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Elizabeth Morra
Josh Holly
Jim Dyer

There are dozens of firms in Washington that specialize in appropriations and budget work, each with a long list of clients chasing after needed funds from a rapidly shrinking pool of federal resources. The Podesta Group, however, is unique among them. Our team has been successful in what has been a highly competitive environment because we know not only the policymakers, but the policy process. More importantly today, our team knows that from agriculture to foreign policy, and from defense spending to environmental issues, the appropriations committees will continue to have their hands in most of the major policy fights, despite what is understood to be the death of traditional earmarks. Whether it’s securing funding or preventing the attachment of legislation harmful to our clients in appropriations bills, our strategists are set to navigate the new reality of the appropriations process and primed to plot a winning course.

Wins
The structure was broken. It has been repaired.

Appropriations & Budget

Buzz

Bloomberg TV Asks PG's Jim Dyer to Weigh in on Tax Reform and the Romney/Ryan Ticket

Driven. Inspired. Smart.
August 13, 2012

PG's Jim Dyer appeared on Bloomberg TV to discuss the likelihood of comprehensive tax reform in the current Congress and the differences in tax policy on the Romney/Ryan ticket.
Damage Control for Budget Act: PG's Jim Dyer Pens Washington Post Op-Ed
April 5, 2012

"Once again, Congress is in the midst of a legislative session threatened by a problem of its own making and is uncertain about how, when or where to solve it. In nine months, a law on the books, the Budget Control Act of 2011, will wreak havoc not only on the operations of federal government, but our entire economy, if lawmakers do not agree on an alternative approach to cutting the budget..."
PG's Jim Dyer Talks Deficits, Defense and the Industrial Base at CSIS
December 2, 2011

The Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group of the Center for Strategic & International Studies hosted an event on the current uncertainty surrounding deficit reduction and what it means for national security and the defense industrial base. PG's Jim Dyer was on hand to offer commentary as part of their panel of experts.
Tony Podesta Talks Super Committee with Bloomberg
September 2, 2011

"…Tony Podesta, whose Podesta Group ranks third among lobbying firms…, said he will do what he always does: advocate for all of his clients and try to persuade panel members that their programs are meritorious…"
The Huffington Post
December 21, 2010

As young Americans have become the most tech-savvy generation in history, the generations preceding them have not kept pace - to the detriment of their economic and even physical well-being.

Technology literacy remains a critical challenge for mature adults; the Pew Research Center reports that only 42 percent of adults age 65 and over use the Internet, compared to 79 percent of adults overall.
CNN
March 1, 2010

Residents of Hinesville, Georgia, have long lived in the shadow of Fort Stewart. In good times, the city thrived from the close economic relationship with the Army base, which is home to 20,000 soldiers. These days, life is tough, given that most of those soldiers are overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, resulting in the loss of clientele for many local businesses.

And life has become even tougher for many townspeople because of a decision made hundreds of miles away in the Pentagon.

Pulse

Change is Coming to Congressional Defense Committees in the 113th
July 17, 2012

In announcing his resignation from the House of Representatives earlier this month, Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI) quoted Bob Dylan's farewell song, “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue.”

Luckily, Rep. McCotter wasn’t asked to apply other iconic songs to Congress on his way out the door. Otherwise, he might have hit the congressional defense committees with another classic Dylan line: “For the times, they are a-changin’.”
Presidential Budgeting: Beware of the Fine Print
February 17, 2012

On Monday, the Obama administration sent its FY 2013 budget request to Congress. Historically, the president’s budget request has been considered the starting point for the annual budget negotiation process. In that respect, this year’s budget is little different from past requests.
Navigating the New Appropriations World Order
January 24, 2012

When it comes to campaign rhetoric, one of the most popular items on the menu these days seems to be “pork.” Candidates on both sides of the aisle have nurtured a political environment that rightfully condemns some of the past evils of earmarks and pork-barrel spending. But what this well-intended dialogue does not account for is the host of worthy projects which now benefit millions of Americans and whose existence can be attributed to congressional champions.
Super Committee Failure Helps to Harden Congressional Fault Lines
December 21, 2011

As the first session of the 112th Congress winds to an end (touch wood), the hangover left by the Select Committee on Deficit Reduction’s (better known as the Super Committee) failure and ongoing fights over budgetary and appropriations issues have still not been tamed. If anything, the pain has only been compounded by the partisan brinkmanship surrounding the passage of year-end omnibus appropriations legislation and the extension of critical tax provisions.
The Budget Deal and the 302(a) Solution
September 8, 2011

Like so many things in Washington, the budget deal was neither black nor white for appropriators. It was more of a shaded gray, blending good and bad. But, it has already solved one problem that has plagued the congressional appropriations process for many years.

Call it “The 302(a) Dilemma.”
Tax Reform: Don’t Be the Fellow Behind the Tree
May 6, 2011

When asked about prospects for tax reform, the late Senate Finance Chairman Russell Long once replied that any tax reform process would amount to, “Don’t tax you, don’t tax me, tax that fellow behind the tree.” Decades later, that line remains a favorite among tax policymakers and pundits alike; and with Washington bracing for a possible summer rollout of corporate tax reform, it’s also just as astute as ever. There will be winners and losers in tax reform. And the battle lines are being drawn now.  
To Raise or Not to Raise: The Debt Ceiling Conversation Nobody Wants to Have
May 6, 2011

While the current public discourse over the debt ceiling has been omnipresent and politically driven there is a particular conversation that many seek to avoid: “What could really happen should Congress decide not to raise the debt ceiling?” Before engaging in such a conversation, it is important to state the facts.
Continuing (lack of) Resolution on the Budget
March 22, 2011

The President and Congress gave themselves some more breathing room on the budget by agreeing to a new, three-week continuing resolution (CR) to replace the one that expired on March 18. This new CR gives them until April 8 to figure out the next steps to come to an agreement on the fiscal year 2011 budget. And whatever happens beyond that could have major ramifications for any organization that does business with the federal government, or whose bottom line is contingent upon government action.
Down But Not Out: A New Era Begins for Appropriations
February 18, 2011

For those who want to write the premature obituary to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, let me say that from agriculture to foreign policy, and from defense spending to greenhouse gas emissions, these committees will have their hands in most of the major policy fights of the 112th Congress. With spending earmarks off the table for the time being, regulatory action may become the new earmark.
Inside the Obama Tax Compromise: What You Should Know
January 21, 2011

The tax deal of December should give everyone a preview of politics to come in 2011.

Winter Weather Outlook: Federal Budget Forecast Sure to be Stormy
January 21, 2011

Having trouble sleeping? There’s nothing like a good discussion about the federal budget to cure the most serious case of insomnia. But that may change in the coming months, as the new landscape of the 112th Congress begins to shape the budget debate. In fact, the coming budget battles may just keep you up all night.