Lobbyists Are Preparing for Congress to Stumble into a Shutdown

Public Policy & Regulation Group Leader Rich Gold was quoted in a Bloomberg Government article about how K Street is preparing for a potential government shutdown on March 1 if Congress fails to pass funding bills. The article notes that with funding for federal agencies set to expire soon, lobbyists like Mr. Gold have warned clients that the possibility of a shutdown is genuine, given the unpredictable nature of a divided House under new Speaker Mike Johnson. As lobbyists push lawmakers on issues like tax relief, border security and more, Mr. Gold highlighted the "long way to go and short time to get there" on urgent fiscal matters, saying short-term funding may be the only way to avoid a shutdown.

"We've been telling clients that the possibility of a shutdown on March 1 is real," he said. "Not so much because anybody will mean for it, although certainly there is a group of House Republicans who wouldn't mind taking a shutdown home to their district as an early Ides of March present."

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