LegiStorm

A longtime counsel for a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee has taken a public policy job with the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Ron LeGrand started this month as vice president of public policy with the organization, which registers to lobby on violence against women and family violence issues. He left his position as Democratic counsel to the House Judiciary Committee's Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security and Investigations Subcommittee last month.

The former staffer has also worked as a consultant on diversity and inclusion, served as deputy director of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation and held the position of chief diversity officer and director for strategic diversity outreach and alliances at AARP.

During a previous stint in Congress, LeGrand served then-Sen. Joe Biden (D-Del.) as chief investigator and counsel on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary in the late 1980s. He has bachelor's and law degrees from Boston College.

As presidential candidate Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) took a physical stand on the Senate floor Wednesday, his colleagues and their staffs took the debate over filibusters, procedure and the NSA online.

Paul's 10-hour oration marched on until nearly midnight with short interruptions from colleagues on both sides of the aisle. These are the top tweets by members and their staffs from the sidelines as the day stretched on and interrupted plans:

Liz Margolis, communications director for Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Ore.):

"Rand Paul-- ruining bodymen's weekends since 2013."

Moira Bagley Smith, communications director for Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.):

"Gather round, kids. Let Aunt Moira tell you about the last time ol' Randy made a filibuster. I was a spring chicken back then!"

J.P. Freire, communications director for Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah): 

"Senate is in Randcess."

Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.):

"Due to a filibuster on the #Senate floor, my maiden speech will be moved to a later date. I'll keep you posted! #BreakBadRegs"

Reema Dodin, floor director for Senate Democratic Whip on how she was filling her time:

"@wexler On the Floor, in the Cloakroom, and on the 3rd floor with trusty CSPAN. You can't love the Constitution (or the Senate) enough, Nu."

Alyssa Farah, communications director for Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.):

"Senate procedure still confuses the hell out of me."

Kimberly Willingham, communications director for Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas):

"Rand Paul sure knows how to make headlines."

Erica Arbetter, digital coordinator for House Natural Resources Committee:

"Regardless of where on the spectrum you fall, a Rand spy blocker is about as on message as it gets #digitaldoneright https://t.co/5ZPs5hLUd1"

Jason Botelho, media relations coordinator for Senate Sergeant at Arms - Capitol:

"Does Rand Paul even realize that he's missing #NXTTakeOver right now?"

Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), responding to a question of why he wasn't standing with Rand:

"@SprtsGamer I do stand with him. I'm a House member though and can't join the filibuster."

A lobbyist on security and defense issues has moved from advocating to a new position working for the House Appropriations Committee's Homeland Security Subcommittee.

Christopher Romig is a new Republican professional staff member for the subcommittee, starting this month after filing lobbying registrations for five years over the last decade. He left Rapiscan Systems Inc. in April where he worked and lobbied since 2013 as vice president of government relations.

For Rapiscan Systems, a company that specializes in security screening, Romig developed legislative plans and managed a political action committee, according to his LinkedIn profile. He filed lobbying registration through the first quarter of this year on issues including aviation, port and border security as well as budget and appropriations.

Romig has also worked as director of government relations at General Dynamics Corp., where he did not register to lobby, from 2008-13. He registered to lobby with Greenberg Traurig LLP between 2006 and 2008 while directing government relations.

The former lobbyist has a bachelor's from the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, an MPA from Troy University and a 2003 master's degree in national security strategy from the National War College. He served as a colonel in the U.S. Army until 2007.

A House Republican environment subcommittee staffer has exited for a policy job with the National Association of Manufacturers.

Rachel Jones served for three years on the Hill, starting as a legal fellow for the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in 2012. She left this month to become director of energy and resources policy for NAM after working as a professional staff member on the House Science, Space and Technology Committee's Environment Subcommittee.

Jones' new employer regularly lobbies on issues such as reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, environmental regulations and aspects of the Affordable Care Act.

The departing House staffer has a 2005 bachelor's from Oklahoma Baptist University and was valedictorian of the University of Tulsa College of Law in 2013.

As another short holiday recess approaches, members of Congress and their staffs have filed 86 trips at a cost to private groups of more than $590,000 from their last legislative break.

Republicans took 44 trips compared to Democrats' 42 during the spring recess, though the cost of Republican trips was $312,000 to Democrats' $279,000. The travels were both near and far, from national security sessions in Quantico, Va. to foreign policy briefings with European Union officials in Belgium. The numbers only include privately financed travel and do not include trips funded by the U.S. government or other governments.

The privately funded globetrotting included 33 trips for members, ranging from a foreign policy conference in Berlin, policy sessions in San Diego and a dinner reception in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

For example, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) traveled to Brussels at a cost of nearly $10,000 to Johns Hopkins University's Center for Transatlantic Relations and Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) attended a luncheon on agriculture and energy policy issues in Dallas that cost ConservAmerica $845.

Sensenbrenner's Belgium trip was expected to provide "an invaluable opportunity to discuss data sharing and privacy issues with members of the European Parliament," given his connection to the USA Freedom Act, according to a trip disclosure form. The congressman, who took the trip with his chief of staff, authored the bill and original Patriot Act.

Other trip sponsors included MIT's Institute of Technology Security Studies Program, which spent $25,000 for 20 travelers to visit Massachusetts for a series of sessions on international security and a tour of the Lincoln Laboratory.

LegiStorm has tracked 795 privately-funded trips so far this year, with 556 by Republicans and 239 by Democrats, at a cost to sponsors of more than $1.8 million.

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