The Great 2023 Cashout begins with Richard Burr joining lobbying giant DLA Piper
Timothy P. Carney
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A fine midwinter tradition in Washington, D.C., is the parade of press releases from K Street announcing which former senators and congressmen have joined which lobbying firms.
These men and women were public servants in early January, and now they are parlaying their public service into private profit, putting their connections and insider knowledge to work for special interests.
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The first senator through the gate is Richard Burr (R-NC).
“DLA Piper is pleased to announce former US Senator Richard Burr has joined the firm’s Regulatory and Government Affairs practice group as a Principal Policy Advisor and Chair of the Health Policy Strategic Consulting Practice to provide policy advice, strategic consulting, and a wide range of related services to life sciences and healthcare clients navigating a rapidly changing policy landscape and significant regulatory and political uncertainty.”
DLA Piper is a major D.C. lobbying firm whose healthcare clients include Genentech, Braun Medical, Biohaven, Intra-Cellular Therapies, and others. Burr will join former Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss at DLA Piper, along with former Republican congressman Jim Greenwood, who was a leading champion of Obamacare in the biotech lobby.
Burr is barred by law from lobbying his Senate colleagues for two years. “Even though I’m banned for a period of time from going up and talking to any of them about legislation,” Burr told Politico, “I plan to give some speeches and make some public comments, that might give them some insight as to how I see it.”
Burr can, right away, lobby the executive branch, including the agencies he oversaw and funded. He says he also can immediately provide his clients with “political intelligence.”
Burr was famously close with the pharmaceutical industry throughout his tenure in Congress.
Other recent departures from the Senate include Republicans Roy Blunt, Rob Portman, Richard Shelby, Pat Toomey, and Democrat Pat Leahy.
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