Bottom Line: SpaceX signs former chief to House Armed Services Committee chair

Elon Musk’s SpaceX hired Williams and Jensen to lobby on issues related to the national security launch, a Department of Defense program that utilizes commercial launch services to deploy military and intelligence satellites. In October, the U.S. Space Force reportedly awarded SpaceX, which is currently dominating competitors including Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, $733.6 million for the third phase of the program.

The lobbyist on the account is Christopher Brinson, former chief of staff to House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), whose committee plays a key role in crafting the annual defense bill that authorizes and funds the program.

S-3 Group registered to lobby for more than 20 clients since last Monday, including Expedia, Lowes, Walgreens, CTIA The Wireless Association, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Cigar Association of America. Some of those clients had previously retained West Front Strategies, which merged with S-3 last fall — Republic Services, a waste management company for which both White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and Attorney General Pam Bondi previously lobbied during their time at another firm. One of the lobbyists on the account is Malloy McDaniel, a former policy adviser and whip liaison to then-Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

UnitedHealth Group retained Alston & Bird to lobby on issues related to coverage and tax credits for health insurers. One of the lobbyists on the account is Jane Lucas, who served as a White House special assistant for President Trump during his first term and spent a decade working with Senate Republican Leader John Thune (R-S.D.)

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America hired Holland & Knight to lobby on issues related to the K-12 workforce and pathways to post-secondary education. The lobbyist on the account is Lauren Maddox, former assistant secretary for communications and outreach at the Department of Education.

AARP hired H&M Strategies to lobby on a range of issues including expiring provisions in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and Republican-led plans to use a budget resolution to enact extensions and tweaks. The firm will also lobby on the taxation of Social Security benefits, which Trump proposed eliminating on the campaign trail, and tax credits for caregivers. One of the lobbyists on the account is Ralph Hellmann, whose Hill resume includes a stint as a policy adviser to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

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