Here are the big lobbying battles in Congress

One of the few remaining targets for lobbyists flew out the window when the Senate sent the giant aviation bill to the House on Thursday.

Lobbyists are eyeing the passage of essential legislation to advance customer priorities, with passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reauthorization bill expected to reduce the number of vehicles between now and the end of the 118th Congress. This means one less car.

There’s still a lot to do between now and the November election, but some of the biggest lobbying battles of the season may have to wait until the year-end fundraising measures or the swearing-in of the new Congress in January. There is.

“While I tell my clients not to expect any sweeping, large-scale proposals other than annual authorizations to pass before the election, now more than ever, federal “We encourage them to stay involved in policy-making, otherwise they risk being treated unfairly.” Founder and CEO of 440 Strategies, a new public relations shop launched after six years at Forbes Tate.

Karishma Page, a partner at K&L Gates, told The Hill that there is a “demand for vehicle space for real, meaningful policy,” adding, “It’s not accurate to say that Congress hasn’t legislated. ” he said.

But grappling with the additional demands could also delay policymaking in what is already expected to be the least productive Congress in decades.

Since January 2023, lawmakers have sent more than 70 bills to President Biden. According to Congress.govAs Republicans grapple with the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the weeks-long battle to find his replacement, and the growing pains of newly elected Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Calif.) , including a huge spending bill and limp interim measures. La. ).

But this Congress, as evidenced by the swift passage of the TikTok Divest and Ban Act on a foreign aid package, one crisis or misstep could shake up stubborn stagnation.

Despite the odds, lobbyists are competing to pass or suspend numerous high-profile priorities for their clients. Here are five of the biggest lobbying battles that could come to a head on the home turf of the 118th Congress.

Banks and retailers scuffle over ‘swipe fee’ bills

The nation’s largest credit card companies are under attack — at least when Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) passed the Credit Card Competition Act over the summer. It’s a message the industry has been pushing since its reintroduction. .

The bill would require large financial institutions with more than $100 billion in assets to offer at least two credit card payment processing networks. One of those options can’t be Visa or Mastercard, with lawmakers claiming that both companies “monopoly” the “swipe fee” market and currently control a combined 80% of that market. There is.

Opponents of the bill argue that if passed, it would eliminate a popular rewards program that primarily benefits big box stores and does nothing to reduce costs for consumers. There is.

But Mr. Durbin, Mr. Marshall and the bill’s supporters in the retail industry say it’s important to lower operating costs and make more money for small businesses, and they believe that large legislative packages such as the National Defense Authorization Act are important. The bill is requested to be attached as an amendment to the bill. Use this information in negotiations with major credit card companies.

Marshall denounced industry lobbyists’ opposition to the bill on the Senate floor Wednesday.

“The Visa-Mastercard duopoly has used its money and influence in Washington to distract politicians from predatory swipe fees,” Marshall said. “I never could have imagined that we would be facing an uphill battle here to do what’s best for hardworking Americans living paycheck to paycheck.”

Farm Bill battle erupts over food assistance programs

Agribusiness and anti-hunger advocates are scrambling to prioritize in the latest version of the multiyear farm bill, which provides farm and food programs including SNAP and WIC.

The vast policy landscape is filled with granular battles, including the National Confectioners’ Association’s long-standing effort to reform the U.S. sugar program, but the biggest battle is over the future of food assistance programs.

Nutrition programs like SNAP typically receive the most funding in the Farm Bill, but following 2021 revisions to the Thrifty Food Program, the food that makes up a nutritious meal designed by the Department of Agriculture. The amount increased.

Republicans are proposing cuts to nutrition programs and conservation funds under the Inflation Control Act to fund other programs to help farmers weather rising prices and extreme weather events that affect their livelihoods. .

This has forced anti-hunger advocacy groups, including Feeding America, to lobby in defense of these programs, and the Feeding Alabama chapter has recently stepped down from former aide Richard. Even Senate Appropriations Chairman Shelby (R-Ala.) has been hired to make the case.

