Recent Capitol Hill coverage has been spending a lot of time on earmarks, a system once used by Congress that is now back with some new rules. PRG's John Lee is here to break down how earmarks function, their impact on the appropriations process, and how this new system will work.

Earmarks 101: What They Are, What They Do, and Why They're Back

The newest member of PRG's partnership, Yasmin (Rigney) Nelson, joins us this week to discuss her most recent role as Senior Policy Advisor to then-Senator Kamala Harris, her extensive policy background, and a few thoughts on the latest happenings on Capitol Hill.

Introducing Yasmin (Rigney) Nelson

Josh is joined this week by Bracewell's DC Office summer associates: Ivan Wohner, Stephen Wald, and Tim Scully. They dive into the virtual law school experience during a pandemic, their takeaways from working in the legal world of Washington, advice for people considering law school, and more.

DC Law in the 2020s: An Interview with Bracewell's DC Summer Associates

Alexander "Sasha" Kravtsov, founder and principal at public affairs firm Nexus Eurasia based in Russia, joins The Lobby Shop this week to discuss the Russian perspective on some of the current foreign policy issues facing the U.S. and Russia. Topics include Russian troops on the Ukraine boarder, negotiations with NATO, potential sanctions on Russia, and more.&nbsp;

The Latest on U.S.- Russia Relations with Alexander Kravtsov

The Lobby Shop team is joined by friend the pod Haley Byrd Wilt from The Dispatch who helps break down what to expect from the newly organized 118th Congress. The gang discusses Haley’s reporting on the powerful Rules Committee, the new Select Committee on China Competition, and Liam and Haley’s conversation with the New York Times’ Ross Douthat on the simmering debt limit fight.

Oh What a Feeling, Dancing on the (Debt) Ceiling -  with Haley Byrd Wilt

Josh, Paul, Caitlin, and Liam sit down with Mike Warren, Senior Editor of The Dispatch, to discuss Speaker Mike Johnson’s first two weeks, the return of Steve Bannon as a MAGA svengali, and the struggles of GOP primary challengers to break through against former President Trump.

Dispatches from the War Room with Mike Warren

RCP's Sean Trende is back to discuss his latest piece, a reminder that the former President is better positioned to win not just this cycle,  but ever. The gang breaks down what it means to say "Trump can win," and why it draws such a heated response.

Trump Can Win (No Seriously) -A Conversation with Sean Trende

With the calendar year coming to an end, Paul Nathanson and Liam Donovan get together to discuss the state of play of Congress and the legislative challenges that will be dealt with before the year ends and which will be left to deal with in the new year. They start with the never-ending appropriations negotiations, the role of the Speaker in these talks, and whether or not he is making an impact. They then question if any bills are going to make it through to a vote before the holiday recess and if the lack of a hard December deadline has anything to do with the tense gridlock. Finally, with the Iowa Caucus less than a month away, they chat about the upcoming presidential election and prepare for the chokehold it is going to have on most of the political focus for 2024.

The Year End Policy Push… Or Is It?

On the first episode of 2024, hosts Liam Donovan, Caitlin Sickles, and Paul Nathanson welcome back President & Executive Director of bipartisan political organization FWD.US, Todd Schulte, five years since his first appearance on the show. They discuss the border crisis, the status of ongoing Congressional negotiations, and the complicated political dynamics at play. They also touch on the impact of worker shortages on the business community, and how immigration policy stands to factor into the upcoming presidential election. Make sure to tune in to this first episode of 2024!

The Politics of Border Policy with FWD.US President and Executive Director Todd Schulte

The group is seeing double this week when another tax policy expert joins the studio to talk about the tax bill that’s on everyone’s mind in Washington. Omar Nashashibi, lobbyist and founding partner of The Franklin Partnership, joins The Lobby Shop’s Liam Donovan to swap insights and analysis of the bicameral tax framework and share speculation about what comes next. This episode is also a worlds collide moment for TLS hosts Caitlin Sickles and Paul Nathanson who also co-host a biweekly podcast, Talking with One Voice (supported by the National Tooling and Machining Association and the Precision Metalforming Association) with Omar and his colleague John Guzik. Caitlin, Paul, and Josh ask Omar questions about the tax framework’s implications for manufacturers and talk about advocating for small business in a crowded Washington policy landscape.

