Capitol Corner

Patrick Meade, Senior Manager, Government Relations Sixty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation establishing Medicare and Medicaid, two of the most significant health programs in American history. Over the decades, these programs have done what they were designed to do: provide essential health care coverage to our nation’s seniors and low-income individuals….

There is a lot of noise on Capitol Hill about Medicaid cuts and some of the most significant changes to health care policy since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. While nothing is set in stone yet, the House just passed the full budget reconciliation package, moving debate on Medicaid, tax…

With the 2024 election fast approaching, we’re briefly checking in with the four remaining Health Policy Profiles Top 10 to Watch from 2020: Senator Ben Ray Luján, along with Representatives Jake Auchincloss, Stephanie Bice and Andrew Garbarino. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-MN) Before joining the Senate, Luján served over a decade in the U.S. House,…

A dedicated advocacy ambassador is worth their weight in gold! When our clients find a person who will devote their time to understanding their issues, has a powerful story to share and desires to build relationships with policymakers, we counsel them to nurture these individuals through an ongoing Ambassador program. By giving them an opportunity…

As August recess comes to an end, we’re excited to update you on the achievements and ongoing initiatives of Senator Roger “Doc” Marshall, a standout from CURA’s 2020 “Top 10 to Watch.” Having first joined the GOP in the House of Representatives in 2017, Senator Marshall has emerged as a key voice in health care debates,…

In 2020, CURA Strategies published our inaugural Health Policy Profiles—a resource dedicated to helping health care stakeholders better understand the incoming class of Freshman Members of Congress. The project was such a hit that we followed up with a 2022 midterm election edition! In our first edition of the Health Policy Profiles in 2020,we researched…

After working with 98 health care organizations and leading countless advocacy and public relations campaigns, we frequently encounter the question: What is the difference between advocacy and lobbying? The answer is simple: All lobbying is advocacy, but not all advocacy is lobbying. Despite their frequent interchange in conversation, understanding the nuances between advocacy and lobbying…

Recently, CURA launched the Advocacy Accelerator. Anyone who has visited the resource and community hub will see that there is a lot there and it must have taken a lot of effort. It did. We invested over $100,000 in time and money to get this off the ground. Why did we do it? Read on…

CURA Strategies is thrilled to officially launch Advocacy Accelerator! Focused exclusively on health care issues, we built Advocacy Accelerator to help government relations professionals and volunteer advocates achieve their policy goals through free resources, community-building opportunities, and training opportunities, including our Advocacy Academy training course for volunteer advocates. See the full press release below for more…

Medical professionals make up 4 of the top 5 most trusted professionals, with nursing topping the list as the number one trusted profession. Add in their impressive credentials, and it is no surprise that the medical professional’s perspective can be a major influence on policymakers and the media. As a public affairs consulting firm focused…

Thousands of bills are filed each congressional session, and while each are vying for public attention and consideration, only a few receive the support and momentum to pass out of Congress. Maximizing publicity around legislation is a critical first step to promoting the bill on the day of introduction. This not only positions your organization…

September is prime time for appropriations negotiations. While the Senate voted 91-7 to begin consideration of its bipartisan spending bills for FY 2024, so far the House has been unable to come to an agreement on their spending packages, raising the likelihood of a government shutdown after September 30. While these appropriations discussions are taking…

When the U.S. Congress suspended in-person constituent meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, advocacy groups and organizations were forced to adopt and strengthen digital forms of communication and lobbying strategies.  For many, this adjustment also involved a crucial decision: either accept that advocates would not be able to meet in Washington, D.C. or pivot to virtual…

Last month, we had the opportunity to network with—and learn from—advocacy, government relations, public relations and communications professionals from across the country at the Public Affairs Council’s 2023 Advocacy Conference in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Kicking off with a keynote speech from Sally Susman, chief corporate affairs officer at Pfizer, about the lessons she learned from the fast-paced, world-changing…

Health Policy in the Omnibus The 117th Congress ended late December 2022 with the passage of a massive $1.7 trillion Omnibus spending package to fund the federal government through Fiscal Year 2023 which ends on September 30, 2023. The major health care federal agencies received increased funding for key initiatives, like improving maternal health, fighting the…