|
LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 218 D STREET, SE |
Address2 | 1st Floor |
| City | WASHINGTON |
State | DC |
Zip Code | 20003 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
| City |
|
State |
|
Zip Code |
|
Country |
|
|
5. Senate ID# 38814-12
|
||||||||
|
6. House ID# 325310000
|
||||||||
| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2014 |
Q1 (1/1 - 3/31) | Q2 (4/1 - 6/30) | Q3 (7/1 - 9/30) | Q4 (10/1 - 12/31) |
9. Check if this filing amends a previously filed version of this report
| 10. Check if this is a Termination Report | Termination Date |
|
11. No Lobbying Issue Activity |
| INCOME OR EXPENSES - YOU MUST complete either Line 12 or Line 13 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. Lobbying | 13. Organizations | ||||||||
| INCOME relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period was: | EXPENSE relating to lobbying activities for this reporting period were: | ||||||||
|
|
||||||||
|
|
||||||||
| Provide a good faith estimate, rounded to the nearest $10,000, of all lobbying related income for the client (including all payments to the registrant by any other entity for lobbying activities on behalf of the client). | 14. REPORTING Check box to indicate expense accounting method. See instructions for description of options. | ||||||||
|
Method A.
Reporting amounts using LDA definitions only
Method B. Reporting amounts under section 6033(b)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code Method C. Reporting amounts under section 162(e) of the Internal Revenue Code |
|||||||||
| Signature | Digitally Signed By: Eboni Speight |
Date | 7/21/2014 2:45:26 PM |
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BUD
16. Specific lobbying issues
Tax reform, Senate Finance and House Ways and Means, specifically S. 268, S. 1533, S. 250, H.R. 1554, H.R. 2084, S. 1654, H.R. 3445, H.R. 4678, S. 2360, tax extenders. Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act (S.1465, H.R. 3331)
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Daniel |
Smith |
|
|
19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BNK
16. Specific lobbying issues
(1) Support efforts to make consumer bankruptcy laws fairer, including elimination of medical debts on credit reports (S 160) and similar House proposals) and support efforts to remove private student loans from permanent credit reporting (eliminate inability to discharge them in bankruptcy) (HR 532, S 114). (2) Oppose H.R. 982, the "Furthering
Asbestos Claim Transparency Act" or FACT Act.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Federal Reserve System, Treasury - Dept of, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Edmund |
Mierzwinski |
|
|
19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code BAN
16. Specific lobbying issues
(1) Urge CFPB to enact strong fair debt collection rule reforms, regulate arbitration, and take other steps to protect consumers. (2) Support bank overdraft fee reform (HR 1261) (3) Support independent funding, authority and structure of CFPB. Oppose all bills to weaken CFPB including HR 3193, the Consumer Financial Freedom and Washington Accountability Act; HR 450, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Accountability Act; H.R. 3389, the CFPB Slush Fund Elimination Act; H.R. 4604, the CFPB Data Collection Security Act; H.R. 4262, the Bureau Advisory Commission Transparency Act; H.R. 4539, the Bureau Research Transparency Act; H.R. 3770, the CFPB-IG Act of 2013; H.R. 4383, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Small Business Advisory Board Act; H.R. 4804, the Bureau Examination Fairness Act; H.R. 4662, the Bureau Advisory Opinion Act; H.R. 4811, the Bureau Guidance Transparency Act; HR .S 18., S. 205, S 190, S. 238, S. 450 and any similar bills or budgetary line items or appropriations riders, including Sections 501-504 of HR 5016, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2015. (4) Support legislation to rein in payday lending and similar predatory loan practices, including HR 990 and S 172. Oppose any bills to provide special status or create non-bank federal charters for payday or similar lenders, such as H.R. 1566, the so-called Consumer Credit Access, Innovation, and Modernization Act. . Urge CFPB, and other regulators to prevent banks from offering similar predatory payday advance products. (5) Support legislation to hold credit bureaus accountable including proposals to provide free credit scores, such as S 471/HR 1002. (6) Work to protect consumer privacy notices from full repeal (HR 749, S 635). (6) Oppose efforts to add layers of unnecessary cost-benefit analysis or other so-called accountability constraints onto any federal financial agency or independent agency, including REINS ACT (S 15) and any similar bills, including bills to impose OMB cost-benefit rules on independent agencies including the CFPB and others. (7) Support full funding and authority for all other financial regulators, including CFTC and SEC. (8) Urge CFPB and other regulators to enact strongest possible rules to protect homeowners and consumers from financial, foreclosure, mortgage servicing and other weakenings. (9) Oppose efforts in Congress to weaken any other consumer laws (10) Support efforts to eliminate forced arbitration in consumer contracts, such as support for Arbitration Fairness Act (
