BKSH Hosts Blue Dog Chiefs of Staff

Coalition of 47 Members of Congress Known as Influential Group

Washington, DC - On November 1, 2007, BKSH & Associates Worldwide was pleased to introduce our clients to the Blue Dog Coalition during our inaugural client briefing event.  BKSH hosted three Chiefs of Staff to Blue Dog Members who spoke about the current political landscape in Congress and addressed specific questions from clients on a variety of issues.

The Blue Dog Coalition was founded in 1994 when fiscally conservative Democrats felt they were being pressured from the left by their own party and from the right by the new Republican majority in Congress – choked so hard from the right and left that they turned blue. When founded, the Coalition had 17 members.  It has since grown to 47 members and includes many freshman Democrats. According to the Chiefs of Staff, Blue Dogs are involved in every issue before Congress to some degree.

After brief introductions, the Chiefs of Staff addressed questions from BKSH clients regarding the future of the alternative minimum tax (AMT), the pay-as-you-go budget rules, the ongoing energy legislation debate, and the reduced use of arbitration with a Congress that at times leans “anti-trial lawyer.”

With the success of the first client briefing event, BKSH is looking forward to hosting its next event in December. The event will focus on end of the year legislative activities, the current budget situation and the impact of the pay-go rules. Congress is attempting to complete its work on a variety of pressing issues, including: the completion of the appropriations process; reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP); legislation to prevent a cut in physician Medicare payments; extension of expiring tax credits; and temporary protection of middle income earners from the AMT.