Practice Areas
In January 2008, Senator John Breaux and Senator Trent Lott formed the Breaux Lott Leadership Group. The firm unites two former Senate leaders from opposite parties, with a combined total of nearly 70 years experience in Congress. Together they provide strategic advice, consulting and lobbying on a wide range of public policy matters, including energy, defense, tax and homeland security.
In addition to Senator Breaux and Senator Lott, the group is comprised of both Democrats and Republicans who have served in senior staff positions in Congress. These individuals have honed their government relations and lobbying skills while serving in both minority and majority positions. Although both houses of Congress and the Administration are held by Democrats, Breaux Lott knows when and how to forge bipartisan support for their clients' agenda.
Given the broad-based background and experience of its members, The Breaux-Lott Leadership Group is particularly well positioned to impact important debates in Congress across a wide range of areas, including:
Agriculture
BLLG works on issues across the spectrum of agriculture policy, both before Congress and a variety of federal agencies including USDA, USTR, and the CFTC.
Issue expertise includes commodity support programs, international trade of agriculture goods, commodities futures markets, and Food for Peace.
Defense
BLLG navigates the complex legislative process related to defense for a variety of clients with interests in a broad range of national security issues.
BLLG advocates on behalf of our clients before Committees in both the House and Senate with jurisdiction over these issues, including the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Homeland Security Committee, and Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, as well as before relevant government departments and agencies.
Energy and the Environment
BLLG has policy expertise in all energy issue areas – ranging from oil and gas exploration to working with high-level officials of the Administration, Department of Energy and Mineral Management Service. Breaux Lott access to energy policy makers in Congress is one of our strongest attributes. In addition to Senators Breaux and Lott’s unmatched network in the area of energy related matters, Breaux Lott has professionals with substantive knowledge and invaluable political expertise in the energy and environment arena.
To further the goals of a diverse set of clients, the BLLG draws upon years of experience in matters relating to production of natural resources (including the development of fossil fuels, electricity and alternative fuels).
We work with key policy makers in Congress and the Administration to formulate policies that will help shape the future of energy production for years to come.
We represent clients with interests under the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Ways and Means and Finance Committees, and various Administrative agencies and departments including EPA and Interior.
Financial Services
In advocating client interests related to financial services, the BLLG brings decades of experience to bear in an area that is critical to the economy, and in which significant changes to the current law and regulatory structure are expected to be considered in the coming months and years.
Subject matter expertise extends to all of the major components of the nation’s financial services sector including banking, housing, insurance, and securities, and additional matters under the jurisdiction of the House Financial Services and Senate Banking Committees.
We also advocate on behalf of clients before agencies and institutions with jurisdiction over financial services policy, including Treasury, HUD, FDIC, IMF, and the World Bank.
Health Care
Having once served as leaders in Congress on health reform issues, Senators Breaux and Lott today continue to be instrumental in the development of major health legislation related to Medicare and Medicaid, pharmaceuticals, and reimbursement of health care providers.
Advocacy for our clients includes matters before the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means Committees, the Senate Finance and HELP Committees, and HHS and its various agencies including CMS and FDA.
Homeland Security
BLLG is well positioned to navigate the complex legislative process related to homeland security for a variety of clients with interests in a broad range of homeland and national security issues. Senators Breaux and Lott were both senior members of the Senate Commerce Committee, including leadership positions as chairman of the Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Subcommittee. During their tenure in Congress, specifically the Senate, they sponsored numerous legislative initiatives in support of homeland and national security. In the aftermath of 9-11, they championed the Maritime Transportation Security Act, Safe Ports Act and other measures to protect the homeland. BLLG also has a unique understanding of the Department of Homeland Security, including the U.S. Coast Guard. Senators Breaux and Lott sponsored all Coast Guard Authorization Acts while serving in the House and Senate.
BLLG advocates on behalf of our clients before Committees in both the House and Senate with jurisdiction over these issues, including the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the House Homeland Security Committee, and Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Senate Commerce Committee, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as before relevant government departments and agencies.
Tax Policy
BLLG utilizes decades of experience in working to formulate and pass significant tax legislation affecting individuals and corporate entities of all types.
As senior Members of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over corporate and individual taxation, both Senators Breaux and Lott have been actively engaged in the formulation and passage of most of the major tax legislation over the last decade.
Both Breaux and Lott played key roles in shepherding through major tax legislation in 2001, and again in 2003 and 2004, that lowered individual income tax rates, the estate tax, capital gains and dividends, and a multitude of taxes on business activities both domestic and international.
Sen. Breaux co-chaired the Mack/Breaux tax panel commissioned by President Bush to recommend specific changes to make the Internal Revenue Code fairer and less complex.
International Relations/Trade
BLLG is presently assisting and/or well positioned to assist foreign countries in advancing their priorities before the Administration, Congress, and State Department.
BLLG furthers client interests by drawing upon decades of involvement on behalf of those interested in free and fair trade. We represent clients with interests before the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committee (and their international trade subcommittees), USTR, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Commerce, and the International Trade Commission.
BLLG principals have helped shepherd the passage of bipartisan trade legislation and bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements, Trade Promotion Authority, and various trade preference programs.
At the same time, BLLG utilizes years of experience in working with policymakers at all levels to ensure international trade is conducted on a level playing field.
Maritime
BLLG offers and in-depth understanding of the issues and concerns of the maritime industry combined with the ability to advance those interests in the nation’s capitol.
Often refereed to as two of the most influential and respected advocates of the maritime industry, Senators Breaux and Lott now work to advance initiatives on behalf of BLLG maritime and fisheries clients before the Administration and Congress. Their leadership can be traced and associated with all maritime, fisheries and marine resource issues before the Congress for more than thirty years.
In support of BLLG maritime client interests, BLLG works closely with respective congressional maritime committees (on which Senators Breaux and Lott served), as well as longtime relationships established with the U.S. Maritime Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Maritime Commission, Department of Defense and other relevant agencies.
Space
As former members of the Senate Commerce Committee with jurisdiction over NASA, Senators Breaux and Lott today continue to be instrumental in the advancement of U.S. space policy.
On behalf of our clients, BLLG advocates in support of matters before relevant congressional committees, NASA and other agencies.
Telecom
In support of client interests related to telecommunications issues, BLLG draws upon comprehensive knowledge of the inner workings of the Senate Commerce Committee, and House Energy and Commerce Committee to formulate strategies to advance client issues.
We also advocate on behalf of clients before agencies and institutions with jurisdiction over telecommunications, including the FCC.
Transportation
BLLG has legislative and project experience with all sectors of the transportation industry.
Since formation of BLLG, we have been honored to represent respective clients from air, freight rail, highway, shipping and waterborne commerce. Given Senators Breaux and Lott past experience dealing with transportation matters, as well as BLLG team members, we are uniquely positioned to address any all issues in this area.