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The Latest on the Government Shutdown

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The Senate is gearing up for another round of government funding votes during today’s session, but an end to the shutdown is not imminently expected. However, in an interview with MSNBC, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) indicated that he’s prepared to give Democrats a floor vote on their key health-related priorities, namely extending the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. Leader Thune said he has told Democrats that “if you need a vote, we can guarantee you get a vote by a date certain.” When asked if this would be enough to move things toward a government reopening, the Majority Leader demurred, instead saying that he can “guarantee you that there will be a process and you will get a vote.”

  • What’s next? The Senate is set to gavel in for votes on the House-passed continuing resolution (CR), as well as a “test vote” on the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Defense appropriations bill. While some Democrats have been clamoring for a return to “regular order” appropriations, action on FY 2026 spending bills has languished in the current political climate. Some Democrats may also be hesitant to engage in the process as well given the Trump administration’s efforts to rescind congressionally-obligated funding for programs, as well as lay off workers across executive branch agencies. Absent a significant bipartisan breakthrough or change of mind from Senate Democrats, these votes are not expected to succeed during today’s session.

Shutdown Drags on as Both Sides Seek Leverage

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The federal government remains in a shutdown with no clear progress toward a deal, as lawmakers continue to clash over an extension of the expiring enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits that are set to expire at the end of the year. The White House is continuing to place pressure on Senate Democrats to support the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) that would fund the government until Nov. 21, 2025. Late last week, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) initiated a series of reductions-in-force (RIF) across various executive branch agencies, including at the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS), Treasury, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). For their part, Democrats have maintained that the ACA premium tax credits must be extended for more than one year so that it does not create a similar policy “cliff” at the end of 2026 and weaken the underlying program. They have also sought to message against the House GOP’s decision not to bring lawmakers back in session during the shutdown, demanding standalone action on items such as keeping the military paid during the shutdown. However, these votes are not imminent as neither side appears willing to stand down right now.

The Senate was originally slated to be out of Washington this week for a state work period, but senators will instead return for legislative business tonight where an eighth vote to reopen the government will take place. Notably, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) will not provide Senate Democrats with the opportunity to vote on their own alternative to the seven-week CR as he did during the previous vote series. Meanwhile, House lawmakers are on track to stay out of Washington, D.C. this week in a move to try and keep the pressure on Senate Democrats to vote yes on their CR. However, some within the Republican conference, including Reps. Kevin Kiley (R-CA), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), have started to openly question the strategy of staying out of session during the shutdown. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has consistently noted that lawmakers will be given 48-hours notice should they need to return to D.C.

In CNBC, TRP’s Sola Discusses Impact of Trump Energy Export Deals on Maritime

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In an article for CNBC, TRP Partner Louis Sola discussed the maritime industry’s capacity to handle a steep increase in liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports under competing trade policy mandates from the Trump administration.

While the president is hailing foreign energy purchases of U.S. LNG in its trade deal frameworks, a separate rule from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) — which institutes fines for companies that do not move domestic LNG on U.S.-built tankers — has raised serious of questions across the shipping industry. As Congress pursues options like the bipartisan SHIPS Act to support construction of U.S.-made ships, Sola astutely stressed the need for a “common sense flexibility or phased-in approach” to avoid bottling up exports and thus yielding to other foreign energy markets.

“The question everyone is asking is simple —  can the U.S. actually build enough LNG carriers fast enough under the SHIPS Act without shooting ourselves in the foot? We’ll need as many as 50 vessels by 2050,” Sola stated. “Korean and Japanese yards already take over two years per ship and are booked solid, and we don’t currently build this class here whatsoever.”

“Without some common-sense flexibility or a phased-in approach, the math just doesn’t add up. We risk bottling up our own LNG exports and opening the market to the competition right when our allies need American energy the most.”

American Shipper: Former U.S. Shipping Czar Sola Joins D.C. Lobby Firm

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An Aug. 1 article in American Shipper broke the announcement of Former Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola joining TRP as partner.

Former Federal Maritime Commission Chairman Louis Sola has joined Washington lobby firm Thorn Run Partners as a partner.

Sola, who built a successful mega-yacht business before entering politics, was a Trump appointee to the FMC in 2018. He was re-appointed by President Joe Biden in 2024, then named by Trump to serve as chairman in 2025 before stepping down in June after a holdover period from his expired term.

