Bottom Line

• AGRICULTURE. Lobbyists are still watching the farm bill, which House leaders plan to revive this month. Cornerstone Government Affairs has contracted with Sysco Corporation for “monitoring legislation affecting the food service industry including 2013 farm bill, food safety, transportation and labor,” according to lobbying disclosure records. Thomas Shipman, former majority staff director for the Senate Agriculture Committee, is among the lobbyists working the account. 

 • NATURAL RESOURCES. A former senior EPA official is lobbying to help open up a new mine in Alaska. Peter Robertson, once a chief of staff and acting deputy administrator at the EPA, has registered as an in-house lobbyist for the Pebble Limited Partnership to lobby on legislation and regulation “affecting the proposed Pebble Project in Alaska.” The partnership, which was formed in 2007 by developers Northern Dynasty and Anglo American, has been battling with the EPA for approval to build the mine in a watershed of Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

 {mosads}• SCIENCE. An aerospace company looking to get into space travel has hired a top lobby firm. Blue Origin, headquartered in Kent, Wash., has hired K&L Gates to lobby on reauthorization legislation for NASA and the Commercial Space Launch Act. Two former members of the House, Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) and Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.), are among the lobbyists working for the company. 

 • TRADE. Capitol Hill Consulting Group has signed up to represent the Coalition for Fair Trade of Hardwood Plywood to lobby on “Anti-dumping/Countervailing Duty Case on Hardwood/Plywood.” Josh Kardon, former chief of staff to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and David Thompson, once an aide to former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), are working the account. 

 • TRANSPORTATION. The Consumer Electronics Association has contracted with top transportation lobbyists to look at highway regulations. SBL Strategies will lobby for the tech trade association on “NHTSA Regulations oversight.” Jeff Loveng, former chief of staff to Rep. Bill Shuster (R-Pa.), and Chad Bradley, ex-deputy chief of staff for Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), are lobbying for the business group.