Department of Government Efficiency. A look at April and May alone reveals over 5,000 new contract, grant or lease cancellations. Pros can search new cuts, additions, and modifications by government agency, contractor, or congressional district. For access to exclusive reporting and tools like this, subscribe to POLITICO Pro or request a demo of our news service, directories and other products. Jobs report — David Bortnick has joined SMI as vice president. He most recently served as a professional staff member on the House Appropriations Committee and is an OMB and USTR alum. — Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions has added Whitney Folluo as director of media relations, Alyssa Jones as a communications manager and Shannon O'Hare as a government relations and policy manager. Folluo was most recently at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Jones was most recently with the Western Caucus Foundation and O'Hare was most recently at the Wilson Center. — The Transport Project has added Kirk Ross as its director of membership. He was previously member engagement manager for the western region for the National League of Cities. — Paul Wolfson is joining Democracy Forward as senior legal adviser. He most recently was deputy associate AG at the Justice Department and is an alum of WilmerHale, where he was a top Supreme Court advocate. — Jacqueline Thomas is now director of external communications at USDA. She most recently was a director at Rational 360 and is a Trump White House alum. — Allen Klump is now a governmental affairs adviser at Maynard Nexsen. He previously was vice president for governmental affairs for the South Carolina Manufacturing Alliance and is a Jeff Duncan alum. — Brian Szmytke is joining Apollo Communications as vice president for political strategy and operations. He previously was director of political marketing at i360. — Manisha Sunil is joining New Heights Communications as a director. She previously was director of communications at Groundwork Collaborative. — James Swann is now communications director at America's Essential Hospitals. He was previously director of communications and public affairs at AHIP. New Joint Fundraisers Invest in America 2026 (Reps. Richard Hudson, Nick Begich, Brian Fitzpatrick, Rudy Yakym, Max Miller, NRCC) Jane Fonda & Mike Levin Victory Fund (Rep. Mike Levin, Jane Fonda Climate PAC) New PACs ENERGY DOMINANCE PAC (Super PAC) Take Me Home WV Action (Super PAC) New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS Avoq, LLC: Solana Policy Institute Capcventures LLC: Lynas Rare Earths Ltd Capitol Counsel LLC: Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Checkmate Government Relations: Eversheds Sutherland LLP On Behalf Of Maurel & Prom Checkmate Government Relations: Monte Valle Energy LLC Checkmate Government Relations: Morgan Hughes Energy Checkmate Government Relations: Patino & Associates, P.A. Checkmate Government Relations: Ril USa, Inc. Checkmate Government Relations: Stoll Keenon Odgen Govt. Rels. LLC (On Behalf Of Ky Medical Servs Found.) Clearwater Group, LLC: Conduent Incorporated And Its Affiliates Clearwater Group, LLC: Port Pascagoula Corcoran & Associates, Inc. Dba Corcoran Partners: Kroll, LLC Dga Group Government Relations LLC (Formerly Dentons Global Advisors Government: Viiv Healthcare Elevate Government Affairs, LLC: Marathon Petroleum Corporation Elevate Government Affairs, LLC: Ncta-The Internet And Television Association K&L Gates, LLP: 8 Star Alaska, LLC Lot Sixteen LLC: North Star Manganese, Inc. Michael R. Pawlowski: Capitol Counsel On Behalf Of Cook Inlet Region, Inc. Miller Strategies, LLC: American Bankers Association Miller Strategies, LLC: Goel Investments, LLC Miller Strategies, LLC: Grey Rock Net Zero Opportunities Fund I, Lp Miller Strategies, LLC: Invenergy LLC Miller Strategies, LLC: Merchants For America, Inc. Oceantic Network: Oceantic Network Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.: Uniform Advantage Squire Patton Boggs: Jump Crypto Holdings LLC The Abecedarian Group, LLC: Ujima, The National Center On Violence Against Women In The Black Community Thorn Run Partners: Isle Of Palms, South Carolina Twenty-First Century Group, Inc.: Phitec, LLC Yazaki North America: Yazaki North America New Lobbying Terminations Farmvetdx: Farmvetdx Kate Moss: Discover Financial Services Keystone Strategic Consulting, LLC: Pennsylvania Association For The Blind The Law Office Of Michael R. Klipper: American Society Of Media Photographers The Mondello Group LLC: World Anti-Doping Association (Wada) Venable LLP: Air Products And Chemicals Inc.
