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‘It’s going to be a big, gigantic, gargantuan fight’

“It’s going to be a big, gigantic, gargantuan fight,” said Marc Lampkin, a prominent Republican lobbyist. He’s pressing lawmakers to include liability protections on behalf of clients such as the American Gaming Association — which represents the casino industry — and the Chamber’s Institute for Legal Reform.

Some lobbyists believe the coming legislation might be the last major relief effort before rising partisan tensions and spending fatigue force Congress to scale back its ambitions. The bill might be “not the last train, but certainly the last train we know about coming out of the station,” Lampkin said.

The sense of urgency that allowed a divided Congress to pass a $2.1 trillion bill in March has faded, which makes lobbyists’ work tougher.

“The politics of this are hard,” said David French, the top lobbyist for the National Retail Federation, which is pushing for liability protections to be included in the bill. “There’s an extremely obvious need and at the same time there’s not an extraordinary reservoir of bipartisan goodwill.”

The Chamber and other trade groups have Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy on their side; the Republican leaders said last week that they wouldn’t accept a bill that doesn’t include liability protections. Now the business groups are trying to convince other lawmakers — including Democrats — they need “tailored” protections to ward off a flood of lawsuits as the economy reopens.

Aric Newhouse, the National Association of Manufacturers’ top lobbyist, said in its conversations with lawmakers the trade group has emphasized the plight of „the small and medium-sized manufacturers who have done the right thing in this crisis.“

A recent example of the threat businesses are facing is a lawsuit filed against Carnival’s Princess Cruises alleging the cruise line is liable for failing to screen passengers for the virus, said Al Mottur, a top Democratic lobbyist.

“This isn’t idle chatter,” said Mottur, who’s helping to set up the coalition.

The American Association for Justice, which represents trial lawyers, and a coalition of unions and consumer groups are fighting back. They argue the measures proposed by the Chamber would shield reckless companies from being held accountable.

“Removing legal accountability for businesses not only would jeopardize the health and safety of workers, it would also jeopardize everyone who enters those workplaces,” the groups wrote in a letter to congressional leaders last week. “This would be extremely damaging to the nation’s economic recovery.”

The pandemic has fueled a lobbying boom in Washington, with companies such as Target and Chipotle hiring lobbyists for help — though it’s not always clear what they’re seeking.

The Indiana Pacers hired the team’s first Washington lobbyists last month, including Bob Grand, who’s close to Vice President Mike Pence. Grand is lobbying on stimulus legislation for the team, according to a disclosure filing, but declined to specify what he’s doing when reached for comment.

In an email to POLITICO, Pacers spokesman Danny Lopez wrote that “as federal officials consider additional action in response to the pandemic, we are working to both educate them and stay informed on the key issues and possible solutions being discussed.”

An array of industries hit especially hard by the pandemic, meanwhile, are scrambling to persuade lawmakers to set aside money specifically for them in the next relief bill.

For help, they’re turning not only to lobbyists but to their own members and customers, from restaurant owners to concertgoers.

“It is a moment where real people weighing in — as opposed to us — is helpful,” said Rich Gold, a longtime Democratic lobbyist.

The National Independent Venue Association, which formed in response to the pandemic and represents concert venues such as Washington’s 9:30 Club, has divided the country into roughly 40 precincts. Each has a precinct captain responsible for coordinating outreach to lawmakers.

“Who knows somebody in this office, who knows somebody in that office?” said Audrey Fix Schaefer, a spokeswoman for the group, describing the strategy.

Source: politico.com
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