The flip in Senate control and House committee shuffling means some of Congress’s most important panels for business interests are under new leadership, giving a potential boost to lobbyists with ties to the incoming chairs.
When a former boss or long-time pal ascends the hierarchy of appropriations, banking, energy, and tax-writing panels, lobbyists can benefit. That’s because corporations and industry groups seek to hire consultants with policy insight and deep ties to those holding the gavels and setting the agendas.
“That’s just how that revolving door works,” said Republican lobbyist Tim Locke, a former congressional aide, who has long known ...