RILA, which represents megastores and big brands such as Walmart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc., had three lobbyists and two staffers on hand. The International Council of Shopping Centers had five lobbyists in the room.
The shopping center group has advertised aggressively in Beltway media since October, even with no clear legislative vehicle.
“We put our resources into different areas of the fight,” said David French, the NRF’s chief lobbyist. “We spend our money doing what I would characterize as conservative voter education.”
“While we may not have been making as loud of noise or spending as much money, we are, and have been, consistently beating the drum,” added Katie Wilson, spokeswoman for the NRF.
All three groups may have the same goal, but their strategies are vastly different and sometimes at odds. The NRF has focused primarily on rallying local retailers and connecting constituents with lawmakers, while RILA was instrumental in wooing the support of Republican governors.
The legislation’s prospects hinge on the outcome of the November elections not so much because retailers run the risk of losing key supporters in Congress, but because Republican victories could halt all legislative momentum until January, the lobbyists said.
“It all depends if they decide they are going to make sausage,” said Jason Brewer, a spokesman for RILA, who sat sandwiched between lobbyists for J. C. Penney & Co. and Target at Tuesday’s hearing.
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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