Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough

Weekly Washington Wrap

• Half of Washington’s lobbying-corps left town last week along with the House of Representatives which recessed for its August break.  The Senate leaves town on Friday and Congress does not reconvene until September 14.  Come September, there will be a three-week flurry of rushed activity so Congress can adjourn by October 8, and get members on the campaign trail in earnest for the November mid-term elections.

• The Senate will likely pass a bill that will increase Medicaid and education funding for the states.  Although fiscal conservatives still oppose the measure, it will pass because the bill’s $26.1 billion cost is fully offset.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said she will call the House back into session, in the middle of August recess, to get the bill to the President.

• Most of the news in Washington this week was about what did not happen.   The legislative response to the Gulf oil spill was expected to pass the Senate in the wake of  its passage in the House last week, and after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) removed controversial cap-and-trade/climate change provisions from the bill.  Opposition over how the bill would subject oil companies to unlimited liability prevented Majority Leader Reid from getting the 60 votes needed to pass the measure. 

• The small business jobs bill also was expected to pass quickly, but as of press time its future is uncertain.  The small business jobs bill may fall victim to concerns over its costs, whether it creates a “mini TARP” lending program, and whether amendments to the bill on the Senate floor over tax cuts and EPA’s greenhouse gas regulations will tie the Senate schedule in knots, preventing the Senate’s ability to confirm Elena Kagan to the U.S. Supreme Court.

• Even as Congress rushes to get out of town there is time for another scandal in our nation’s capital.  Last week, the House Ethics Committee announced that it would hold a trial to resolve charges that Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) illegally solicited firms and failed to report income on House disclosure forms and federal tax returns.  This week, the Ethics Committee announced its intention to hold a trial to resolve charges that Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) improperly used her position to benefit her husband’s stake in OneUnited Bank.

Happenings in the Holy City

Team Wilkins has long been proud of the many ties that bind our small Southern state with Canada.  South Carolina and numerous Canadian provinces have long enjoyed a robust and prosperous trade relationship, and seaside destinations like Myrtle Beach, SC, are so favored by Canadians – and their visits so appreciated by South Carolinians – that for almost five decades now, Myrtle Beach has been dedicating a whole week every spring called Can-Am Days to celebrate the relationship. 

That's why David Wilkins and the Team were so thrilled to welcome the Canadian delegation to Charleston, SC (known as the Holy City due to its wealth of churches and numerous steeples dotting the city skyline) this week for the 64^th Annual Southern Legislative Conference (SLC).  Each year the conference brings together policymakers from 16 states across the region to assess the biggest issues of the day and how they might be solved. 

Ambassador Wilkins is a past chairman of the SLC and was honored to see so many Canadians participating this year including Canada's Consul General in Atlanta Stephen Brereton and his wife Carolyn, and one of our favorite communication gurus, also from the Atlanta Consulate, Judith M. Costello.  Robert Mackenzie and Paula Dickerson were there representing Canada's Consulate in Raleigh, NC, and representing Canada's Embassy in Washington, was Anne Mattson Gauss.  From Alberta, but also based in Washington was Tristan Sanregret, and Ginette Chenard from the Atlanta Consulate represented Quebec's delegation. 

As always, it was wonderful to see our old friend June Dewetering who's advising the Canada-US Inter-Parliamentary Group (IPG), as well as Chad Mariage, who serves as IPG executive secretary.  Senator Anne Cools was also part of the official delegation as were MPs Christian Ouellet, Bryon Wilfert, and Terence Young.

This year's event was hosted by the Speaker of the South Carolina House of Representatives Bobby Harrell.  The speaker and his team of volunteers, mostly staff from the SC House, did an amazing job pulling off this huge event.  Law enforcement officers from the SC House, as well as the State Law Enforcement Division, state Highway Patrol, and local Charleston PD, ensured the safety of the many high-powered guests including the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Ben Bernanke who offered the opening keynote address, as well as US Senator Lindsey Graham who introduced the fed chairman, and US Congressman Jim Clyburn who serves as Majority Whip and offered the closing plenary session keynote address. 

A highlight of the event was a benefit concert appearance by one of South Carolina's (and Charleston's) more famous sons – country singer superstar and the front man for Hootie and the Blowfish Darius Rucker. 

The talented Mr. Rucker, by the way, is a devoted University of South Carolina Gamecocks fan.  He had the South Carolina crowd whipped up into a happy frenzy cheering for the hometown team – especially the men's baseball squad – who recently won the College World Series title and now stand as national champions.  Our ever-vigilant editorial board noticed that one former US Ambassador to Canada and current chairman of the Clemson University Board of Visitors was uncharacteristically subdued during this time…

We also want to give props to our own Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough for sponsorship of the conference and to Kathy Shannon, Robert Wilkins, and the rest of the South Carolina government relations team for their great work in Charleston.

Did You Know? 

Anyone who visits Charleston, SC understands why it's known as the Holy City.  As noted, historic churches are abundant in the beautiful seaport locale.

But did you know Charleston was one of the few cities in the original 13 colonies to provide religious tolerance?  In fact, while there were restrictions on Catholics, Charleston provided a safe haven to many Huguenots as well as to practicing Jews.   According to its website, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, founded in 1749, stands as the second-oldest synagogue building in the United States and the oldest in continuous use.   

And if you'd like to toast to that, we know just the place to purchase your celebratory libations:  The Tavern on East Bay Street.  According to the owner of this historic building in the heart of Charleston, the Tavern on East Bay is the oldest liquor store in the US.