Talking Tax with Omar Nashashibi

We welcome an old friend and a new co-host to the podcast this week! Former Bracewell colleague John Lee, now Chief of Staff to Rep. Nikki Budzinski (D-IL), joins the team to discuss his path from Bracewell/PRG to leading a Congressional staff, what it’s like to be lobbied now that he sits on the other side of the table (including the dos and don’ts), and his advice to young professionals moving from the private sector to Capitol Hill. John also provides an insider’s view of recent dramatic votes in the House. The episode also marks the debut of a new Lobby Shop co-host, PRG Principal Dylan Pasiuk. Welcome Dylan!

Welcoming an Old Friend & a New Host w/ John Lee

On this episode of The Lobby Shop, co-host Caitlin Sickles moderates a quick conversation with co-hosts Liam Donovan and Josh Zive. The trio tackle the important policy issues from appropriations to national security currently tied up in the legislative morass. But when compromise is a political killer, how do Members find common ground? Then, the group turns their attention to South Carolina where Nikki Haley hopes for a strong performance against Former President Trump and possibly looks to a post-Trump future.&nbsp;

When Deal is a Dirty Word

On this episode of The Lobby Shop, co-host Paul Nathanson moderates a conversation with co-hosts Liam Donovan and Dylan Pasiuk. They discuss initial reactions to President Biden's final State of the Union prior to the November Presidential election, Biden's decision to open the speech with foreign policy, and how President Biden used this opportunity to both energize Democratic voters and spar with Republicans in the House Chamber. The group then turns to policy implications in the speech for the business &nbsp;community.

Post-SOTU Reactions Episode

Lobby Shop hosts Josh Zive, Liam Donovan, and Dylan Pasiuk discuss the state of play in Congress, shifting dynamics within the House of Representatives, and what’s left of the legislative agenda before campaign season takes over. Tune in to hear a peak into what is coming up next for both Congress and The Lobby Shop.

Keeping up w/ Congress

Tune in to this special edition of The Lobby Shop which features an episode of Bracewell LLP’s Environmental Law Monitor podcast, as they interview our own Liam Donovan and Joe Brazauskas.  In a special crossover episode between The Lobby Shop and the Environmental Law Monitor, Bracewell associates Daniel Pope and Taylor Stuart sit down with PRG’s Liam Donovan and Joe Brazauskas to do a deep dive on the Congressional Review Act (CRA), a powerful tool that has the Biden administration scrambling to finalize its regulatory proposals ahead of electoral uncertainty.

Breaking Down the Congressional Review Act: A Special CRA Explainer w/ Bracewell’s Environmental Law Monitor

Hot off the Commerce Department release of the first quarter GDP report, AP economics writer Paul Wiseman joins the Lobby Shop team to discuss the state of the US and global economies. Hosts Liam Donovan, Paul Nathanson, Josh Zive, and Dylan Pasiuk sit down with Paul W to discuss the health of the economy perceived and actual inflation and his recent  on how immigration has impacted the US labor market.&nbsp;

State of the Economy with AP Economics Writer Paul Wiseman

Dee Martin, co-head of the Policy Resolution Group, joins host Josh Zive in our kickoff podcast. 

Learn more about the Policy Resolution Group: http://policyresolutiongroup.com/

3 - An Intro

Josh Zive talks with Dee Martin about the top five topics of the last week: what happens during Congress's August break, newly confirmed FBI Director Chris Wray, updated leadership within the White House, sanction legislation for Russia and Venezuela, and from the grab bag: Game of Thrones! (Light spoilers for the July 30 episode)

19 - Friday Five with Khaleesi

Josh and Scott interview the newest member of the PRG team, Stoney Burke, who comes to us from the Hill where he served as Chief of Staff to Congressman Will Hurd (TX-23). We dive into Stoney's unique perspective on what 2018 holds for US policy and politics, the value of solution-driven lobbyists, and the upcoming State of the Union Address on January 30.

37 - Off the Hill with Stoney Burke

PRG Communications Principal Caitlin Sickles joins as a guest host today for a great interview with Steve Alexander, President of the Association of Plastic Recyclers. We discuss the misconceptions about the recycling process, the need for demand for both recyclable and recycled materials, how brands can meet sustainability goals, and what individuals can do to ensure the recycling chain flows effectively.

