Bottom Line: Railroad giant lobbies up for drones

by Taylor Giorno - 08/27/24 6:00 AM ET

Greg Nash
A K St. banner is seen in downtown Washington, D.C., on Monday, January 30, 2023.

Drones

BNSF Railway Company hired Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld to lobby on issues related to “U.S. drone security solution.” The rail giant has been building out its drone operation for years to inspect infrastructure, incidents and other assets, securing a novel Federal Aviation Administration waiver to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight. Charlie Johnson, a former law clerk on the Democratic staff of the House Judiciary Committee, will work on the account.

Finance

BlackRock hired Cornerstone Government Affairs to provide “strategic advice on asset management industry dynamics related to working with Congress.” This is the fourth new lobbying firm that has started working on behalf of the investment giant since the start of June, according to Lobbying Disclosure Act records.

One of the lobbyists on the account is David Planning, former floor director for House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and special assistant to the president for legislative affairs under former President Trump.

Evolve Bank hired its first D.C. lobbying firm, The Vogel Group, to work on issues related to banking service and delivery. The Federal Reserve in June issued a cease-and-desist order, accusing the bank of “deficiencies in the bank’s anti-money laundering, risk management, and consumer compliance programs.” Alex Vogel, former chief counsel to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), will work on the account.

Tax

The Natural Resources Defense Fund (NRDC) hired Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP to lobby on issues related to Treasury regulations on tech-neutral energy tax credits. One of the lobbyists on the account is David Skillman, former deputy chief of staff and counsel to Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a member of the Ways and Means committee and current ranking member of the trade subcommittee.

The American Council of Life Insurers hired Hollier & Associates to lobby on reauthorization of the 2017 tax reform bill and “legislation to repeal capital tax treatment for debt investments in favor of ordinary treatment.” The lobbyist on the account is William Hollier, former chief of staff to Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho).

Updated at 1 p.m. ET.