Arbitration Fairness Act of 2013 (or AFA), S. 878, ). (11) Support efforts to make large, interconnected financial institutions more accountable to taxpayers, depositors and investors, including support for Volcker rule, other too-big-to-fail and capital reforms, such as the 21st Century Glass-Steagall Act, S 1282. Oppose efforts to weaken that authority, including HR 797, which would weaken protections for municipal borrowers (12) Urge CFPB/DeptofEd and administration to support strong gainful employment rules for for-profit schools and to protect students from unfair debit and prepaid card loan disbursement and other on-campus practices. (13) Support CFPB/DOE efforts to protect students from unfair private student loan practices. (14) Support Congressional and agency efforts to protect consumers from new and under-regulated uses of consumer data. Urge financial agencies and FTC to protect consumer privacy and to regulate Internet credit scoring models, data brokers and other practices involving the sale or mining of consumer social networking and other information. Regulate tracking of consumers. Similarly, urge that amendments to Electronic Communications Privacy Act reflect need for consumer/citizen privacy. (15) Support efforts to establish anti-speculation Financial Transactions Tax (HR 880, S 410). (16) Oppose efforts to weaken investor protections, including under guise of implementing JOBS Act of 2012. (17) Support efforts to eliminate Deceptive Loan Checks (S 187); Urge that any cybersecurity legislation includes privacy protections in
Title VII of S. 3414 (2012). (18) Urge CFPB to use authority to ensure private education lenders obtain school certification prior to disbursing private education loans and urge CFPB/DeptofEd to protect students. (19) Urge opposition to H.R. 1256, the so-called
Swaps Jurisdiction Certainty Act and similar proposals to weaken CFTC authority. (20) Generally urge CFPB to implement strongest possible consumer protections, including to protect consumers from unfair pre-dispute arbitration agreements, from credit bureau mistakes, from fee-harvester credit cards, unfair debt collector practices, as well as strongest mortgage and foreclosure rules, etc. (21) Urge FTC to enact and enforce strong consumer rules on issues ranging from privacy to used car rules to debt collection and debt settlement firms. (22) Protect and enhance Durbin amendment limiting so-called merchant swipe or interchange fees on debit cards. (22) Support Freedom and Mobility in Consumer Banking Act, HR 3137 (Schakowsky) and S 1534 (Harkin). (23) Oppose HR 2538 to allow full file credit reporting without adequate safeguards.(24) Support HR 2998, Investor Choice Act to eliminate mandatory arbitration in investor disputes (Ellison). (25) Urge FTC to strengthen Telemarketing Sales Rule. (26) Urge Defense to strengthen Military Lending Act
regarding Limitations on Terms of Consumer Credit Extended to Service Members and Dependents (27) Oppose
S. 710, the so-called Municipal Advisors Relief Act of 2013. (28) Oppose H.R. 2655, the so-called Lawsuit Abuse Reduction
Act. (29) Support efforts by CFPB and prudential regulators to
end discriminatory lending practices in the auto finance market that harm minority car buyers. (30) Support the
Net Price Calculator Improvement Act for college student loan comparisons. (31) Urge bank regulators
take further strong action to protect consumers and the payment system by stopping depository institutions and payment processors from facilitating electronic payments for illegal transactions, including illegal payday loans. (32) Urge CFPB to propose and enact strong, comprehensive rule regulating online and storefront payday and similar small-dollar loans. (33) Support legislation such as S.1654 the- Government Settlement Transparency and Reform Act and urge CFPB, DOJ, FTC, SEC and other agencies to include language in lawsuit settlements to prevent corporate wrongdoers from taking tax writeoffs on any penalties or restitution paid to Treasury or consumer-victims. Urge that these settlements be made public. (34) Urge
U.S. Treasury Departments Federal Insurance Office (FIO) to make strongest possible policy proposals to protect insurance consumers from anti-competitive pricing and marketing and other practices endemic to the property and casualty insurance industry. (35) Urge the President to nominate pro-consumer appointees to agency boards, commissions and directorships. (36) Oppose the Fair Debt Collection Practices Technical Clarification Act of 2013, HR 2892.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Federal Reserve System, Treasury - Dept of, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Natl Credit Union Administration (NCUA), Education - Dept of, Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Commerce - Dept of (DOC), State - Dept of (DOS), Defense - Dept of (DOD), Justice - Dept of (DOJ)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Edmund |
Mierzwinski |
|
|
19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code TRD
16. Specific lobbying issues
