Lobbyist Connection Newsletter - 12/8/25

Top Lines

• NDAA juggernaut: Congress is advancing a nearly $901B FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act that outpaces the Trump administration’s topline request and includes an enlisted pay raise, Ukraine funding, and new guardrails on troop withdrawals in Europe and South Korea.
  Read Reuters recap
• Shutdown over, next cliff ahead: H.R. 5371’s continuing resolution ended the 43-day shutdown and funds most agencies at FY 2025 levels through January 30, 2026. Appropriators now race to assemble mini-buses—or another CR.
  Bill text & summary
• AI preemption fight: The Trump White House is signaling an executive order to centralize AI regulation at the federal level and preempt conflicting state laws—music to some in Big Tech, a red flag for governors and AGs.
  FT coverage
• SCOTUS term heats up: The Court agreed to hear a Trump-era challenge to birthright citizenship, is hearing Trump v. Slaughter on firing protections for FTC commissioners, and declined to hear a challenge to a Texas library’s removal of books dealing with race and LGBTQ themes.
  SCOTUSblog overview

Legislation to Watch

• FY 2026 NDAA (S.2296): Conference work is converging on a $901B authorization bill with Ukraine aid, a 4% troop pay raise, and new limits on drawing down U.S. forces in Europe and Korea. Watch for floor action and last-minute policy riders.
  Bill info (Congress.gov)
• Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 5371): Funds the government through January 30, 2026 and ended the fall shutdown. Any sector reliant on federal outlays should be gaming out both omnibus and “laddered” CR scenarios.
  Client alert explainer
• Opioid programs reauthorization (Pub. L. 119-44): Recently enacted legislation reauthorizes key prevention, treatment, and recovery programs—important for health systems, local governments, and behavioral-health providers.
  Federal legislation list

Regulatory Moves

• FTC refunds in Avast privacy case: FTC is sending $15.3M to consumers over claims that Avast harvested and monetized browsing data from its “free” antivirus tools. Useful precedent for ad-tech, data brokers, and privacy-heavy business models.
  FTC press release
• SEC settlement over broker-dealer controls: A federal court approved an SEC settlement resolving policy-and-procedure failures by a broker-dealer while dropping fraud claims—signaling the Commission’s ongoing emphasis on internal controls.
  Case summary
• CFPB pulls back “fine print” proposal: CFPB has withdrawn its proposed rule that would have required nonbank financial firms to report contract terms (like arbitration clauses and jury-trial waivers) into a public registry—relief for fintechs and nonbank lenders, but the issue is not going away.
  Analysis
• FCRA preemption interpretive rule: CFPB also issued an interpretation emphasizing that the Fair Credit Reporting Act preempts wide swaths of state regulation governing the content of credit reports—a key development for credit bureaus, furnishers, and state-level consumer-protection advocates.
  CFPB interpretive rule summary
• Tracking the second Trump administration’s regulatory reset: Brookings’ running tracker remains a handy bird’s-eye view of deregulatory and re-regulatory swings across agencies—useful context for multi-agency advocacy campaigns.
  Brookings regulatory tracker

Legal Industry & Judiciary

• Trump v. Slaughter at SCOTUS: The Court is hearing arguments over whether the president can fire FTC commissioners at will—potentially revisiting Humphrey’s Executor and reshaping independent-agency design.
  Case explainer
• Library book removals and the First Amendment: By declining to hear an appeal out of Llano County, Texas, the Court left in place a ruling that lets local officials remove certain books from public libraries, sharpening debates on the “right to receive information.”
  Reuters coverage
• Reproductive-rights litigation front: A new Texas law enabling private suits against those suspected of providing abortion pills (even out of state) is designed to provoke fresh clashes with “shield law” states and could eventually return abortion-pill questions to the Supreme Court.
  Law overview
• Title X & Planned Parenthood funding: In California, AG Rob Bonta secured a preliminary injunction blocking an effort by the Trump administration to cut certain federal funds from Planned Parenthood and other health centers, underscoring ongoing litigation over federal health-care grants.
  AG press release

