Earmarks Boost Lobbyists Hired to Give Localities Edge
Senior Policy Advisors Leslie Pollner and Shawna Watley were quoted in a Bloomberg Government article about hasty reinstatement of the earmarks process. The consensus among lobbyists is that while the process was at times rushed and confusing, they are glad to have it back. Municipalities and other groups had little time to push for their projects after House Democratic leadership set up the modified process earlier this year. They said shifting deadlines and criteria, as well as localities still dealing with the pandemic, compounded the difficulties.
“The process was, without a doubt, really challenging and difficult for local governments to navigate,” said Ms. Pollner. “We’re grateful to have it back. So, convoluted process and all, I’ll take it.”
“We’re very excited that many of our clients were included in the process because the process is very competitive,” said Ms. Watley, whose client Spelman College won a $319,500 earmark request to expand the SpelREADS literacy program that serves students in the Atlanta Public School system who struggle with reading. The earmark would give 150 additional students access to the program, according to the House Appropriations Committee data.
READ: Earmarks Boost Lobbyists Hired to Give Localities Edge (Subscription required)