The Lobby Shop

On this episode, the Lobby Shop team is joined by very special guest, PRG Senior Principal Yasmin Nelson! Tune in to hear about Yasmin’s transition from working in the Senate, where she met with advocates who wanted to bring awareness to their issues, to her work now at Bracewell’s Policy Resolution Group, where she is on the other side advocating policy issues by connecting with staffers, members of Congress, and members of the administration. Yasmin also shares details about some of the important work that she is currently doing with Mothering Justice, including the historic launch of the Mamas’ Caucus. The newly formed congressional caucus advocates for mothers of color and their families and empowers them to be engaged and hold those in charge accountable to make the changes they want to see. This is an episode that you won’t want to miss!   Visit https://www.motheringjustice.org/ to learn more about Mothering Justice.  

This week, the Lobby Shop team breaks down the reconciliation bill that surprised Washington insiders. Tune in to learn more about the climate provisions that many thought were off the table, what to expect with the Byrd Rule and Vote-a-Rama, and how Republicans may still have the opportunity to leverage their power.

This week, the Lobby Shop team is joined by Michael Gottlieb, a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP focusing on crisis management, media, and freedom of speech. He shares his experience representing election workers who testified before the January 6 committee, analyzes how the Supreme Court has changed since the days when he clerked there, and explains how skills that he learned during his high school debate days are still relevant in his current work. 

In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state bans on gay marriage were unconstitutional, making same-sex marriage legal across the United States. Sasha Issenberg, author of “The Engagement: America’s Quarter-Century Struggle Over Same-sex Marriage”, joined the Lobby Shop team to discuss the political road that led to the decision. Tune in to hear Sasha’s analysis of what caused the cultural and political shift in opinion and Sasha’s insights on civil unions, incrementalism as a political strategy, and same-sex marriage campaigns in general.

This week, The Lobby Shop team is joined by returning guest Sean Trende, a Senior Elections Analyst for RealClearPolitics, to talk about the 2022 midterm elections. Tune in as the group offers keen insight into what factors, such as the leaked draft decision from the Supreme Court and Biden’s falling approval ratings, will impact the results.

This week, The Lobby Shop team is joined by the highly acclaimed Ahilan Arulanatham, who is a Professor from Practice and Co-Director of the Center for Immigration Law and Policy at UCLA School of Law. This episode’s discussion covers everything from competitive debate and populism to the ongoing debate surrounding Title 42, a health order which has significant immigration implications. Tune in to gain in-depth insight into the complex world of immigration.

This week, we are joined by returning guest Jim Lucier, who serves as the Managing Director for Capital Alpha Partners where he leads the energy, environmental, and tax practices. In this episode, Jim gives the team an insightful analysis on his predictions for the upcoming midterms, how Congress will look in the next couple of years, and what’s on the radar after Biden’s first term.

On March 11, 2022, Bracewell's Policy Resolution Group hosted a fierce, but friendly faceoff between Senior Principal and Former Senior Policy Advisor to then-Senator Kamala Harris Yasmin Nelson and PRG Principal, pundit and former Republican strategist Liam Donovan! The one-hour conversation, moderated by PRG Co-Head Scott Segal, provided a political temperature check on some of the hottest political issues, including an analysis of the Biden administration’s first year in office and predictions for the 2022 Midterm elections. 

The Lobby Shop team is joined by Bracewell Partner, Londoner, and returning guest Olivia Caddy to discuss the latest news out of the UK. Tune in for a discussion that includes the European viewpoint on the war between Russia and Ukraine— including its impact on the economy, what Covid restrictions look like in the UK, and details about Olivia’s recent work involving the energy sector in Africa. Also, Olivia last joined The Lobby Shop in April 2019—pre-Brexit, she gives listeners an update of what it’s like living in the post-Brexit UK as a French national in London.

This week The Lobby Shop is joined by Paul Elliott Johnson, Assistant Professor of Communications at the University of Pittsburgh. His recent book "I The People: The Rhetoric of Conservative Populism in the United States," details the roots of different conservative populist movements and how they have played a part in American history. Tune in for a lively discussion covering American politics, the impact of media on politics, and the 2022 midterm elections. 

With the threat of war between Russia and Ukraine making global headlines, the team speaks with Myron Wasylyk, an American who has lived in Kyiv, Ukraine for almost 30 years.  Myron, an Advisor to the CEO of Naftogaz, Ukraine, joins us to offer his analysis of the tense situation in Ukraine. Tune in for a discussion that includes how Ukrainians are dealing with the looming threat of war, the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and other sanctions on Russia, and how the conflict is impacting Naftogaz, Ukraine’s largest state-owned oil and gas company. Myron also shares what westerners should be looking out for over the coming days as the situation continues to develop in eastern Ukraine. This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

This week on The Lobby Shop, we discuss trade policy with returning guest Scott Lincicome, the general economics and trade director at the Cato Institute. Topics include trade tariffs, changes to trade during President Biden's first year in office, and covid-19 testing.

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. 

Ahead of the first BLS jobs report of 2022, hosts Paul and Caitlin are joined by AP economics reporter Chris Rugaber to break down what's happening in the labor market. Tune in to hear about how Americans should be evaluating the report, the "Great Resignation" and its impact on the job market, vaccine mandates and more! 

Political reporter David Drucker joined hosts Josh and Liam to discuss the race to 2024 and the future of the Republican party. This episode covers details from David's new book In Trump's Shadow: The Battle for 2024 and the Future of the GOP including lessons that republicans who want to run for president should have learned from the former president, issues that will matter in 2024 for the Republican party and what's next for the party. 

Following the Election Day whirlwind, Josh, Paul and Liam met with veteran political reporter Ben Jacobs to discuss the implications of the results and what they can potentially mean for next year's midterms. Tune in to this week’s episode for an analysis of emerging campaign strategies, and to hear how infrastructure passage, foreign policy and other legislative areas can shape politics and electoral outcomes in the 2022 midterms.

On the eve of election day, Liam spoke Kyle Kondik, Managing Editor at Sabato's Crystal Ball at UVA Center for Politics, about the tight Virginia governor's race, what we can expect to see tomorrow as people head to the polls, and what the results mean for the future of politics. 

As the Build Back Better bill continues to work its way through Congress, tax policy has quickly taken center stage in the conversation. Hosts Josh and Liam are joined by special guest Bernie Becker, a tax reporter for POLITICO Pro, for a deep dive into the important role that tax policy plays in the legislation.

This week, Josh, Liam, and Paul recap key pieces of legislation currently under consideration and speculate on what could come next for the bipartisan infrastructure bill and controversial reconciliation package working their way through Congress. Tune in to find out what factors could affect the trajectory of these bills.

Liam and Josh wade through the context around and latest news on the infrastructure deal, something we didn't expect to still be discussing in late July. Tune in for a breakdown of where the major players stand and how this could move forward realistically.