97 - The Truth about Plastic Recycling with APR's Steve Alexander

This week, we're joined by Matt Mackowiak, Republican political consultant with a finger to the pulse of Texas politics in particular, to discuss a variety of Texas-centric political topics, including #TXSEN, Beto, and 2020 chatter. Tune in for an excellent discussion on the ever-changing world of Lone Star State politics.

101 -The Lone Star State with Matt Mackowiak

Today's episode features Steve Pavlick, Head of Policy at Renaissance Macro Research and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Legislative Affairs at the Treasury Department.&nbsp; We chat with Steve about USMCA, trade and China, and much more.

108 - Trade War Tidings with RenMac's Steve Pavlick

This week, we're joined by Jon Ralston, editor of The Nevada Independent and one of the moderators at last week's democratic debate. We check in with Jon about his experience moderating the debate, how he's analyzing the results of the Nevada caucuses, and what he believes we've learned about the future of the presidential race.

PRG Pulse: Understanding Ne-VAD-uh with Jon Ralston of the NV Independent

We're joined this week by Commander Kirk Lippold, USN (Ret.), who was the Commanding Officer of the USS Cole when it came under a suicide terrorist attack by al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen. Commander Lippold discusses the Cole attack, his take on the Democratic presidential hopefuls' stances on national security, and the airstrike on Iranian major general Qasem Soleimani.

The Future of National Security with Navy Commander Kirk Lippold (Ret.)

We have a return guest this week: Sean Trende, Senior Elections Analyst at RealClearPolitics, joins us in the virtual studio to dive into all things election data. We talk the most recent polls, how the pandemic has changed polling tactics, best and worst case scenarios for a heavy mail-in election day, and much more.

"You Should Be Terrified of That" - Sean Trende on 2020 Polling and the Modern American Voter

With Election Day literally around the corner, we were honored to get a moment to chat with Decision Desk HQ President Drew McCoy. Drew and the team explore what a pandemic election day could look like, advice for savvily reading results as they come in, the potential for a toss-up Texas, and much more.

"Get Comfortable, It's Going to Take a While" - Election Day with Decision Desk HQ's Drew McCoy

We have a two-parter for you before election day: first, a quick take from Liam on his final thoughts before we head into November 3rd. Second, Caitlin and Josh held a conversation with a group of politically-minded Gen Zers: PRG's fall intern class. Lindsey Dixon, Cade Shore, and Dillon LaViale help us explore how their generation's experiences have shaped their activism and politics, how pandemic-limited education has changed their priorities and expectations of decisionmakers, and more.

The Gen Z Perspective: How First-Time Voters Are Thinking about the 2020 Election and Future of Politics

Today we're joined by Dr. Lindsey Cormack, Assistant Professor of Political and Social Sciences at Stevens Institute of Technology. We discuss her work with DC Inbox, a project analyzing all newsletters sent by members of Congress, and the book she published on a major element of that data, Congress and U.S. Veterans: From the GI Bill to the VA Crisis. Additionally, we talk in depth about her new project, a book she's working on about raising children who are civically savvy and engaged by the time they are old enough to participate in politics.

Raising the Next Generation of Engaged Citizens with Dr. Lindsey Cormack

Welcome to the second installment of our new series within The Lobby Shop: Clean Energy Transition. Part 2 of this series is here to explore the history of new energy funding, the Biden administration's ambitions for this endeavor, and how energy tax credits come into play.

Today's expert panel is hosted by Scott Segal, Co-Head of the Policy Resolution Group, and features:
- Gregory Wetstone, President and CEO of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE)
- Martha Kammoun, Partner at Bracewell LLP with a robust practice in energy finance
- Tim Urban, Senior Principal at Bracewell's Policy Resolution Group with expertise in energy tax policy

Clean Energy Transition, Part 2: Financing America's Transition to Clean Energy

The Lobby Shop gives listeners an opportunity to tune in to conversations between Washington insiders who are directly involved in the biggest political and policy issues of our day. Hosted by Josh Zive, Liam Donovan, Paul Nathanson, and Caitlin Sickles of Bracewell's Policy Resolution Group in Washington DC, this weekly podcast dives into the most recent news from Capitol Hill and beyond with input from foremost experts in their respective fields.

Have a topic you'd like to hear discussed on the show? We'd love to hear from you! Send your feedback, thoughts, and suggestions to thelobbyshop@policyres.com.

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