The Deciders

Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) chairs the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee — and represents one of the poorest districts in America. In this episode he discusses the opioid crisis that devastated Southwest Virginia, the legislation he authored to stop it, and why he thinks many are getting AI, energy, and rural economics all wrong.  Become an insider: sign up for...

David Chavern runs the American Council of Life Insurers, the trade group for an $8.5 trillion industry that predates the Civil War. In a Washington that operates by the minute, that's both a strength and a challenge. Chavern discusses the tangible cost of being misunderstood, and why conventional wisdom can be deadly. Become an insider: sign up for early access to every new episode of The Decider...

Colin Allen is the Executive Director of the American Property Owners Alliance, the first organization built specifically to advocate for America’s 86 million homeowners. In this episode, Colin discusses the tax fights they’ve fought and won, the rise of populism in our elections, and the affordability crisis that’s freezing millions out of the American Dream. Become an insider: sign up for early...

Chris Pilkerton serves as Assistant Secretary for Investment Security at the U.S. Treasury Department, where he leads CFIUS — the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. In this episode, Chris walks through how CFIUS actually works, and explains how the 50-year-old committee has evolved from a narrow defense-industry watchdog into one of Washington’s most consequential regulatory bod...

Amanda Eversole represents the eight biggest banks in America at a moment when Washington — and much of the country — has decided that big is bad. In this episode she explains how she's playing offense anyway — and why the fight between banks and crypto may be a Beltway fiction. She also makes the case that the banking system runs on trust that has to be earned every single day. Become an insider:...

Ken Spain has spent his career helping candidates and companies navigate political risk. He discusses why both parties are increasingly turning against corporate America, what it takes to protect your company's reputation when you become a target, and why CEOs must now engage with politics at unprecedented levels—whether they want to or not. Become an insider: sign up for early access to every new...

Drew Maloney, President and CEO of the Edison Electric Institute, sits down with Brody Mullins and Lisa Camooso Miller to make a surprising case: that data centers may actually lower electric bills and that deregulation is bad for the marketplace. From the 2017 tax reform to grid reliability and the politics of permitting, Maloney covers the issues shaping energy policy in Washington and across th...

Linda Moore has led TechNet through one of the most dramatic shifts in Washington history—tech's transformation from beloved industry to bipartisan target. She discusses building a 50-state advocacy operation to handle the explosion of tech regulation, hard-learned lessons from tech's early days in DC, and what modern advocacy looks like when your industry faces increased scrutiny from both sides...

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer is the third-ranking Republican in Congress and a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. In this episode, he explains how the Whip’s job has changed since the days of the Hammer, where crypto and housing bills currently stand, and why the midterms are far from decided.   Become an insider: sign up for early access to every new episode of The Deciders...

Patrick Dorton is the founder and CEO of Rational360, one of Washington's leading independent public affairs firms. In this episode, he explains how crisis sharpens you, how technology is more critical than ever in an evolving advocacy business, and why knowing your value and your audience is the one strategy that lasts. Pinpoint Targeting is patent pending. Become an insider: sign up for early ac...

Hester Peirce is head of the SEC's Crypto Task Force. In this episode, she explains the hard lessons of the 2008 financial crisis, why bad consequences help make good markets, and why regulators should draw more lines and file fewer lawsuits.  Become an insider: sign up for early access to every new episode of The Deciders before it’s public at https://www.deciders.show/subscribe This episode spon...

Rohit Chopra is a former FTC commissioner and former director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, where he forced President Trump to fire him rather than resigning. He describes how federal agencies have become toothless, why the fight for consumer protection is shifting to state attorneys general, and why the real power may still reside with the American public. This episode sponsored by...

Jeff Miller runs one of DC’s top lobbying firms by revenue — with just 12 people. He explains how he built it by refusing to represent clients he doesn’t agree with, turning down revenue rather than changing his firm’s culture, and mastering the art of the ask. Miller also opens up about his appointment to the U.S. Holocaust Museum Board and why fighting antisemitism has become, in his words, the...

Suzanne Clark’s first five years leading the nation’s largest business lobby included navigating a pandemic, historic inflation, and a Biden administration she sued 21 times. In this episode, she explains why it’s a mistake to try filling a legend’s shoes, what she discussed with the Venezuelan opposition leader, and how companies and constituents both have a role in addressing political extremism...

Mike Sommers has spent nearly a decade bolstering the American Petroleum Institute’s influence in Washington — regardless of who’s in power. A protégé of Speaker John Boehner, he reveals how principle-based advocacy outlasts political volatility, why API bet millions on Landman before anyone knew it would be a hit, and what he did the Saturday morning the U.S. moved on Venezuela.

Brian Ballard, one of Washington's most successful lobbyists, reveals how his firm navigates the Trump administration by building deep relationships, staying persistent through political volatility, and maintaining credibility above all else.