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ey state capitals. We are campaign strategists and legislative experts who have years of experience developing and executing results orientated legislative, political, and communications strategies. A successful government affairs program needs a strong and effective political and communications program. We would be pleased to learn about your needs and help you build a unique and successful political strategy.

Eight years ago – in 2014 – Doug Ducey became Governor Doug Ducey. Eight years ago, the Arizona government had a $1 bill...
12/21/2022

Eight years ago – in 2014 – Doug Ducey became Governor Doug Ducey. Eight years ago, the Arizona government had a $1 billion deficit and a sluggish economy. Today, Arizona has a record surplus, a balanced budget, and a booming economy. Each of these things happened because Governor Ducey and his administration worked with the state legislature, as well as key groups and individuals to reduce regulations, create new jobs, and both reform and simplify taxes in each of his eight years in office.

Congressman Erik Paulsen visited with Governor Ducey last week in a look back and look forward interview. The Governor talked about his role as chief salesman for Arizona, the new 2.5% flat tax – the lowest flat tax in the nation – a diversified economy, his commitment to education, and so much more.

This is a wonderful interview. It is a fitting way to summarize the successes of the past eight years, and an appropriate way to wrap-up our Total Spectrum Spotlight series for 2022. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all best wishes for a healthy and successful New Year – for us all.


Eight years ago – in 2014 – Doug Ducey became Governor Doug Ducey. Eight years ago, the Arizona government had a $1 billion deficit and a sluggish economy. ...

This week, Steven H. Gordon's Heard on the Hill covers national politics, caucus elections in both the House and the Sen...
12/08/2022

This week, Steven H. Gordon's Heard on the Hill covers national politics, caucus elections in both the House and the Senate, the end (finally) of the Georgia runoff and the start of the 2023-24 campaign cycle, and the progress of the lame duck legislative agenda. Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner John McKechnie is our financial expert, and he wrote an article about the recent failure of a major cryptocurrency exchange and the fallout on related policy. In this week’s Defense Update, Al Jackson dives into the National Defense Appropriations Act, the bill passed annually to fund defense spending. Ramona Lessen reports on the December 6th hearing of the Senate Agriculture Committee that focused on the 2023 Farm Bill and Research Programs.

In this week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight, Congressman Erik Paulsen sat down last Friday with Congressman Kevin Brady (TX-8), the former Chairman and current Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Committee. Congressman Brady was Chairman of the Ways & Means Committee when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed – and many people contend that the bill could never have been passed unless Kevin Brady had his hands on the steering wheel. It’s a relatively short but a meaningful interview with an excellent legislator and a very good man.

This concludes our sixth year of This Week in Washington, and the second full year of Total Spectrum Spotlight. It takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of great people to put these products together on a regular basis. Each of us – Congressman Erik Paulsen, Michael DiMaria, Patrick Robertson, John McKechnie, Al Jackson, Dana Marston, and Ramona Lessen – join us in thanking you for your interest and wish you the very best this holiday season. Merry Christmas and all best wishes for a healthy and successful New Year.

This week, Steve Gordon’s Heard on the Hill covers national politics, caucus elections in both the House and the Senate, the end (finally) of the Georgia runoff and the start of the 2023-24 campaign cycle, and the progress of the lame duck legislative agenda. Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner John...

The eye of the midterm elections has now passed. Open Secrets reported on November 3 that the total cost of federal cand...
11/17/2022

The eye of the midterm elections has now passed. Open Secrets reported on November 3 that the total cost of federal candidate campaigns and federal political committees was expected to total $8.9 billion, and that the cost of state candidates, party committees, and ballot measure committees was expected to total an additional $7.8 billion.

Congressman Erik Paulsen joined Steven H. Gordon in writing about why the election results didn’t match Republican expectations – and the reaction in Washington – in today’s Heard on the Hill. Michael DiMaria, Total Spectrum’s Southwest Regional Director and Vice President of Business Development, provides an Arizona Election Recap.

Patrick Robertson writes about the list of items on Leader Schumer’s lame duck to-do list in Washington Whispers.

