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With an acute understanding of the junction between legislation and regulation in this ever-changing political landscape, the Podesta Group knows how to calm the tides when clients face a hostile regulatory environment. Our team has immeasurable knowledge of the executive branch. We easily guide organizations through the complexities of the administration and the Office of Management and Budget, offering sound advice informed by decades of service. With a record of developing innovative strategies that drive results, our strategists work with the administration, from the White House to the various departments and agencies every day. We are expert at leveraging Congress relative to federal agencies and positioning clients to work with rather than against regulators to change outcomes.

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Government Reform & Regulation

Buzz

PG's David Marin Chats with Federal News Radio about Gov Procurement and Relations b/w Agencies and Congress
September 11, 2012
PG's David Marin Tells Bloomberg TV That Romney Needs to Be Specific on Policy for Growth

Driven. Inspired. Smart.
August 30, 2012

Bloomberg TV taps PG's David Marin to discuss what Romney must achieve with his convention speech and what businesses need to hear about economic growth policy.

 
CNN Newsroom
April 7, 2011

Podesta Group's Senior Adviser, Sally Katzen, discusses possible government shutdown on CNN Newsroom with Don Lemon.
Washington Times
March 6, 2009

President Obama's directive to federal agencies to identify ways to improve federal contracting comes amidst the significant challenges of promptly and effectively implementing the stimulus package and balancing the competing pressures and controversies surrounding congressional spending priorities.

Some immediate actions can be taken to ensure that the stimulus dollars are responsibly and well spent even as broader initiatives to improve the efficiency and performance of government are pursued.

Pulse

From Look-Back to Pull-Back and Push-Back: The High Stakes of Regulatory Reform
April 17, 2012

In the aftermath of the 2010 congressional elections, President Obama hit the reset button on regulatory policy, announcing a government-wide review of federal rules — from those already on the books to those in the works.
Now, with the 2012 election campaign underway, companies and other concerned organizations have a unique opportunity to hit the send button on their recommendations for regulatory reforms.
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.
Game Changer: Navigating the New Regulatory Playbook
February 18, 2011

As his presidency reaches the halfway point, President Obama faces a complex economic and political landscape. And in turn, the business community faces a rapidly evolving regulatory world. Organizations must be nimble and armed with the most sophisticated intelligence available in order to move forward strategically and productively in this ever-changing environment.
LobbyBlog.com
January 27, 2011

So, you need to influence federal budgetary policy to secure funding for a program.  But earmarks are out (at least that’s what they’re telling you), and you need to find a way to still effectively do your job.

According to John Scofield of the Podesta Group, “Regulations are the new earmarks.” 

Read More
Political Puzzle Solving: Redistricting the Pieces
January 21, 2011

Today, the Census Bureau announced how 435 House seats will be apportioned among the states for the next decade when it released the first results from the once-in-a-decade government count. As data from the 2010 census is scheduled to be released in the coming months, states will begin the controversial process of redrawing congressional district lines, which means businesses need to begin bracing for change. The census data is used for geographically defining state legislative districts, or “redistricting”.
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.
Politico
January 5, 2011

House Republicans are leaving no doubt that their outreach to the business community is part of a larger push to portray the White House and congressional Democrats as the framers of a job-killing regulatory environment.

Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), incoming chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, has blanketed the business community with letters asking business leaders what regulations they believe hamper job growth. 

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Big Government
November 17, 2010

Via an op-ed in the New York Times, Congressional Quarterly staff writer, Brian Friel, offers the incoming GOP-controlled House Oversight and Government Reform Committee some suggestions as to what they perhaps should and should not consider investigating next year.

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Politico Arena
November 17, 2010

Call me naïve, but I don’t see Darrell Issa being particularly vulnerable to a “charm offensive” from the White House, or anyone else for that matter. And I don’t think the administration is out to charm anyone, anyway.

I think we should resist the urge to constantly compare what Issa will do with what (any of) his predecessors did. And let’s not forget we’ve had two Democrats (Henry Waxman and Ed Towns) and a Republican (Tom Davis) chairing this committee since Dan Burton’s days at the helm in the 90s; why the fixation on Burton as the model? Circumstances change.
Hot Air
November 15, 2010

Over the weekend, the New York Times ran a column from Brian Friel, who usually writes at Congressional Quarterly, about what investigations people can expect once Republicans take control of the House in January 2011.  Friel ran down a fairly commonplace list of controversies that new chair Darrell Issa has already discussed publicly as concerns, such as the White House offers to Joe Sestak and Andrew Romanoff to exit their primaries, the Friends of Angelo program, climate-change science and its influence on policy, and especially the Department of Justice’s handling of the New Black

The New York Times
November 14, 2010

With the Republican takeover of the House, Representative Darrell Issa of California will become the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Capitol Hill’s top watchdog panel. As the lead Republican on the panel the last two years, Mr. Issa, a hard-charging, quick-witted former car-alarm company owner, has been the Obama administration’s most aggressive antagonist on spending under the $787 billion economic stimulus package.
An Inevitable Byproduct of Divided Government: Oversight and Investigations
November 5, 2010

Tuesday’s midterm election results are sure to mean a renewed and reinvigorated emphasis on congressional oversight, particularly in the GOP-led House. Speaker-elect John Boehner (R-OH) has already sent word to would-be committee chairs that all committees are to have oversight as a key component of their agendas; and Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the shoo-in candidate to chair the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has been laying the groundwork for a robust investigative slate since President Obama’s election two years ago.
Regulations Take Center Stage
November 5, 2010

Presidents need accomplishments to implement their policy preferences, enhance their reputations and win re-election. With Republicans now controlling the House and Democrats having a very slim majority in the Senate, there is little prospect of significant legislative accomplishments – the most obvious means of demonstrating a president’s leadership – during the next two years. You can expect President Obama will turn to the executive branch, a very large and diverse collection of agencies upon which he can call to advance his agenda.
Politico Arena
October 13, 2010

No offense to TNR, but this seems like a pretty absurd case of fictitious fear-mongering. And tying the piece to Rep. Issa’s inquiry marks a huge leap in logic.

The fact is, as ranking member, Issa has pursued a true “good government” agenda that should encourage rather than scare the American public.

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Government Executive
July 13, 2010

President Obama has selected a familiar face to serve as the next director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Jacob Lew, who ran OMB during the Clinton administration from 1998 to 2001, will return to the office in August as he takes over for outgoing budget chief Peter Orszag, the White House announced on Tuesday.
Climate Change Policy Is Different from Health Care Reform: Regulators Are Not Waiting for Congress
April 27, 2010

Sally Katzen’s career in the federal government includes eight years in the Clinton Administration, including serving as Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affaires at the Office of Management and Budget. She recently served on the Agency Review Working Group for the Obama-Biden transition, with responsibility for the Executive Office of the President.
Springtime for Regulatory Reform?
April 26, 2010

Andy Lewin has 10 years of legislative and regulatory experience, and provides the Podesta Group’s clients with strategic guidance on issues such as financial services, tax policy and regulatory policy.
Transportation Reauthorization: Trucking Along
February 11, 2010

Jaime Harrison, former Executive Director for the House Democratic Caucus and Floor Director for Majority Whip James Clyburn, heads the Podesta Group’s work on transportation.

Fifty years ago, President Eisenhower’s interstate highway plan revolutionized travel and commerce in America. A half-century later, with crumbling bridges, an underfunded interstate highway system and no coordinated national transportation policy, is it time for the next bold move? Transportation reform could be the sleeper issue of the 111th Congress.