TRP is Hiring: Legislative Assistant (Health Portfolio)

Thorn Run Partners, one of the Top 10 lobbying firms in Washington D.C., is seeking a Legislative Assistant with an interest in federal health care policy to aid our executive-level advocacy team as part of our first-in-class health care policy practice. The Legislative Assistant will integrate directly into Thorn Run’s multidisciplinary policy and research team, working directly alongside our Senior Health Policy Counsel and other health care aides to track federal policy through both the legislative and regulatory processes while also contributing to advocacy campaigns on a variety of health care issues. Key responsibilities will include analyzing and summarizing bills and federal regulations, initiating and leading research projects, summarizing congressional hearings, developing newsletters, drafting issue briefs and slide presentations, creating one-pagers, and more. A demonstrated interest in health care policy is a prerequisite for this role.

Thorn Run is looking for a self-starter who is prepared to adapt to a fast-paced environment and consistently perform everyday responsibilities at an elite level. Individuals in this position will be tasked with leading health care policy and research projects, preparing client-ready deliverables, and supporting advocacy campaigns for some of Washington’s most influential stakeholders. At least one year of experience working in health policy is recommended, although exceptions may be considered for exceptional candidates.

Candidates must be available to start in-person in Washington D.C. (Navy Yard) beginning February 18, 2025. The expected starting annual salary range is $42,000 to $47,000, commensurate with experience.

How to Apply
Interested applicants should provide a cover letter in the body of their email, in addition to attaching a resume and writing sample (required) to JP Brandt (jpbrandt@thornrun.com) with the code 010825 in the subject line. Please highlight your background in health care policy in the body of your email application package.

Required Skills

  • Excellent research and writing skills
  • Strong oral communication skills
  • Ability to analyze complex issues and distill them into executive-level summaries
  • Demonstrated experience in federal health care policy
  • Professional poise and confidence

Education Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree required
  • Preferred focus in health care, public policy, political science, English, journalism, or related fields
  • Master’s in public health or public policy is a plus, but not required

About Thorn Run Partners
Established in 2010, Thorn Run Partners is a one of Washington’s highest rated government affairs firms, offering a team of Capitol Hill and administration veterans with significant experience in federal lobbying, government service, and policy development. Unique for its bipartisan composition, first-in-class health policy practice, and client-friendly size, Thorn Run was founded by former aide to Democratic Senator Edward M. Kennedy (MA), Andy Rosenberg, and former aide to Republican Senator Fred Thompson (TN), Chris Lamond.

House Files Three-Month Government Funding Patch

House leadership officially filed a three-month continuing resolution (CR) that would, among other things, keep the government funded until March 14, 2025. In addition to addressing several expiring programs, the 1,500+ page legislation also includes:

  • Roughly $100 billion in disaster relief aid, including $29 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster Relief Fund;
  • A sweeping health care extender package that includes key Medicare, Medicaid, and public health initiatives;
  • A series of China-related bills, including legislation to restrict U.S. outbound investment in sensitive technologies;
  • A five-year reauthorization of the Older Americans Act (OAA);
  • A six-year reauthorization of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA);
  • Economic assistance for farmers alongside a one-year extension of the Farm Bill;
  • An extension of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) counter-drone authority through the length of the CR, and more.

Context & Next Steps. The House is currently on track to vote on the CR tomorrow at a time to be determined. It is likely that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will need the support from Democrats on the floor to get it across the finish line, as several Republican lawmakers have expressed opposition around the size and scope of this year-end package. However, it is unclear whether Speaker Johnson has the numbers on the GOP side to meet the two-thirds majority needed for expedited passage in the House. As such, House Republican leadership may need to bring it up under “regular order” and potentially rely on Democratic votes in the House Rules Committee to circumvent opposition from Reps. Chip Roy (R-TX), Thomas Massie (R-KY), and Ralph Norman (R-SC) — each of whom have indicated they may vote no.

TRP’s Lamond, Rosenberg Listed as Top Lobbyists by The Hill for 2024

TRP’s founding partners Chris Lamond and Andy Rosenberg were named as Top Lobbyists in The Hill’s annual list for 2024. Notably, Lamond and Rosenberg were cited as one of the top “hired guns” in The Hill’s list, as they are “some of the best in the business and have been go-to advocates during a year defined by unprecedented political events, legislative logjams, federal spending cut crusades and big rulemaking swings by the outgoing Biden administration.”

Amid simmering uncertainty over the president’s proposed policies including tariffs and tax reform, however, there will be no shortage of clients eager to hire top lobbyists who can help them navigate the nation’s changing Capitol.

TRP Announces the Addition of Seasoned Lobbyists Victoria Cram & Pamela Welsh

For Immediate Release: November 21, 2024
Contact: Andrew Rosenberg, (202) 247-6301 (arosenberg@thornrun.com)

Thorn Run Partners (TRP) announced today the addition of two highly experienced government relations specialists with decades of work representing some of the Nation’s largest municipalities and public entities. The addition of Victoria Cram and Pamela Welsh grows TRP’s roster of professionals to 52.

Having previously worked together for years, Cram and Welsh will add further depth and breadth to TRP’s sector-leading local government practice which currently represents nearly 50 municipalities and regional agencies.

New TRP Partner Vicki Cram will bring more than 25 years of federal advocacy experience representing local governments, as well as other public sector entities and nonprofit organizations with a substantive background in urban policy development. Until recently, she served as co-chair of the Transportation, Infrastructure & Local Government Public Policy Practice at her prior firm.