Oppose fast track trade authority (H.R. 3830/ S. 1900). Oppose efforts in trade treaties and legislation, including activities under the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC) or through any Transatlantic Free Trade Area (TAFTA) or Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) or Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) or similar trade agreement that would scuttle strong consumer health, safety, privacy, and pocketbook protections in favor of weaker rules or grant corporations unacceptable powers such as ISDS (Investor-State Dispute Resolution powers). Oppose efforts to preempt or harmonize local or state or federal laws. Support strongest possible transparency in trade negotiations including public availability of real-time negotiating text. Urge USTR to disclose any surveillance by NSA or others of organizations working on trade policy.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Commerce - Dept of (DOC), U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), State - Dept of (DOS), Natl Economic Council (NEC), Federal Reserve System, Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (FDIC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Treasury - Dept of, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Edmund |
Mierzwinski |
|
|
19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code CSP
16. Specific lobbying issues
(1) Oppose efforts such as the REINS Act, S 15, to hamstring consumer health and safety agencies with layers of bureaucracy. Oppose a variety of similar bills designed to cripple agency rulemaking or impose duplicative brudensome requirements on independent agencies, including the Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act (H.R. 899),
the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act (H.R. 1493), the
Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (RFIA) (H.R. 2542), the
Regulatory Accountability Act (RAA) (H.R. 2122), the All Economic Regulations are Transparent (ALERT) Act (H.R. 2804), a package of several of these bills rolled together. (2) Urge Office of Management and Budget to complete their work on the delayed Department of Transportation (DOT) Enhancing Consumer Protections III rulemaking. (3) Urge FTC to enforce all privacy settlements, including Facebook "Sponsored Stories" settlement. (4) Urge FCC to protect privacy of CPNI. (5) Oppose efforts such as as H.R. 4106, the so-called Saving Lives, Saving Costs Act to unwisely make it harder for consumer-victims to obtain redress for medical malpractice. Oppose any efforts to similarly immunize special interest wrongdoers by raising pleading standards, eliminating private rights of action or otherwise raising barriers to justice. (6) Support H.R.4361, the Sunshine in Litigation Act of 2014 and similar efforts. (7) Oppose H.R. 4156, The (so-called) Transparent Airfares Act of 2014.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Transportation - Dept of (DOT), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Edmund |
Mierzwinski |
|
|
19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
LOBBYING ACTIVITY. Select as many codes as necessary to reflect the general issue areas in which the registrant engaged in lobbying on behalf of the client during the reporting period. Using a separate page for each code, provide information as requested. Add additional page(s) as needed.
15. General issue area code AGR
16. Specific lobbying issues
Oppose any efforts to weaken the Commodities Futures Trading Commission's authority over derivatives or futures or to reduce its funding.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. SENATE, U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
18. Name of each individual who acted as a lobbyist in this issue area
| First Name | Last Name | Suffix | Covered Official Position (if applicable) | New |
Edmund |
Mierzwinski |
|
|
19. Interest of each foreign entity in the specific issues listed on line 16 above Check if None
Information Update Page - Complete ONLY where registration information has changed.
20. Client new address
| Address | |
||||||
| City | |
State | |
Zip Code | |
Country | |
21. Client new principal place of business (if different than line 20)
| City | |
State | |
Zip Code | |
Country | |
22. New General description of client’s business or activities
LOBBYIST UPDATE
23. Name of each previously reported individual who is no longer expected to act as a lobbyist for the client
|
|
||||||||
| 1 |
|
3 |
|
||||||
| 2 |
|
4 |
|
ISSUE UPDATE
24. General lobbying issue that no longer pertains
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AFFILIATED ORGANIZATIONS
25. Add the following affiliated organization(s)
Internet Address:
| Name | Address |
Principal Place of Business (city and state or country) |
||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
26. Name of each previously reported organization that is no longer affiliated with the registrant or client
| 1 | 2 | 3 |
FOREIGN ENTITIES
27. Add the following foreign entities:
| Name | Address |
Principal place of business (city and state or country) |
Amount of contribution for lobbying activities | Ownership percentage in client | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
|
% | |||||||||||||
28. Name of each previously reported foreign entity that no longer owns, or controls, or is affiliated with the registrant, client or affiliated organization
| 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 | 6 |