Bottom Line: Confectioners lobby up for sugar program showdown

Sugar

The ​National Confectioners Association hired NVG to lobby on changes to sugar policy, one of the food and agriculture issues in the farm bill. The confectioners have pushed to reform the sugar program, which maintains a minimum sugar price and restricts imports, which they say benefits a few wealthy sugar producers at the expense of businesses and consumers that use the sugar. 

Irene Bueno, who served as special assistant to the president in the White House Chief of Staff’s Office and Domestic Policy Council during the Clinton administration, will work on the account.

Tax

The Business Roundtable, a trade association representing CEOs from some of the country’s biggest companies, hired PhronesisDC to lobby on issues related to tax and privacy legislation. The Business Roundtable has been positioning itself to play a key role as Congress weighs what happens to expiring provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, former President Trump’s signature tax bill. Trump floated further cuts to the corporate tax rate during an event hosted by the trade association last month. 

Brendan ​Dunn, former policy adviser and counsel to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will work on the account.

Medical debt

Rich Feuer Anderson registered to lobby on a new rule proposed last month by the government’s consumer protection agency on behalf of the ​Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposal would “limit the circumstances under which consumer reporting agencies are permitted to furnish medical debt information to creditors in connection with credit eligibility determinations.” 

One of the lobbyists on the account is Jared ​Sawyer, former deputy assistant secretary at the Treasury Department, senior counsel for the Senate Banking Committee and professional staffer for the House Financial Services Committee.

Technology

AT&T has hired Origin Advocacy to “provide strategic advice and guidance on issues related to wireless spectrum.” The lobbyist on the account is Sean ​McLean, former White House liaison at the Commerce Department and legislative director for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), the top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees the telecommunications industry.

Music

Spotify hired TwinLogic Strategies to lobby on issues related to music licensing. Matthew ​Plaster, former professional staffer on the Senate Commerce Committee, will work on the account.