Adams and Reese attorney and DC Office Partner in Charge Jeff Brooks was interviewed in the POLITICO article, “Sandy Lobbying Hinged on Governors,” published January 17th on the political newspaper’s web site. POLITICO covers political news with a focus on national politics, Congress, Capitol Hill, lobbying and advocacy.
After Hurricane Katrina, lobbyists representing the Gulf region were in all corners of Capitol Hill trying to secure federal funds for recovery. After Hurricane Sandy, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie did the same from home as lobbyists watched and waited.
In the months following the hurricane, lobbyists watched as two influential governors – Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo – worked with members of their congressional delegations to push for emergency funding, leaving little need for state and local governments grappling with budget cuts to hire up lobbyists just yet.
Brooks, who lobbied for Adams and Reese clients like the West Jefferson Levee District and University of New Orleans to push for federal funds for Katrina recovery, said different factors, including the growing presence of governors and the ban on earmarks, changed the lobbying dynamic for emergency funds this time around.
Brooks said all the lobbying post-Katrina solidified the process for dealing with recovery funds, leaving less of a need for lobbyists, and giving Christie and Cuomo a precedent to learn from.
“The governors learned their lessons from others, so I do think that’s a major part of it,” he said. “The Gulf coast delegations put a lot of procedural things in place. The governors realized that and they stepped in and created that momentum.”
Dozens of groups from nonprofits and universities to local and state governments signed with firms to lobby Congress for Katrina relief funding. Several of those groups are still paying firms to continue to lobby for more funds for recovery efforts.
Adams and Reese is a multidisciplinary law firm with offices strategically located throughout the southern United States and Washington, DC. American Lawyer includes Adams and Reese on its distinguished list of the nation's top law firms - "The Am Law 200.” The National Law Journal also includes the firm on the "NLJ 250" list of the nation's largest law firms.