|
LOBBYING REPORT |
Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (Section 5) - All Filers Are Required to Complete This Page
2. Address
| Address1 | 2944 Hunter Mill Road |
Address2 | Suite 204 |
| City | Oakton |
State | VA |
Zip Code | 22124 |
Country | USA |
3. Principal place of business (if different than line 2)
| City | |
State | |
Zip Code | |
Country | |
|
5. Senate ID# 35627-12
|
||||||||
|
6. House ID# 327060000
|
||||||||
| TYPE OF REPORT | 8. Year | 2008 |
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: Karen Kerrigan, President & CEO |
Date | 10/20/2008 |
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 SMB
16. Specific lobbying issues
Tax Reform and Relief:
General advocacy continues regarding fundamental tax reform, and tax relief permanency, re: 2001 and 2003 tax relief packages.
Research & Development tax credit permanency.
Home Office Deduction Simplification Act (H.R. 6214) -- support
Tax Reform and Relief (continued):
Continue to oppose tax increases on small businesses and tax gap proposals that increase taxes/reg burden on firms.
For example, expressed concern regarding provisions in the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 (H.R. 3221), which mandated information reporting on merchant card payments to the IRS.
Support AMT patch, minus various tax increases
.
Trade/Global Market Access:
U.S.-Columbia Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA) -- continue to support and press for passage.
General advocacy continues on opening new markets for small businesses through trade agreements, while opposing efforts to re-negotiate existing agreements such as NAFTA.
Health Coverage/Affordable Health Insurance:
Continue to voice support for individual and small business tax credits; tax parity and fairness for the self-employed; nationwide marketplace for health insurance; pooling mechanisms for small businesses; health savings account (HSA) improvement and expansion.
Government Procurement:
H.R. 1023/S.777: Continue to express support for these bills to repeal Section 511 of Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act (P.L. 109-222), the 3 percent withholding mandate on government contractors.
Employee Eligibility Verification Mandate on Government Contractors (FAR Case No 2007-013): Sent comments to GSA in opposition to mandated approach to e-verify for small government contractors as this would put such firms at a competitive disadvantage and increase costs.
Regulatory Burden:
"SAVE Act", H.R. 4088 -- continue to express opposition to the legislation in general.
"Independent Office of Advocacy and Regulatory Reform Act," S. 2902 -- support regulatory measures in the legislation.
Continue to express concern regarding "tax gap" measures that will increase paperwork burden and costs on small firms (for example, credit card, e-payments income reporting).
Paycheck "Fairness" Act -- H.R. 1338 -- Urged opposition in House due to cost/legal impact on small firms.
Affordable Energy:
Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development and exploration -- Support allowing ban to expire of OCS and oils shale recovery to help increase supply of U.S. (home-grown) energy resources, and economic opportunities for small business.
Continue to express general support for domestic exploration and development; increased incentives for companies to accelerate bringing alternatives to market; lower gas taxes. Oppose tax increases on U.S. oil and gas firms.
Comprehensive American Energy Security Act, H.R. 6899 -- opposed portions of bill that work against enabling increased energy supply, including higher taxes on U.S. energy companies.
MMS 5 Year Oil and Gas Leasing Program -- supported MMS consideration of expanding offshore oil and gas development for periods 2010-2015 to help increase U.S.-based energy supply, and increase opportunities for small business.
Property Rights:
"Private Property Rights Protection Act of 2008," H.R. 6219 -- support.
General Issues:
Supported Mr. Sandy Baruha's nomination as SBA Administrator (Acting Administrator).
Urged Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to suspend mark-to-market rules to help quell instability in markets.
E-Verify Basic Pilot Program -- supported extension of pilot (not mandatory e-verify for all employers), including study of federal government's e-verify program related to cost impact on small businesses.
Access to Credit/Capital: In comments to the Federal Reserve, as well as a letter to the House regarding H.R. 5244 -- expressed concerns and unintended consequences of overregulating low-limit credit cards, re: would decrease access to credit and capital for consumers and small businesses, while preventing these consumers to rebuild their credit.
17. House(s) of Congress and Federal agencies Check if None
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, U.S. SENATE, Homeland Security - Dept of (DHS), Small Business Adminstration (SBA), White House Office, Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Federal Reserve System, General Services Administration (GSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
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 |
Karen |
Kerrigan |
|
|
|
Raymond |
Keating |
|
|
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 |