For her part, Pam Welsh has over 20 years of expertise in advocating on behalf of state and local governments, airports, institutions of higher education, transportation agencies, and nonprofits across a wide range of issue areas. She has a proven record of success in developing and executing comprehensive strategic plans, navigating the federal budget process to secure funding for client priorities, securing statutory changes to eliminate regulatory challenges, and engaging at all levels of government through political transitions.

“This is a big deal for our firm,” said Thorn Run Partners co-founder Andrew Rosenberg. “With the addition of Vicki and Pam, on top of our current strength in appropriations and municipal representation, I feel that our firm is now the clear leader in this important sector and expands the breadth of services we are able to offer our local government clients.”

Co-Founder Chris Lamond added, “In addition to their amazing track record of success for their clients, Vicki and Pam are phenomenal individuals and will make great teammates. We are very excited to welcome them to the firm.”

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, 52-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 Welcomes Jordan Marsh as Vice President

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Today, Thorn Run Partners (TRP) announced the addition of Jordan Marsh as Vice President in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Most recently, he served as Director of Federal Affairs for South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, where he represented the state’s interests in Washington, D.C. With six years of experience in the governor’s office, the South Carolina native is well-positioned to enhance TRP’s services and support clients, particularly in the Palmetto State.

Continue reading “Thorn Run Partners Welcomes Jordan Marsh as Vice President”

Congress Not Likely to Return Early for Disaster Relief

Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) reiterated this past weekend that Congress will not return to Washington early to pass a supplemental funding measure for disaster relief. While acknowledging that Congress will need to act to provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with additional funds for recovery efforts, the Speaker has maintained that it will take officials “30 days or more” to assess the damage from the Hurricane Helene before lawmakers can act. That timeline for action would align more closely with the House and Senate’s currently scheduled November 12 return date. Lawmakers could attempt to pass disaster relief by voice vote during a pro forma session this month — negating the need for all lawmakers to return to Washington — but any one member in either chamber can block this.

  • Situational awareness. In fiscal year (FY) 2024, FEMA’s Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) was appropriated roughly $20 billion. The FY 2025 continuing resolution (CR) gave FEMA access to a prorated amount of last year’s $20 billion and included language giving FEMA “spend-fast authority,” which allows the agency to access as much of that $20 billion as it needs before the end of the CR. In a potential disaster relief measure, Congress will have to determine how to supplement those funds. This will depend on how quickly FEMA spends the available $20 billion, what other outstanding needs there may be from past storms, and what additional resources are needed to cover future disasters that may occur in the rest of FY 2025.

 

Congress Set to Pass Three-Month Stopgap Today

Congress is officially in “punt formation” on government funding as both chambers are set to pass the three-month continuing resolution (CR) during today’s session. The House will hold a final up or down vote on the CR under suspension of the rules around 5:30 PM EST this evening, and the underlying measure is expected to pass with strong bipartisan support. Thanks to a “time agreement” announced by Senate leadership during yesterday’s session, the Senate will immediately begin consideration of the CR once it’s received from the House, with final passage occurring later this evening. Today’s votes are slated to be the last ones until Tuesday, November 12.

  • Situational awareness. With limited floor time available and Congress well behind on key year-end items like government funding and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the “lame duck” session of the 118th Congress is set to be a sprint to the finish. Lawmakers, especially those who will not be returning to their posts next year, will be eager to wrap up bipartisan legislative deals into a potential year-end spending package to “clear the decks” before the 119th Congress gavels in. However, much remains in flux pending the outcome of the 2024 election.

House Postpones CR Vote Amid Ongoing Talks

Amid mounting disagreements on both sides of the aisle, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) postponed consideration of the six-month continuing resolution (CR) during yesterday’s session. House Republican leadership will now turn its attention to whipping support for the CR — which would fund the government to March 2025 and include language to restrict undocumented immigrants from voting — as there are reportedly more than a dozen GOP lawmakers opposed. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) are pushing for bipartisan cooperation toward a stopgap funding deal negotiated by the “four corners” leaders of the House and Senate spending panels. However, Speaker Johnson and House GOP leaders have yet to embrace this approach as of now.

House Set to Press Forward with CR Vote Today

House Republican leadership is whipping support for a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government funded into March of next year ahead of this afternoon’s vote series, but it looks as if these efforts are going to fall short. Several House Republicans have come out against Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) proposed stopgap strategy, which includes language to restrict undocumented immigrants from voting. As of now, Speaker Johnson has stressed that he is “not looking at any other alternative or any other suggestion” with respect to the stopgap, and the final vote is currently anticipated to take place around 4:30 PM EST this afternoon. These comments come as former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential nominee, has ramped up his rhetoric in support of a shutdown absent passage of the House CR.

House GOP Stopgap Faces Headwinds

House Republican leadership’s current plan to keep the government funded past Sept. 30 is facing resistance on both sides of the aisle. Congressional Democrats and the White House had already expressed strong opposition to the proposed continuing resolution (CR) that would keep the government funded until March 2025, but several House Republicans have come out against the CR as well. As of now, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has insisted that this stopgap is the only plan on the table as he plans to press forward with the first procedural vote today to advance the rule. Assuming the rule passes, consideration and votes on the stopgap will occur during tomorrow’s session. Meanwhile, the Senate will be in session today for additional votes on pending judicial nominations.