Supreme Court Watch

• Birthright citizenship challenge: SCOTUS has agreed to hear a Trump-backed challenge to birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment, with far-reaching implications for immigration, civil-rights, and constitutional law advocates.
  SCOTUSblog case page
• Independent-agency protections in the crosshairs: In Trump v. Slaughter, the Court could narrow or overturn Humphrey’s Executor, reshaping how presidents remove members of multi-member commissions (FTC, NLRB, CPSC, etc.).
  AP summary
• Follow the term docket: Great one-stop shops for oral-argument calendars, briefs, and decisions:
  SCOTUSblog term coverage  |  Oyez audio & case summaries

Statehouse Watch

• Nevada’s “Safe Streets and Neighborhoods Act”: Gov. Lombardo signed a sweeping crime bill aimed partly at revitalizing Las Vegas tourism—reviving a “Resort Corridor Court,” toughening penalties for smash-and-grab thefts, and adding protections for hospitality workers.
  AP overview
• Texas abortion-pill enforcement law: A new law empowers private plaintiffs to sue anyone suspected of supplying abortion pills into the state, with steep statutory damages—on a collision course with blue-state shield laws and telehealth providers.
  Legislation details
• Indiana redistricting turn: At the Indiana Statehouse, lawmakers are weighing a 9-0 Republican congressional map amid pressure from redistricting advocates and litigation risk.
  Statehouse coverage
• New York lung-screening coverage: Gov. Hochul signed legislation requiring health plans to cover follow-up screening and diagnostic services for lung cancer without cost-sharing, adding to Albany’s broader cost-sharing reforms.
  DFS press release
• Ohio culture-curriculum debates: Ohio lawmakers continue to advance bills touching K-12 curriculum, including proposals to emphasize religion’s “positive role” in U.S. history—illustrating ongoing education-policy flashpoints for 2026 sessions.
  Statehouse News Bureau
• New Hampshire prefiles (home-state note): Prefiled bills like HB 1376 and HB 1378 are now entering the hopper for the 2026 regular session—time for stakeholders to line up sponsors, testimony, and grassroots early.
  HB 1376 (LegiScan)  |  HB 1378 (LegiScan)

Action Items for Lobbyists & GR Pros

• Defense & appropriations clients: Map your FY 2026 priorities onto the NDAA conference outcomes and upcoming appropriations cycle. Identify must-have report language, plus floor-amendment risks on border, DEI, and Ukraine.
• AI & tech policy: Prepare federalism talking points and coalition lists around the looming AI preemption order. Now is the time to align your federal narrative with state-level partners before draft text leaks.
• Financial-services shop check-in: Ask your clients whether they’ve updated compliance playbooks for FTC data-use enforcement, SEC control failures, and CFPB’s evolving approach to contract terms and FCRA preemption.
• State strategy reset for 2026 sessions: Use December to triage bills in Nevada, Texas, Indiana, New York, Ohio, New Hampshire, and your core states. Get your bill-tracking, testimony, and grassroots campaign calendars locked.

Calendar & Deadlines

• Jan 30, 2026: Current federal funding cliff under H.R. 5371’s continuing resolution. Expect House/Senate skirmishes well before the date.
• Ongoing: Comment periods across agencies. Keep an eye on Regulations.gov for rules touching AI, financial services, health care, environment, and labor.
• State filing and bill-draft deadlines: Many states have January pre-file or drafting cutoffs—especially for non-leadership members. Coordinate with legislative counsel now.

Careers & Openings (Federal & States)

A small sample of current government affairs, lobbying, and public-policy roles. Always check each site for the latest details.

• Senior Director, State Regulatory Engagement & Partnerships – Edison Electric Institute (Washington, DC)
  Job posting (PAC.org)
• Director of Public Policy – NALCAB (Washington, DC, hybrid)
  Job posting (PAC.org)
• Director, Public Policy & Advocacy – Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (DC or Remote)
  Job posting (PAC.org)
• Policy Director – ACLU of Nebraska (registered lobbyist role)
  Job posting
• Government Affairs Manager – First Five Years Fund (Washington, DC, hybrid)
  Job posting
• More boards to scan: Daybook, LobbyingJobs.com, USAJOBS (remote legislative).

For Sale Now – From the Lobbyist Connection Community