Politics

Former House Vet Chairman Is Back In DC As Lobbyist

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Former chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is back in Washington, D.C., but this time as a lobbyist on health care and defense issues.

After four months out of office, Jeff Miller is returning as a senior legislative adviser to McDermott Will & Emery.

“McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that eight-term former US Representative Jeff Miller has joined the Firm’s Government Strategies group as a Senior Legislative Advisor in the Firm’s DC office,” the firm said in a press release. “In this role, Mr. Miller will work closely with former US Representative Jim Moran and other Firm lobbyists to provide bipartisan insight and solutions to clients with regard to lobbying, government contracting, and congressional investigations.”

Steve Ryan, partner and head of McDermott’s Government Strategies practice, stated that Miller will focus on the “health care, defense and intelligence industries.”

A lot has taken place in those four months. Trump assumed the White House and appointed a new VA secretary. Tennessee GOP Rep. Phil Roe has become chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee. A total of 13 new members have joined the committee. And, perhaps most interestingly, the VA secretary has come out in favor of accountability legislation to make it easier to fire bad employees that would have been unthinkable during the Obama administration years.

For Miller, the changes are not entirely surprising.

“I think President Trump is doing exactly what he promised,” Miller told Military Times. “He has a plan, he is moving in that direction, and he’s going to follow that. So none of what I’ve seen has been surprising to me.”

Nevertheless, implementing the changes won’t occur without an uphill battle.

“It’s still going to be a battle with liberals to recapitalize the military’s depleted infrastructure,” Miller added. “But there have been positive steps. And on the VA health care side, I’ve seen a lot of positive things already.”

The firm also hired former former Virginia Democratic Rep. Jim Moran.

Due to regulations, Miller won’t be able to lobby other legislators until 2018, but he can lobby officials from the executive branch.

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