A Capital Force: Your Team in Washington
Experienced insiders who know how to navigate the government bureaucracy, Smith Dawson & Andrews will advance your legislative agenda in any political climate. We employ creative thinking when using
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SDA enacted legislation for motorcycle safety and tougher automobile-bumper standards on behalf of Advocates for Highway & Auto Safety.
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proven strategies to get results for your organization. Select an organization below to learn more about Smith Dawson & Andrews' role in their success.
Whether your organization's cause is the environment or public safety, health care or transportation, public finance or international trade, Smith Dawson & Andrews has the experience and expertise to help you reach your legislative goals. Here are a few examples of the hundreds of victories we've achieved on behalf of our clients.
Barceloneta, Puerto Rico
Bone Care International
Eugene, Oregon
George Washington University Aviation Institute
Litton Advanced Systems/Northrop Grumman
New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
San Francisco International Airport
Barceloneta,
Puerto Rico
Challenge
In 1998, the City of Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, came to SDA
with a problem not uncommon in tropical regions: flood damage.
Again and again, this city of 20,000 had been devastated
by large tropical storms and hurricanes, which cause the
Rio Grande de Manati to overrun and cause widespread flooding.
To contain the river, the City desperately needed a series
of new dams and levies.
Unfortunately, the timing was bad. When Barceloneta contacted
Smith Dawson & Andrews, Congress was working on legislation
known as the Water Resources Development Act, which authorizes
federal funding through the Army Corps of Engineers for
flood-control projects. Initially, the Mayor of Barceloneta
and other City officials thought funding had been earmarked
for their needs in this legislation.
By the time the case reached us, however, the Senate and
House had already approved two different versions of the
bill, and neither included the Barceloneta project. In fact,
the Corps of Engineers had not even included the project
in its proposal for the year.
Strategy & Results
We went to work immediately. Quickly putting together a
case for authorizing the project, we identified target Members
of Congress, brought the Mayor of Barceloneta to Washington
and set up meetings between him and the staff of key authorizing
committees. Despite overwhelming odds, the project was authorized
and approved, and Barceloneta received roughly $3 million
for the dams and levies it so desperately needed.
Bone
Care International
Challenge
This small pharmaceutical company had spent years and
millions of dollars to develop Hectorol, an oral
medication
for patients with end-stage renal disease. The profit
potential was enormous, so the company was delighted when
it won FDA approval for the medication. Unfortunately,
Medicare reimbursement only covered intravenous drugs
in this category, and intravenous manufacturers dominated
the market.
Strategy & Results
Smith Dawson & Andrews helped Bone Care to develop a complete
legislative and political strategy to secure reimbursement
for its oral medication. Among other steps, we targeted
key members of the Administration and congressional committees,
such as the Senate Special Aging Committee and the House
Prescription Drug Task Force; established working relationships
with potential allies; developed communications and media
targets; and identified senior citizen, consumer, and
patient support groups.
The effort is paying off. Legislation was introduced in
Congress in January 2001 and is expected to lead to Medicare/HCFA
reimbursement.
Eugene,
Oregon
Challenge
Now considered a national model for business-environmental
partnerships, the West Eugene Wetlands Plan might have become
a nightmare of bureaucratic red tape and economic retrenchment
had not the City of Eugene, Oregon, hired Smith Dawson &
Andrews to help craft a winning strategy.
In the late 1970s, Eugene, located in the Willamette River
Valley in central Oregon, invested more than $12 million
in infrastructure development to support the industrial
expansion of a 500-acre area west of the city, in the hopes
of attracting businesses, jobs and economic diversification.
Businesses followed, including Spectra Physics, a major
employer.
In 1987, it was determined that more than one third of this
area contained wetlands, the development of which required
expensive mitigation and a long and complex permitting process.
This finding threatened to curtail the expansion plans of
firms such as Spectra Physics and the City's ability to
attract further development.
Strategy & Results
The solution took a form unprecedented in the history of
wetlands initiatives. Smith Dawson & Andrews assessed the
situation and suggested that Eugene conduct a study to evaluate
the relative value wetlands identified in the entire area.