John McKechnie is Total Spectrum’s Senior Partner, with over 35 years of experience in the financial services sector. We asked John to bring us up to date on the credit card interchange bill sponsored by Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) that pits the financial services industry against the retailers. Ramona Lessen continues our focus on financial services with her review of the November 15 hearing by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee entitled, “A Strong Banking and Credit Union System for Main Street.”

We’ll be back on December 7 with our last This Week of 2022. We’ll review some of the highlights and maybe a few lowlights of this year and start to focus on the New Year and the next Congress.

The eye of the midterm elections has now passed. Congressman Erik Paulsen joined Steve Gordon in writing about why the election results didn’t match Republican expectations – and the reaction in Washington – in today’s Heard on the Hill. Michael DiMaria, Total Spectrum’s Southwest Regional...

Election Day is upon us, and we’ll all be waiting to see the returns tonight and in the coming days. In this special edi...
11/08/2022

Election Day is upon us, and we’ll all be waiting to see the returns tonight and in the coming days. In this special edition of This Week in Washington, Steven H. Gordon provides some context for the current state of politics, the races, and the public’s sentiment. Please watch your inboxes on Friday for additional analysis from our state and federal experts as they digest the election results and forecast the impact upon the next legislative sessions.

If you’ve yet to do so, we’d again encourage you to exercise your civic duty today – please vote.

Election Day is upon us, and we’ll all be waiting to see the returns tonight and in the coming days. Today’s special edition of This Week in Washington provides some context for the current state of politics, the races, and the public’s sentiment.

This Week in Washington - October 26, 2022This is the last edition before the November 8th midterm election, so we are u...
10/27/2022

This Week in Washington - October 26, 2022

This is the last edition before the November 8th midterm election, so we are using a different format.

Steven H. Gordon's Heard on the Hill column looks at the upcoming senatorial and congressional elections from the perspective of a former Republican political consultant and now managing partner of Total Spectrum. Patrick Robertson's Washington Whispers column looks at the upcoming elections from his perspective as a Democratic attorney and lobbyist who served as deputy chief of staff for former Senator Jay Rockefeller and managed the 2008 Rockefeller for Senate reelection campaign.

We have included an encore presentation of Congressman Erik Paulsen's June 1st interview of Charlie Cook for Total Spectrum Spotlight. Steven was introduced to Charlie in 1986, two years after he founded The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, which is both independent and non-partisan. He’s the dean of political journalism – and for a good reason. This interview still gets viewers and generates compliments, so we hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch it – or watch it again. It will be time well spent.

The Total Spectrum team is working now to bring you a post-election analysis as well as an introduction to the lame duck session and the next Congress. More on that special edition soon.

Please vote. From the left or from the right, it’s the right thing to do.

This is the last edition before the November 8th midterm election, so we are using a different format. Steve Gordon's Heard on the Hill column looks at the upcoming senatorial and congressional elections from the perspective of a former Republican political consultant and now managing partner of Tot...

Senators and Congressmen have left Washington and returned home. This quiet time provides a great opportunity to sum up ...
10/05/2022

Senators and Congressmen have left Washington and returned home. This quiet time provides a great opportunity to sum up the present and look ahead to the future. Steven H. Gordon's Heard on the Hill takes a look at the economy and then reviews the current election predictions from the statistical modeling column of Fivethirtyeight. Alvin Jackson also provides his update on defense and defense appropriations.

In case you missed it, we have also included Congressman Erik Paulsen’s exclusive Total Spectrum Spotlight interview with Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona’s Senior Senator. I hope you’ll give it a watch - it’s well worth the time.

Senators and Congressmen have left Washington and returned home. This quiet time provides a great opportunity to sum up the present and look ahead to the future. Heard on the Hill takes a look at the economy and then reviews the current election predictions from the statistical modeling column of Fi...

Total Spectrum Spotlight is very pleased to bring to you Congressman Erik Paulsen's exclusive interview with Senator Kyr...
09/29/2022

Total Spectrum Spotlight is very pleased to bring to you Congressman Erik Paulsen's exclusive interview with Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona’s Senior Senator.