The FMC oversees and enforces policy governing U.S. international ocean trade, including container shipping lines, most of which are based outside the U.S., as well as port terminal operators.

As FMC chairman, Sola led efforts during the Covid pandemic to safely resume cruise operations, Thorn Run said in a release, and was a strong advocate for development of liquefied natural gas fuel resources in ports. The release also said Sola was among the first federal officials to formally expose foreign influence in Latin American maritime infrastructure.

An Army veteran and counter-intelligence officer, at the FMC Sola helped defend U.S. national security interests against strategic encroachment at global shipping chokepoints.

Sola founded Evermarine, a global yacht and ship brokerage, and later consulted for the Inter-American Development Bank on Latin American port and infrastructure finance.

The lobby firm said Sola’s wide-ranging expertise will help it continue to expand its capabilities across key sectors.

“Lou Sola will add a unique and important capability to our firm,” said TRP Co-Founder Chris Lamond, in the release. “His experience and extensive network of relationships in the area of maritime trade and tariff policy will help us address a growing area of client need.”

“We are excited at the prospect of bolstering our firm’s offerings in such an important area as international trade,” said TRP Co-Founder Andrew Rosenberg, also in the statement. “Coupled with our current team of experts, Lou is going to instantly establish TRP as the leader in maritime and trade lobbying.”

Thorn Run has offices in Washington, Portland, Ore., and Los Angeles.

POLITICO Exclusive: Thorn Run Adds Three New Partners

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The Aug. 4 edition of POLITICO Influence featured an exclusive scoop on the additions of Louis Sola, Chris Hayes, and Hayden Jewett as TRP’s newest partners.

THORN RUN ADDS 3: Louis Sola, who left the Federal Maritime Commission last month after six years, has joined Thorn Run Partners as one of three new partners at the firm. Sola was nominated to the FMC by President Donald Trump in 2018, and earlier this year Trump tapped him to lead the commission, which oversees maritime commerce, as its chair. The hire bolsters Thorn Run’s ties to the Trump administration at a key moment for international trade.

— Crypto lobbyist Chris Hayes and Republican lobbyist Hayden Jewett have also joined Thorn Run as partners. Hayes was the president and co-founder of the crypto-focused firm Capitol Asset Strategies, and before that he served as head of government affairs at the Celo Foundation. Jewett was most recently a principal at The Vogel Group and is a Gap, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and John Culberson alum.

 

Senate Breaks for August After Nominations Stalemate

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After repeatedly demanding that the Senate remain in session to confirm dozens of Trump appointees, President Donald Trump finally relented late Saturday, posting on social media that Republicans should instead “go home and explain to your constituents what bad people the Democrats are.” This post followed a series of contentious negotiations between the two parties over a potential “wrap-up package” that would have seen several nominees get confirmed by voice vote. Democrats were pushing for a series of spending-related concessions in exchange for approving these nominees, including “unfreezing” funding that is being withheld by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as well as committing to no additional rescissions packages this Congress. This was viewed as a nonstarter by Senate Republicans, but Leader Thune was unable to move forward with a change to the Senate rules that would’ve sped up the time for considering pending nominees. As such, the Senate will return in September with more than 100 nominations to work through, in addition to the Sept. 30 government funding deadline.

Thorn Run Partners Adds Former Federal Maritime Commissioner Louis Sola As Partner

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Sola brings nearly twenty years’ experience to TRP as a former Chairman and U.S. Army veteran.

For Immediate Release: August 1, 2025

Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301 (arosenberg@thornrun.com)

Washington, D.C. — Thorn Run Partners (“TRP”), one of the nation’s leading government affairs firms, announced today the addition of Louis Sola as a Partner. Lou is the third new partner to join TRP this month.

Over the past six years at the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), Louis Sola played a pivotal role in overseeing and enforcing policy governing more than $5 trillion in annual U.S. oceanborne trade, serving under three different presidential administrations.

As Chairman of the FMC, Sola led high-impact initiatives such as Fact Finding 30 during the COVID-19 pandemic, enabling the safe resumption of cruise operations and reinforcing supply chain resilience. He was a strong advocate for LNG port development, promoted greater transparency in international shipping, and worked to expand U.S. exports through strategic collaboration with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM). Notably, he was among the first federal officials to formally expose foreign influence in Latin America, particularly in critical maritime infrastructure.