We secured $500,000 from the federal government to develop
the study, then pulled in many different stakeholders—businesses,
environmental groups, citizens, property owners, engineers,
planners, etc.—to develop a cooperative effort.
Among the results, Eugene became the first community in
the nation to secure regional permitting authority from
the U.S. Corps of Engineers for development in wetland areas—a
one-stop shopping alternative to the 15 or so stops that
such permits typically require. Additionally, the U.S. Bureau
of Land Management agreed to provide several million dollars
to buy high-quality wetlands from private landowners for
protection and to offset mitigation costs. Developers now
pay into a "mitigation bank" that enables public agencies
to purchase and maintain the wetlands.
Today, the West Eugene Wetlands Plan is a vibrant, economically
and environmentally sound network of light industry, protected
wetlands, and outdoor recreation, with bike paths and nature
trails. Besides attracting businesses, the plan has received
several awards and has served as a model for other communities
seeking to turn "wetlands problems" into "wetlands opportunities."
George Washington University Aviation
Institute
Challenge
George Washington University Aviation Institute (GWU Consortium)
sought congressional authorization and contract award
to develop an Air Safety and Security Management certificate
program. The program would improve safety oversight and
the security of foreign air carriers that conduct operations
in the United States.
Strategy & Results
With SDA's assistance, the Air Safety and Security Management
certificate program received authorization in Air 21 bill.
The bill awarded the contract to the GWU Consortium and
appropriated $9 million in funds over 3 years ($3 million
each year for 3 years). Air 21, the Wendell H. Ford
Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century,
authorizes the FAA to establish a three-year program to
support a university consortium to develop and administer
an Air Safety and Security Management certificate program
working in cooperation with FAA and U.S. air carriers.
It directly supports the FAA International Aviation Safety
Assessment (IASA) program, which conducts an assessment
of all countries that conduct revenue flights into the
U.S.
Litton
Advanced Systems/Northrop Grumman
Challenge
Litton Advanced Systems (Litton), a division of Northrop
Grumman, held a contract with FAA to provide key elements
of the air traffic control system including terminal voice-switching
equipment, voice recorders and other systems. Although the
FAA was appropriated funds for this program, Litton sought
to secure funds during an evaluation that could have redirected
funds to other programs.
Strategy & Results
Litton retained SDA to represent their interests to Congress.
Litton sought an increase in the appropriation of funds
to the FAA under this contract. As a result of SDA's representation,
Litton was awarded increased funding in two successive years—securing
$26M in FY2002 and $19M in FY 2001.
New
York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Challenge
One of the most extensive public transportation systems
in the world, the New York MTA accommodates nearly 2 billion
customers each year.
Strategy & Results
For the past 19 years, Smith Dawson & Andrews has been
part of a team representing the MTA and its operating subsidiaries,
including the NYC Transit Authority, Long Island Railroad,
and Metro-North, helping them secure an astonishing $5 billion
in direct federal assistance through annual congressional
appropriations and grants from the Department of Transportation.
In addition, we have worked successfully on behalf of the
MTA for favorable provisions in the Clean Air Act, the Americans
With Disabilities Act, the Surface Transportation Efficiency
Act and more.
San
Francisco International Airport
Challenge
San Francisco Airport needed to secure federal funding
to become fully compliant with the Federal Aviation Administration's
(FAA) new safety and security regulations.
Strategy & Results
Smith Dawson & Andrews continues its five-year history
of working with the San Francisco Airport on several FAA-related
issues. The successful delivery of air traffic control
equipment ahead of schedule allows the airport a 5-10%
greater landing capacity on bad weather days—approximately
25-35% of the year.
In addition, SDA helped in the deployment of Explosive
Detection Systems (EDS) equipment in the international
terminal. When the new equipment is deployed, the San
Francisco Airport will have the first U.S. terminal to
be fully compliant with the recently passed Airport &
Transportation Security Act (November 2001). In addition
to legal compliance, the new system ensures passenger
safety and security while offering travelers peace of
mind.
We continue to work on securing federal funding and environmental
approval of new runways, which will make the airport fully
compliant with all FAA-safety regulations.
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