Kyrsten Sinema was elected to the U.S. Senate in November of 2018, and has become a strong, independent, and effective voice for Arizona. Senator Sinema worked with Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) last year and built a bipartisan coalition that against long odds passed a $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill through Congress that was signed by President Biden.

Senator Sinema serves on the Senate Committees on Homeland Security and Government Affairs; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Senate Veterans Affairs.

Erik Paulsen and Kyrsten Sinema served together in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this Spotlight interview, he asked about her approach to getting meaningful things done in the Senate, how she views the differences between working in the Senate and in the House of Representatives, and her perspectives on a possible lame duck session.

Total Spectrum Spotlight is very pleased to bring to you Congressman Erik Paulsen’s exclusive interview with Senator Kyrsten Sinema, Arizona’s Senior Senator...

Our special thanks to those who participated in this week’s fly-in put on by The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry....
09/21/2022

Our special thanks to those who participated in this week’s fly-in put on by The Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Congressman Erik Paulsen and I enjoyed visiting with each of you who attended. The pandemic robbed members of Congress from interacting with Americans… and the pandemic robbed Americans from interacting with members of Congress and their staff members. Thankfully, that’s all in the rearview mirror.

Both the Senate and the House returned to Washington right after Labor Day, and both are scheduled to leave town by the end of September. Patrick Robertson has written an excellent summary of Congress’ legislative agenda – what’s possible in the next 10 days and what is going to get pushed off until the lame duck session. Patrick’s Washington Whispers articles are always good, and this week’s is exceptionally well done.

Ramona Lessen monitored the September 20th hearing of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, entitled “Tightening the Screws on Russia.”

While Patrick summarized the legislative agenda, the political agenda is also on the front burner, and the water is boiling. Republicans expect to take back the House of Representatives; the question is how many seats they will hold next January. The very conservative low is about 220, and the realistic high is around 230. Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy will present this Friday the House Republicans’ ‘Commitment to America’ in Pittsburgh, which they hope will help them achieve the biggest majority possible in the next Congress.

The Senate is way too close to call. The key states have been – and still are – Arizona, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Republicans had momentum through the spring, but Democrats took some back over the summer. Republicans now sense a slight breeze at their back as inflation, interest rates, and the economy become more impactful. Senate Republicans are beginning to feel cautiously optimistic that they could hold a one or two seat majority next January.

Today’s Total Spectrum Spotlight interview is with Nathan Gonzales, the Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections, which provides nonpartisan analysis of Senate, House, and gubernatorial, and presidential elections. Nathan provides important context and fascinating observations on November’s elections.

Congressman Erik Paulsen has planned a number of really important interviews for our Total Spectrum Spotlight series. The next interview should be distributed next week, and as always, we welcome your thoughts and comments.

Both the Senate and the House returned to Washington right after Labor Day, and both are scheduled to leave town by the end of September. Patrick Robertson has written an excellent summary of Congress’ legislative agenda – what’s possible in the next 10 days and what is going to get pushed off...

Labor Day starts the final lap toward the finish line for this year’s elections.In this week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight,...
09/14/2022

Labor Day starts the final lap toward the finish line for this year’s elections.

In this week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight, Congressman Erik Paulsen speaks with Nathan Gonzales, Editor and Publisher of Inside Elections, a publication which provides nonpartisan analysis of campaigns for Senate, House, governor and president. Mr. Gonzales also serves as Elections Analyst for CQ Roll Call.

Mr. Gonzales shares his insights on the GOP’s momentum going into November’s midterm election and how the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision may have changed that momentum. He also explores whether results from special elections should be considered as trend indicators, and which Senate races are surprising analysts – and the potential for another runoff in Georgia.

Labor Day starts the final lap toward the finish line for this year’s elections.In this week’s Total Spectrum Spotlight, Congressman Erik Paulsen speaks with...

Access to medical services is a priority for all. While and health have been in use since the 1950s, demand for the...
08/03/2022

Access to medical services is a priority for all. While and health have been in use since the 1950s, demand for these services exploded during the pandemic when broad waivers enabled greater access to virtual care. In fact, the CDC reported earlier this year that one in four surveyed had used services in the prior month.