Chairman Sola has also been a consistent and early voice in defending U.S. national security interests against strategic encroachment at global shipping chokepoints.

Prior to his Senate confirmation in 2019, Sola served for over a decade as a U.S. Army counterintelligence officer, with deployments in post-Cold War Germany, the 1994 Cuban refugee crisis, and counter-narcotics operations in Panama. Following his military service, he founded Evermarine, a global yacht and ship brokerage, and later consulted for the Inter-American Development Bank on Latin American port and infrastructure finance.

Lou’s deep expertise in maritime policy, national security, and international trade will be invaluable as Thorn Run Partners continues to expand its capabilities across key sectors.

“Lou Sola will add a unique and important capability to our firm,” said TRP Co-Founder Chris Lamond. “His experience and extensive network of relationships in the area of maritime trade and tariff policy will help us address a growing area of client need.”

TRP Co-Founder Andrew Rosenberg added, “We are excited at the prospect of bolstering our firm’s offerings in such an important area as international trade. Coupled with our current team of experts, Lou is going to instantly establish TRP as the leader in maritime and trade lobbying.”

The addition of Louis grows TRP’s roster of professionals to 57.

About Thorn Run Partners

Founded in January 2010 by veteran lobbyists Andrew Rosenberg and Chris Lamond, who previously served as staffers to Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Fred Thompson (R-TN), respectively, Thorn Run Partners is a full-service, 56-person government relations, policy and strategic communications firm with offices in Washington, DC, Portland, OR, and Los Angeles, CA. It has been recognized as a Top 10 lobbying firm by respected publications including Politico, The Hill, and Bloomberg that ranks among the nation’s most creative and effective government relations companies.

Thorn Run Partners Adds Republican Hayden Jewett As Partner

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Jewett brings over a dozen years to TRP as a Capitol Hill staffer and lobbyist.

For Immediate Release: August 1, 2025

Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301 (arosenberg@thornrun.com)

Washington, D.C. — Thorn Run Partners (“TRP”), one of America’s fastest-growing government affairs firms, announced today the addition of Hayden Jewett as a Partner.

Joining TRP from another downtown firm, Hayden previously served as an in-house lobbyist for a Fortune 200 company as well as a leading non-profit organization. He brings deep expertise in tax, tech, energy, and supply chain policy, and nearly a decade of experience in both Congress and the private sector, where he has built a strong record of legislative achievement and strategic influence across a broad set of industries.

Most recently, Hayden served as a multi-client lobbyist representing companies and associations before Congress and the Executive Branch. His advocacy has helped clients testify before key committees and secure significant short- and long-term federal policy wins. His work spans a range of issues including artificial intelligence, energy, tax policy, critical minerals, and supply chain resiliency. Prior to going in-house, Hayden spent nearly five years on Capitol Hill serving the Texas delegation in the offices of Chairman Roger Williams (R-TX) and John Culberson (R-TX). While there, Hayden helped lead public policy strategy, legislative initiatives, and served as a primary policy advisor for Labor-HHS, Agriculture, and Legislative Branch appropriations subcommittees. He led efforts to protect and advance federal funding of our nation’s hospitals and research centers, and in the wake of Hurricane Harvey was integral in securing bi-partisan support for recovery and relief efforts.

Hayden is Co-Chair of the D.C. Chapter of Maverick PAC and is a member of the Steering Committee. He is also a longtime coach of the Republican Congressional Baseball Team, supporting nearly 40 members of congress each year leading up to the bi-partisan Congressional Baseball Game for Charity held at Nationals Park. In 2016, Hayden served as a congressional staff liaison to President Trump’s inauguration.

“We’re super excited to add Hayden to our team,” said TRP Co-Founder Chris Lamond. “His experience and extensive network of relationships will bring instant value to our firm’s current client base, and we know Hayden will be successful in adding to that roster.”

TRP Co-Founder Andrew Rosenberg added, “In addition to his undeniable track record of success as a consultant and lobbyist, Hayden will make a great colleague. We are very excited to welcome him to the firm.”

The addition of Hayden grows TRP’s roster of professionals to 56.

