March 22, 2017
The talk around Washington last week centered on snow (not a lot for transplanted Midwesterners but more than plenty for other people), the Congressional Budget Organization’s report on the House Republican’s plan to replace Obamacare, and the President’s proposed budget cuts outlined in the Administration’s Skinny Budget. Steve Gordon summarizes these and several other things in “Heard on the Hill,” then spotlights this coming week’s most important events. NAFTA and Trade reviews the recent G20 trade meetings. Dana Marston provides pictorial overviews showing an updated Cabinet, agency funding under the proposed ‘skinny’ budget from the Trump Administration, and the judicial record of Judge Neil Gorsuch, nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court.
Read MoreMarch 7, 2017
Last week sent a record number of folks in Washington to their chiropractor with whiplash injuries and to their internist with stomach cramps. Each day was a spin cycle of highs, lows, noise, and news. We focus on news – items that impact members of the Arizona Chamber. Our lead story this week is on immigration, written by Total Spectrum partner Andy Ehrlich. John McKechnie, Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner, wrote an update on Dodd Frank and Financial Deregulation. Al Jackson, a strategic consultant to our firm, updates us on defense issues and the defense appropriations bill. Chairman Kevin Brady of the House Ways and Means Committee has a fascinating and excellent comment on trade negotiations in our NAFTA Box. Dana Marston updated her graphic on the President’s Cabinet, and has next week’s calendar. “Heard on the Hill” returns with a summary of what we saw and heard last week – including a summary of the Obamacare repeal and replace language that was released Monday night.
Read MoreFebruary 28, 2017
Our feature this week is the second half of our interview with Congressman Erik Paulsen, in which we asked him questions about trade/NAFTA and healthcare. Dana Marston provides a look at this week’s calendar and an update on the progress and the slow pace of confirming the President’s Cabinet, and I’ll summarize what we Heard on the Hill last week. President Trump will give his first major address tonight to Congress. Make no mistake – it marks a major transition for the new Trump Administration. The pregame is over. The legislative season begins. We’ll provide a summary of the President’s Speech and Congressional reaction to it in next week’s edition of This Week in Washington.
Read MoreFebruary 22, 2017
Good news gets around...! Word of Total Spectrum's expansion into Georgia and the addition of two new partners - Todd Smith and Blake Fulenwider - as noted in The Hill and Roll Call newspapers.
Read MoreFebruary 21, 2017
We’re sincerely grateful for the continued positive response to This Week in Washington. Issue Four begins a two part interview with Congressman Erik Paulsen (R MN), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Congressman Paulsen participated in the 2016 and 2017 Arizona Chamber fly-ins, and agreed to discuss with Steve Gordon how he sees the upcoming debates over tax reform, healthcare, and trade. We also have included an overview article on defense spending written by Al Jackson, a long time strategic consultant to Total Spectrum who has been involved in the defense and high technology community for almost 20 years. Dana Marston provides the latest on the Cabinet’s confirmation process. With Congress in recess this week, we’ll provide a schedule update next week. Heard on the Hill returns to keep our focus on news, and not drama and noise.
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2017
Thanks for your continued positive response to This Week in Washington. Issue Three highlights last week’s resoundingly successful Arizona Chamber fly-in, and a lead article on financial deregulation, a key part of the new Administration’s agenda. The article was written by Total Spectrum Senior Partner John McKechnie, who has spent over 30 years as a lobbyist in the financial sector. Glenn Hamer recaps last week's fly-in agenda, Larry Smith updates NAFTA and Trade, Dana Marston provides the latest on the Cabinet’s confirmation process and a calendar of this week’s events, and “Heard on the Hill” returns to again separate the noise from the news.
Read MoreFebruary 9, 2017
With the GOP-led Congress considering tax reform, banks and credit unions will resume a decades-old battle over a tax exemption allowed for the member-owned, nonprofit cooperatives. Advocating on behalf of credit unions, Total Spectrum Senior Partner John McKechnie offers, “With a Republican Congress, with a Republican president, credit unions can make the case that, ‘You didn’t come here to raise taxes, you came here to lower them.’”
Read MoreJanuary 31, 2017
Thanks for your great response to Week One of This Week in Washington. Issue Two highlights trade. President Trump’s trade agenda is vitally important to Arizona – because NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement) has helped make Mexico Arizona’s primary trading partner. The numbers are better than a thousand words.
Read MoreJanuary 26, 2017
Steve Gordon, Managing Partner of Total Spectrum/Steve Gordon and Associates, is pleased to announce the addition of two new partners to this rapidly expanding public affairs firm, as well as the opening of an office in Atlanta, Georgia.
Read MoreJanuary 24, 2017
The Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry is delighted to partner with Total Spectrum to provide a weekly report targeted to Chamber members called This Week in Washington.
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