The climate lobbyists

Introduction

A sampling of power players:

Andrew Athy, Former Counsel, House Energy and Commerce
Partner, O’Neill, Athy & Casey
Athy served as counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, chaired by Rep. John Dingell. He has been in private practice since 1981. Climate clients: Energy Future Holdings, U.S. Steel.

Wayne L. Berman, Former Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Managing Director, Ogilvy Government Relations
In addition to serving in President George H.W. Bush’s administration, Berman worked in the Reagan/Bush transition team and later for the Bush/Cheney team, and was a presidential campaign adviser. Climate clients: American Petroleum Institute, Chevron, the Electric Power Supply Association, and steel manufacturer Nucor, among others.

Former Senator John B. Breaux, Louisiana Democrat
Founding Partner, Breaux Lott Leadership Group
The former House member and three-term Senator served as deputy Senate whip. He opened his lobbying firm with former Senator Trent Lott, a Mississippi Republican, in 2008. Breaux serves on the board of directors of transportation giant CSX. Climate clients: Chevron, Shell Oil, Quinn Gillespie and Associates on behalf of the power company Entergy.

Kirk Blalock, Former Special Assistant to President George W. Bush
Partner, Fierce, Isakowitz & Blalock
Blalock served as deputy director of the White House Office of Public Liaison, where he acted as go-between with the business community. Climate clients: Business Roundtable, Ford Motor Co, American Forest & Paper Association, MillerCoors, South California Edison, and the Bipartisan Advocacy Center.

Charles H. Knauss, Former Staffer, House Energy and Commerce Committee
Partner, Bingham McCutchen
A former minority Republican counsel to the committee, Knauss helped develop the 1990 Clean Air Act amendments, a topic on which he authored a book. Climate clients: Exxon Mobil, General Electric.

Former Representative Victor H. Fazio, California Democrat
Senior Adviser, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Fazio served in the House for two decades, and was Democratic Caucus chair from 1995 until his retirement in 1998. He currently serves on the board of directors at Fortune 500 aerospace and defense company Northrop Grumman. Climate clients: hedge fund manager Julian Robertson, Pacific Gas and Electric, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Policy Center.

Drew Maloney, Former Legislative Director, Republican House Majority Whip Tom Delay
Ogilvy Government Relations
Maloney worked closely with Delay on a number of topics, including energy legislation. He represented 13 organizations in the climate lobby last year. Climate clients: Electric Power Supply Association, American Petroleum Institute, and Association of International Auto Manufacturers, among others.

Frances McPoland, Former Environmental Aide to President Clinton
Colling, Swift & Hynes
McPoland served Clinton as an executive within the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Prior to that, she worked on the Hill as an aide to Congressmen Esteban Torres (D-CA) and Dick Ottinger (D-NY). Climate clients: Eight different paper or packaging companies, including Rock-Tenn, Cascades Boxboard Group, and White Pigeon Paper.

Former Representative Richard Gephardt, Missouri Democrat
President and CEO of The Gephardt Group
The former Congressman and two-time Presidential candidate served as House Majority Leader from 1989 to 1994 and minority leader from 1995 to 2003. Gephardt serves on the boards of directors at several corporations including U.S. Steel. He founded the Gephardt Group in 2005. Climate clients: Peabody Energy, the leading coal company , and power company Ameren Services, both based in St. Louis.

Tony Podesta
Chairman, Podesta Group
The brother and former partner of John Podesta, who headed President Obama’s transition, he was dubbed by Newsweek as “The Lobbyist” in a profile of the Washington power elite. Podesta also teamed up in 2007 with former House Appropriations Chairman Livingston to launch the joint PLM Group, headed by former Rep. Toby Moffett (D-CT). Climate clients: Wal-Mart, BP America, Sunoco, Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, and South Coast Air Quality Management District.

Jack Quinn, Former White House Counsel
Co-founder and chairman, Quinn Gillespie & Associates
Quinn served as President Clinton’s chief legal adviser after previous stints as chief of staff and counselor to Vice President Al Gore. Climate clients: American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, Cemex, and Daimler Mercedes-Benz.

Jeffrey Holmstead, Former Assistant Administrator, Environmental Protection Agency
Partner and Head of Environmental Strategy, Bracewell & Giuliani
A former associate White House counsel under President George H.W. Bush, Holmstead worked on passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and was appointed to head the EPA’s air and radiation office in 2001. Climate clients: Power companies Southern Company, Duke Energy, Ameren, Energy Future Holdings, Progress Energy, Salt River Project, the Electric Reliability Coordinating Council, and rail company CSX Transportation.

Thomas M. Ryan, Former Aide, House Energy and Commerce Committee
Partner, Ryan, MacKinnon, Vasapoli & Berzok
From 1977 to 1987, Ryan served as Democratic counsel to the committee, including as chief counsel beginning in 1985. Climate clients: Delta Airlines, Edison Electric Institute, Accenture, and Sunoco, among others.

Former Representative Robert L. Livingston, Louisiana Republican
Founding partner, The Livingston Group
Livingston served a dozen terms in the House beginning in 1977, and chaired the House Appropriations Committee from 1995 through 1998. He serves on multiple boards, including that of cement manufacturer Holcim, and founded The Livingston Group after leaving Congress in 1999. Livingston also teamed up in 2007 with Democratic lobbyist Tony Podesta to launch the joint PLM Group, headed by former Rep. Toby Moffett (D-CT). Climate client: Ashland Inc., a diversified chemical company.

Former Representative Allan Swift, Washington Democrat
Partner, Colling, Swift & Hynes
Swift served eight terms in the House beginning in 1979. He sat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chairing its subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials. Climate clients: Eight different paper or packaging companies, including Rock-Tenn, Cascades Boxboard Group, and White Pigeon Paper. Also, the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Former Representative Vin Weber, Minnesota Republican
Managing Partner, Clark & Weinstock
The former six-term Congressman opened Clark & Weinstock’s Washington office in 1994. He served as a regional chairman for the Bush-Cheney reelection campaign and is on the board of the Council on Foreign Relations. Climate clients: Power companies Xcel Energy and Great River Energy, relief organization Oxfam America.