House Democrats’ latest relief bill draws praise, criticism Presented by Philip Morris International

With Daniel Lippman

HOUSE DEMOCRATS’ LATEST RELIEF BILL DRAWS PRAISE, CRITICISM: Time is running out for Congress to defy the odds and strike a last-minute deal on a coronavirus relief package, but restaurants and live-music venues scored a small victory when House Democrats included legislation for which they’d lobbied for months in a new bill that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi debuted on Monday. The Independent Restaurant Association hailed the inclusion of a bill championed by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) that would set up a $120 billion bailout fund for restaurants. And the National Independent Venue Association cheered provisions that would help its members.


— The International Franchise Association was less jubilant. Blumenauer’s bill would help restaurants with fewer than 20 locations but not franchised chain restaurants, the trade group argued. While the bill contains much the IFA supports, it would provide “funds for corporately-owned, high-end restaurants while barring independently-owned franchise restaurants from the same relief,” Matt Haller, the trade group’s top lobbyist, said in a statement. “To add insult to injury, the House bill creates a caviar carveout for these ‘Top Chef’ restaurants by allowing them a second helping of PPP funds on top of this new celebrity chef bailout. Restaurants of all types need help — regardless of the name on the door.”

WHAT THE CHAMBER WANTS CHRIS WALLACE TO ASK TONIGHT: Suzanne Clark, the president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, urged Fox News’ Chris Wallace in an open letter to ask one question in tonight’s debate: “How will you target support to those businesses, workers, and communities that find themselves on the downward trajectory of the K-Shaped recovery that’s now unfolding?” She defined a “K-shaped recovery” as one “in which some industries and some Americans will bounce back vigorously while others remain in freefall.” The pandemic and the economy are two of the six planned topics for tonight’s debate — how could they not be? — but this newsletter will be very surprised if Wallace actually uses the phrase “K-shaped recovery.”

— Some other Washington trade groups, meanwhile, are running ads in leading up to or during the debate. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores will air ads on Tuesday and Wednesday encouraging Americans to get flu shots, while the American Petroleum Institute will run ads on CNN and Fox News touting oil and gas companies’ efforts to reduce carbon emissions and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign energy.



A message from Philip Morris International: Science helps us to make informed decisions—from the food we buy to the cars we drive. So why is society yet to embrace its fullest potential? In an international survey of 19,100 adults, the findings were clear. The citizens of the world want government officials to prioritize science over ideology and facts over politics. So, does the public’s grasp of and respect for science matter? Philip Morris International (PMI) believes it does. Learn more about this international survey at pmi.com/sciencefirst

Good afternoon, and welcome to PI. Days until Election Day: 35. Tips: [email protected]. Twitter: @theodoricmeyer.

NEW BUSINESS: The Chinese drone manufacturer DJI has added Andrew Koneschusky of CLS Strategies to its stable of outside lobbyists. He’ll lobby on drone issues including bipartisan bills introduced by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) that would ban the federal government from buying drones made by entities under the influence or control of China. DJI also retains Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Cassidy & Associates and K&L Gates as well as several in-house lobbyists.

BIDEN CAMPAIGN CHASTISES FACEBOOK FOR SPREADING ‘DANGEROUS CLAPTRAP’: Joe Biden’s campaign is going after Facebook “for ‘regression’ in the face of misinformation swirling through the popular social media platform, singling out voter fraud claims from the reelection team of President Donald Trump,” POLITICO's John Hendel and Cristiano Lima report. “‘No company that considers itself a force for good in democracy, and that purports to take voter suppression seriously, would allow this dangerous claptrap to be spread to millions of people,’ wrote Biden campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon in a Sept. 28 letter to [Facebook’s chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg] provided on Tuesday — hours ahead of the first presidential debate.”

— O’Malley Dillon cited a recent Trump campaign post featuring Donald Trump Jr., “who in a campaign video accuses Democrats of planning to proceed with fraudulent ballots, without offering evidence. Facebook had labeled the post with a note saying voting by mail ‘has a long history of trustworthiness.’ The Biden campaign asked Facebook to go further and take the video down, O'Malley Dillon said."



