A total of 31 senators and House members have announced they will retire at the end of this year, and many are thinking about the idea of working as a lobbyist. It’s a time-honored tradition for retiring congressmen to hit K Street after they retire and cash in on their connections,
Politico reports.
Rep. Heath Shuler, D-N.C., says the calls started coming from lobbying groups as soon as he announced his retirement last month, even though he still has 11 months left in his term and congressmen aren’t allowed to lobby for the first year leaving office.
On the other side of the aisle, “If there’s anybody interested in me being on their boards, or if there is anybody [who] would like me to give them advice or counsel on world affairs, I might do that,” Rep. Dan Burton, R-Ind., told Politico.
“I’m not planning on that right now, but I’ve been on every committee that deals with world affairs for the last 30 years, so there’s gotta be somebody out there who would like someone who knows how you deal with Russia or Greece or Turkey.”
Headhunters say lobbyists-in-waiting better send out their resumes early. “This is going to be a tougher year than usual,” Ivan Adler, a headhunter with The McCormick Group, told Politico. Congressional paralysis and the weak economy will keep business slow, he said.
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