The Republican-led House and Democratic-led Senate released outlines of their versions of the farm bill this month, showing that the two chambers remain divided over how to fund food and protection programs. It was done.

The last farm bill was passed in 2018, and Congress has already extended the deadline for an updated version of the bill to September 30th. It could be postponed again to the next Congress after elections determine whether Republicans or Democrats control the House and Senate. That means whoever comes out on top could have an advantage in advancing their version of the bill.

Cannabis banking bill outlook uncertain

After a Senate committee passed the first-ever cannabis banking bill last September, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York vowed to bring the SAFER Banking Act to the floor for a vote “as soon as possible.”

Eight months later, that vote still hasn’t materialized.

However, Schumer and House Financial Services Committee Chairman Patrick McHenry, RN.C., met last month to discuss attaching cannabis banking and stablecoin bills to the FAA reauthorization. Politico reported. Although that plan didn’t work out, it does offer an interesting compromise on one of the other bills to pass later this session.

McHenry is set to retire at the end of this Congress, and will credit his legacy by leading the passage of landmark cryptocurrency legislation as lawmakers consider how to regulate the entire industry. It has the potential to make it more solid. Cryptocurrency companies and industry groups have said that there are no rules in an industry that has recently been roiled by high-profile scandals, including the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX and the conviction of its once-famous founder Sam Bankman Fried. He is defending the enactment of a comprehensive cryptocurrency bill on Capitol Hill, arguing that it is necessary. of the road.

Advocates for criminal justice reform have proposed proposals such as the Opportunity Pursuit of Expungement Act, which would help states vacate marijuana convictions, and the Firearms Rights and Marijuana Act, which would strip federal restrictions on firearm sales to felons. , calling for amendments to the SAFER Banking Act. use marijuana.

PBMs resist reform efforts

Advertisements appeared all over the place last summer and fall accusing pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the intermediaries in the prescription drug supply chain, of high drug prices.

The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association (PhRMA), which funded the ad, has been lobbying, along with unlikely allies, for legislation to increase PBM transparency. AARP supported the Inflation Reduction Act’s drug pricing provisions that PhRMA opposed, but also supported several PBM reform bills, including the PBM Transparency Act, the Modernize and Secure PBM Accountability Act, and the Patient Before Intermediaries Act. did.

The Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA), the trade group representing PBMs, will launch a federal lobbying effort in 2023 to fight legislation that “fundamentally misunderstands” the industry’s role and “risks raising drug costs.” A record $15.4 million was spent, a PCMA spokesperson said. Greg Lopez told The Hill last fall.

The Congressional funding bill passed in March did not include PBM reform, and Reps. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.) and James Comer (R-Ky.) -Told Hill Editor-in-Chief Bob Cusack that PBM reform is facing difficulties. Despite bipartisan, bicameral support, the future of this session is uncertain.

Railway reform stall at the station

Lawmakers called for changes to rail safety and regulations after a tragic derailment on the Norfolk Southern Trail in East Palestine, Ohio, on February 3, 2023. But more than a year after the accident, the obvious anger in the immediate aftermath has subsided, as has the urgency to pass the bill.

After the accident, lawmakers quickly came together around a rail safety bill introduced by Ohio Sens. J.D. Vance (R) and Sherrod Brown (D). But the proposed amendment Vance and Senate Commerce Committee Chairwoman Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) have pushed the tanker improvements from May 2025 to December 2028 after industry lobbyists argued the timeline was unrealistic. The Lever reported that the event has been postponed until now. first reportedcritics accused Vance of watering down his billing.

The committee sent the bill to the Senate floor, but it has not been voted on. This could put Brown in a tough position heading into one of the most competitive races this fall.

However, the National Transportation Safety Board’s report on the East Palestine derailment scheduled for June, and its findings could prompt Congress to reconsider the bill. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said during a House Budget Committee hearing last month. requested the parliament To advance the bill.

“While we are taking every step that does not require an act of Congress, we urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Rail Safety Act, which provides much-needed powers to keep passengers, workers, and communities safe. I keep asking,” Buttigieg said.