About Thorn Run Partners

Founded in January 2010 by veteran lobbyists Andrew Rosenberg and Chris Lamond, who previously served as staffers to Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Fred Thompson (R-TN), respectively, Thorn Run Partners is a full-service, 56-person government relations, policy and strategic communications firm with offices in Washington, DC, Portland, OR, and Los Angeles, CA. It has been recognized as a Top 10 lobbying firm by respected publications including Politico, The Hill, and Bloomberg that ranks among the nation’s most creative and effective government relations companies.

Thorn Run Partners Adds Digital Assets Policy Expert Chris Hayes As Partner

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Hayes was previously the President and co-owner of Capitol Asset Strategies.

For Immediate Release: August 1, 2025

Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301 (arosenberg@thornrun.com)

Washington, D.C. — Thorn Run Partners (“TRP”), one of America’s fastest-growing government affairs firms, announced today the addition of Chris Hayes as a Partner.

A respected policy advisor and attorney, Chris is widely recognized for his leadership in the digital asset ecosystem. With more than 15 years of experience navigating complex legislative, regulatory, and legal matters in financial services, Chris brings deep expertise in blockchain technology, tokenization, cryptocurrency, and capital markets.

Most recently, Chris served as President and Co-Founder of Capitol Asset Strategies, where he led the firm’s work advising clients at the intersection of financial services and emerging technologies. Prior to CAS, Chris held senior in-house government relations roles across both the digital assets and traditional financial sectors. He was an early leader in the crypto policy space, heading global government relations for the Celo Foundation, a Layer 1 blockchain, and later serving as U.S. head of government relations for Sorare, an NFT-based fantasy sports platform backed by Softbank. In both roles—and later at CAS—he played an active role in shaping regulatory frameworks for digital assets and stablecoins in both Brussels (MiCA) and Washington.

Before entering the digital asset space, Chris built a distinguished track record in capital markets and private funds regulation. He spent five years at the Institutional Limited Partners Association (ILPA), where he launched and led the association’s global advocacy program on behalf of over $2 trillion in private equity investment capital. During his tenure, Chris advocated on several groundbreaking issues in private fund regulation across the U.S. and EU, including the SEC private fund adviser rule, retail access to alternatives, and the AIFMD II. Chris also led an ILPA project to create the first free model limited partnership agreement for the private equity industry.

Chris also served as General Counsel at the Small Business Investor Alliance (SBIA), where he helped champion legislation supporting BDCs, SBICs, and private fund advisers—including the successful creation of the Office of the Advocate for Small Business Capital Formation at the SEC. Earlier in his career, he worked at FINRA and served as a legal fellow on the Senate Banking Committee during the drafting of the Dodd-Frank Act.

“This is a great get for our firm,” said TRP Co-Founder Andrew Rosenberg. “With the addition of Chris—on top of our existing strength in the financial services space—I believe Thorn Run is now among Washington’s clear leaders in the emerging crypto and digital assets sector.”

TRP Co-Founder Chris Lamond added, “In addition to his strong track record of success for his clients, Chris will make a great teammate. We are very excited to welcome him to the firm.”

The addition of Chris grows TRP’s roster of professionals to 55.

About Thorn Run Partners

Founded in January 2010 by veteran lobbyists Andrew Rosenberg and Chris Lamond, who previously served as staffers to Senators Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Fred Thompson (R-TN), respectively, Thorn Run Partners is a full-service, 55-person government relations, policy and strategic communications firm with offices in Washington, DC, Portland, OR, and Los Angeles, CA. It has been recognized as a Top 10 lobbying firm by respected publications including Politico, The Hill, and Bloomberg that ranks among the nation’s most creative and effective government relations companies.

Where Things Stand on the Senate Approps Process

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Senate leadership is continuing discussions on the pending fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations vehicle as Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) aims to pass as many as possible in this first tranche. As of now, the Senate Appropriations Committee has passed six bills out of committee — Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), Interior-Environment, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-VA (MilCon-VA), and Transportation-HUD. However, it’s possible that only the MilCon-VA bill moves through the Senate as leadership works through outstanding disagreements over the topline spending figures for the next fiscal year, as well as policy issues tied to specific appropriations bills. Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee will meet this Thursday at 9:30 AM to mark up the chamber’s FY 2026 spending bills for Labor-HHS-Education and Defense.