DEMAND JUSTICE HITS THE AIRWAVES: “Demand Justice, a liberal group that focuses on judicial reform, will launch a seven-figure ad buy Tuesday, the latest effort in what's shaping up to be an increasingly expensive Supreme Court fight,” POLITICO’s Marianne LeVine reports. “The Demand Justice ad will go up nationally, as well as air in Iowa, Arizona, North Carolina and Colorado, all states with competitive Senate races in November. The ad, which will air just ahead of Tuesday’s presidential debate, cites recent polling that demonstrates the majority of Americans want the Supreme Court seat filled after the Nov. 3 election and accuses Republicans of ‘rushing to play politics with the court’ amid the pandemic.” Demand Justice and the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative group, have each pledged to spend at least $10 million in the battle to confirm Judge Amy Coney Barrett.

WHEN DRAINING THE SWAMP GOES WRONG: The Campaign Legal Center has a new analysis of President Donald Trump’s record of following through on the five planks of an ethics reform plan he laid out during the 2016 campaign: “With three presidential debates scheduled in the coming weeks, the moderators should raise the topic of ethics reform to both major political party candidates. Trump should be asked about his administration’s failure to follow through on its ‘drain the swamp’ promise and about what he would do in a second term to implement and enforce comprehensive ethics rules.”



Jobs Report

— Zurich has hired Tom Santos as assistant vice president for federal affairs. He plans to register as a lobbyist. He was previously a lobbyist for the American Property Casualty Insurance Association.

— ROKK Solutions has promoted Kristen Hawn to partner. She joined the firm in 2018 as a senior adviser.

— Raffetto Herman Strategic Communications has hired Loretta Principe as a vice president. She previously led Makovsky’s Washington office.



A message from Philip Morris International:





New Joint Fundraisers

Arizona North Carolina Victory Fund (Mark Kelly for Senate, Cal for NC, Arizona Democratic Party, North Carolina Democratic Party - Federal)

Reconnecting Urban and Rural American Life (Rep. Rick Crawford, Bice for Congress, Nehls for Congress, Miller-Meeks for Congress, Tiffany Shedd for Congress Committee, Rural America Counts PAC (RAC PAC)



New PACs

Climate Democrats Act (PAC)

Maine Outdoor Heritage PAC (Super PAC)

Raise Up (Super PAC)

Supreme Billboards (Super PAC)

UNITY Movement Super PAC, LLC (PAC)



New Lobbying Registrations

Allegiance Strategies, LLC: NEO Philanthropy, Inc.

American Capitol Group: Accelbeam Photonics, LLC

American Capitol Group: Frontier Scientific

Avenue Solutions: Organize

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP: Tribal Solutions Medical

Capitol Counsel, LLC: Raffaniello & Associates on behalf of United Parcel Service

CLS Strategies (formerly Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter and Associates, Inc.): DJI Technology, Inc.

Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: American College of Preventative Medicine

Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc.: Merlin International, Inc.

Dentons US LLP: Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum

ETS Consulting LLC: Arton Capital

ETS Consulting LLC: Babi Yar Holocaust Memorial Charity Fund

ETS Consulting LLC: Herbert Smith Freehills (on behalf of Vedanta Resources Limited)

FBB Federal Relations: TSI USA LLC

Greenberg Traurig, LLP: Physicians for Reform

Invariant LLC: American Council of Engineering Companies

Kirk Global Advisors: MP Materials

ML Strategies, LLC: LKQ Corporation

Peck Madigan Jones: K12 Inc.

Siemens Energy, Inc: Siemens Energy, Inc

Steptoe & Johnson LLP: Sarah R. Hadley

The Madison Group: Reset Public Affairs on behalf of Aspiration Tech

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP: Informal Coalition of Trade Credit Insurers



New Lobbying Terminations

Constantine Cannon, LLP: Retail Industry Leaders Association

Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker, LLP: USET Sovereignty Protection Fund

Seventh Street Strategies LLC: Institute for Higher Education Policy

