Podesta Group

When it comes to campaign rhetoric, one of the most popular items on the menu these days seems to be “pork.” Candidates on both sides of the aisle have nurtured a political environment that rightfully condemns some of the past evils of earmarks and pork-barrel spending. But what this well-intended dialogue does not account for is the host of worthy projects which now benefit millions of Americans and whose existence can be attributed to congressional champions. This vote-winning campaign technique has made it imperative that organizations seeking federal funding rethink their strategies in Washington in order to achieve their goals.

The Podesta Group has a record of excellence in helping our clients achieve appropriations success. Our wins range from state and local governments needing funding for safety net programs for the poor and vital infrastructure improvements, to funding for non-profit hospitals to help them keep pace with growing demands for services, to research dollars for innovative programs at universities and medical institutions. In other words, these are projects that our clients, elected officials and the American people can be proud to support.

Under our nation’s laws, the administration makes important funding decisions and outlines those funding streams and programmatic assessments in its annual budget request to the Congress. The standing congressional ban on earmarks has limited the role of Congress in these funding decisions. Some inside the Beltway would argue that this outcome is a good thing. On the other hand, some outside the Beltway have found that important federal funding streams, such as those designed to foster and sustain innovative research and development, have dried up.

Since members of Congress and entire delegations now find their hands increasingly tied, organizations must forge ahead with new, creative paths to help find seed money to incubate viable projects and keep these often vital programs from going under.

One of those paths is through the administration. Since executive branch agencies now determine the vast majority of winners and losers in the funding contest, smart organizations get to know program managers and other decision-makers well in advance, marketing themselves, selling their smarts and persuasively explaining why their product or service answers a critical agency need. Introductory conversations need to precede the RFP, not follow it. Another path forward is the strategic tracking of competitive grant opportunities, which the Podesta Group does for many clients.

And of course there’s the pursuit of legislative language that does not constitute an earmark, but instead is a programmatic provision that enhances a client’s chance to successfully compete. The Podesta Group often works with clients to craft and move forward appropriations and authorizing language that can help advance a client’s mission. Emphasize programs, not projects. In today’s appropriations world, there exists a delicate dance between language that gets flagged as “pork” and language that merely reflects and reaffirms agency missions – and hopefully, client priorities as well.

Bottom line: the current process is fraught with problems. One needs only to consider the fact that major infrastructure authorizations bills, such as transportation, FAA and WRDA (water resource projects), remain paralyzed by the earmark ban. These bills haven’t moved since the ban was put in place, and are just now showing signs of life.

Members are increasingly paralyzed by fear of backlash from the anti-earmark constituency for even requesting critical road and water projects for their districts and authorizing committees are challenged by how to write the bills. Meanwhile, the nation’s infrastructure and many redeeming projects hang in the balance – bridges need to be repaired, major thoroughfares to relieve congestion need to be built, critical ports need to be dredged and flood control projects need to be approved. These are all real problems with real consequences if not addressed.

Imperfect or not, for now, this new process is here to stay, and organizations must adjust their tactics accordingly. While the path may be broken, it is not impassable. It is just a matter of having smart counsel to help you choose the right vehicles for success. A healthy dose of persistence helps as well.