Stephanie Vance - The Influence Game: 50 Insider Tactics From the Washington D.C. Lobbying World That Will Get You to Yes

Copyright 2012 by Stephanie Vance. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the Web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

For general information on our other products and services or for technical support, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002.

Wiley publishes in a variety of print and electronic formats and by print-on-demand. Some material included with standard print versions of this book may not be included in e-books or in print-on-demand. If this book refers to media such as a CD or DVD that is not included in the version you purchased, you may download this material at http://booksupport.wiley.com. For more information about Wiley products, visit www.wiley.com.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

Vance, Stephanie, 1966

The influence game : 50 insider tactics from the Washington, D.C. lobbying world that will get you to yes / Stephanie Vance.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN: 978-1-118-27159-9 (cloth)

ISBN: 978-1-118-28359-2 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-118-28497-1 (ebk)

ISBN: 978-1-118-28727-9 (ebk)

1. LobbyingUnited States. I. Title.

JK1118.V36 2012

324.40973dc23

2012004736

Its cliche to say that many, many people made this book possible, but its true so Ill say it anyway. Thousands of citizen advocates, lobbyists, legislators, colleagues, professors, friends, family and general observers of the political scene have taught me everything I know about ethical influence. Theyve also been incredibly patient with me as Ive learned and worked to find the words to express these strategies to others.

I continue to be surprised and encouraged by the number of thoughtful and caring peopleyes, even in Washington, D.C.who have used these tactics to change the world, even where I dont agree with the change they seek to achieve. In fact, I often learn the most from those I agree with the least. Its heartening to know that people from opposite ends of the political spectrum can agree on a principled process for persuasion that works. This gives me hope, not just for governance, but for everyones ability (including yours!) to influence others honestly and without malice.

Those who observe life know that you wont get very far if you dont know with certainty the lines you wont cross, the principles you hold dear and the steps you are willing to take to achieve your goals. You also wont get far if you sit back, relax and let others do the work. As Robert Kennedy said (far more eloquently than I), [i]t is not enough to understand, or to see clearly. The future will be shaped in the arena of human activity, by those willing to commit their minds and their bodies to the task. I can honestly say that almost everyone I meet commits their minds and their bodies to the task. Thank you for showing me how to do so as well.

Dont just be along for the ride. Go forthand influence.

You have to know the rules of the game. And then you have to play it better than anyone else.

Albert Einstein

In August 2010 citizens stormed congressional town hall meetings, district offices, and even camped out on Capitol Hill, demanding to be heard on the topic of health care. You may recall the whole health care reform debate. The bill being considered was called the Health Care Affordability and Accessibility for All Act by those who liked it and The Job-Killing Health Care Reform Act or Obama-Care by those who didnt.

Regardless of their position, ardent activists put a premium on making their views known. They wrote letters and e-mails, attended town hall meetings, and held large rallies. They shouted through bullhorns, yelled, made threats and, on the positive side, delivered honest heartfelt stories.

Meanwhile, lobbyists from all walks of life (health insurers, medical professionals, patient groups, and the like) walked the halls of Congress seeking to influence the details of the legislation (sometimes in coordination with those storming town hall meetings). For example, tucked into the bills almost 2,000 pages of new programs and changes to laws was a 12-year exclusivity provision for the biologic drug industry for the manufacture and sale of their drugs. The medical device industry won increased coverage for their products. And lest you think its all about corporate finagling, one of the biggest winners in the debate was an organization called the Trust for Americas Health (TFAH). A relative newcomer, TFAH won significant battles in promoting coverage for services (dubbed preventive care) designed to limit the onset of chronic diseases, like heart disease and obesity. They achieved this despite their foundation-based funding (not well-heeled interests) and, according to lobbying disclosure reports, with just three to four staffers who spent part of their time lobbying.

These three to four TFAH lobbyists were among the 12,941 registered lobbyists in 2010 roaming the halls of Congress and federal agencies. Beyond health care reform, special interests pushed everything from trade tariffs on coffee beans to shelters for the homeless. Yet in that particular session of Congress only about 4 percent of the 10,809 bills that were introduced actually became law (it should be noted that this statistic does not count the stand-alone bills that were passed as attachments to other bills. Nevertheless, the overall percentage of bills passed remains miniscule). What caused some to succeed and others to fail? Some might say bribery and corruption. Some might say logic and reason. But based on my 20-plus years of experience in Washington, D.C., I can tell you that the secret formula used by the victors of 2010 was much more complicated than most people recognize. They incorporated many of the other tactics outlined in this book into their strategy. And Id be hard-pressed to name a more difficult legislative session in which to win at the influence game.