The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) is focused on advancing telehealth and working to change the way the world thinks about healthcare. They aim to ensure access to safe, affordable, and effective care when and where it is needed.

Congressman Erik Paulsen recently spoke with Kyle Zebley, ATA’s Vice President of Public Policy about the benefit of broadening access to healthcare using technology and the need to protect its use for future populations.

Congressman Paulsen has a wide ranging interview with Kyle Zebley of the American Telemedicine Association. They discuss the popularity of Telemedicine duri...

This Week in Washington: Congress returned to Washington this week. At the top of Senate Democrats’ to-do list is build...
07/14/2022

This Week in Washington: Congress returned to Washington this week. At the top of Senate Democrats’ to-do list is building a consensus on a slimmed-down Build Back Better bill against the backdrop of a spiking inflation rate and signs of a slowing economy.

Steven H. Gordon's Heard on the Hill describes some of the major items that are being discussed for inclusion in this plan. He also talks about why Senate Democrats are revisiting a slimmed down version of this bill and why it could get even slimmer, and close with some economic odds and ends.

Congressman Erik Paulsen was Chairman of the Congressional Joint Economic Committee as well as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. Erik left last Friday for a trip overseas, but before he left he wrote a wonderful article entitled “Inflation and a Slowing Economy – What to do About Both.” He describes how inflation got loose, how it will impact consumers, and how the additional cost to the federal government of interest on the debt is going to dwarf major programs. Congressman Paulsen also suggested steps that would help to get our economy going again, and others that would do more damage.

Yesterday morning the Bureau of Labor and Statistics released June’s inflation rate, which increased from 8.58% in May to 9/1%, a 41-year high. We felt that Congressman Paulsen’s article was too important to hold and ask Erik to rework the numbers when he returns. But please know that the impact of the new inflation rate will cause the Fed Fund rate, consumer interest rates, and debt payments by the federal government to be even higher than Erik discussed in his article.

We released earlier this week Congressman Paulsen’s Spotlight interview with Lisa Nelson, the Chief Executive Officer of the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is the largest non-partisan membership organization for state legislators and private sector representatives. Introducing Lisa Nelson is Arizona’s Senate President Karen Fann, who also serves as ALEC’s current Chair. It’s certainly true that what happens in state legislatures is more vital than ever, so we think this interview is both timely and important.

Ramona Lessen monitored the July 12th Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Advancing Public Transit under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and we’ve included her report in this edition.

Congress returned to Washington this week. At the top of Senate Democrats’ to-do list is building a consensus on a slimmed-down Build Back Better bill against the backdrop of a spiking inflation rate and signs of a slowing economy. Heard on the Hill describes some of the major items that are being...

We are pleased to bring you a Total Spectrum Spotlight interview with Lisa B. Nelson, the Chief Executive Officer of ALE...
07/13/2022

We are pleased to bring you a Total Spectrum Spotlight interview with Lisa B. Nelson, the Chief Executive Officer of ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is the largest non-partisan membership organization for state legislators and private sector representatives. Lisa is introduced by Arizona’s Senate President Karen Fann, ALEC’s current Chairperson.

ALEC’S 49th annual meeting will be in Atlanta on July 27, 28, and 29.

Congressman Erik Paulsen was Majority Leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives before being elected to Congress. He interviewed Lisa last week as she and her team prepare for their upcoming meeting.

Steven H. Gordon has known Lisa for many years in her past roles as a political strategist and as a corporate executive, and now as the CEO of ALEC. Both Lisa and Senator Fann are sending the clear message that Americans want solutions, and they are looking to the states for answers.

It’s absolutely true that what happens in state legislatures really matters. We are sure you will find Congressman Paulsen’s short interview with Lisa Nelson most informative and important.
https://bit.ly/LisaBNelson

We are pleased to bring you today a Total Spectrum Spotlight interview with Lisa Nelson, the President of ALEC – the American Legislative Exchange Council. A...

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