Washington’s revolving door is spinning a bit faster as several top GOP Leadership aides have left Capitol Hill in recent months to join lobbying firms or corporate lobbying offices. Speaker Boehner, whose staff famously remain with him for years, has lost at least six top staffers to lobbying jobs since the last Congress. The exodus isn’t confined to the Speaker’s office, however, as top staff to several GOP leaders have left recently to capitalize on their contacts.
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor recently lost his deputy chief of staff and his director for strategic development. The general counsel and policy director for Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy have both left for K Street. The most sweeping exodus, however, is possibly out of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office, which lost its lead negotiator on major deals, its floor manage,r and its directors of outreach to Republican offices and conservative organizations and coalitions.
It is unclear what impact this loss of senior advisors will have on upcoming difficult negotiations on the budget and debt ceiling hikes. Of course, a cynic could argue that, given the state of the Congressional GOP, an infusion of fresh talent might be in order.
Many of these recent departures represent returns to K Street for many of these top staffers. Many lobbyists who are former Hill staffers often return to the Hill for a few years to assist a member who has assumed a higher position in Congress. These relationships solidify the link between Congress and the influence industry. Of course, an ever increasing number of members themselves will turn to lobbying or “strategic advising” after they leave office.
In individual cases, there is nothing inherently wrong with moves between the Hill and K Street. Cumulatively, however, the sheer volume of people moving back and forth between the two institutions preserves the status quo in Washington. As government continues to expand its reach into the economy and our lives, this status quo becomes pernicious.
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