Lessons from Katrina Can Guide Post-Ian Recovery

By Governor Haley Barbour

I was governor of my home state of Mississippi during one of the worst natural disasters in American history, Hurricane Katrina. It was a catastrophic, devastating, and humbling event. As terrible as the actual storm was, the recovery and rebuilding processes were even bigger challenges. Watching Hurricane Ian make landfall in Florida this past week calls to mind many of the lessons learned as we worked so hard to rebuild our state. Here are three of the most important lessons I learned in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that could help Floridians as they begin to dig out.

Lesson 1- Prioritize cleanup as it will be a gigantic undertaking! While the first immediate priorities will be search and rescue, security, and re-opening roads, etc., begin planning and executing the cleanup of debris, for you can’t start rebuilding until you’ve cleaned up. After Katrina the cleanup by government entities took 11 months. Use that time to organize planning of the rebuilding and renewal. It will be time well spent. 

Lesson 2- Early in the recovery effort, organize a board structure of experts and leaders to help develop the various plans for rebuilding. Be sure the public knows about this group and its efforts, as it is crucial the citizens, businesses, families, etc.  believe the communities will be as good or better to live in than before. To return and rebuild their lives, they must believe jobs will be plentiful, schools will be exceptional, and the quality of life will be at least as good as it was before Ian.

Lesson 3- Let people help you. Americans are the most generous people in the world. They want to help other Americans who have been hurt, especially by forces beyond their control. Yes, businesses are incredibly generous with their resources but so are average citizens who will give their money and, even more valuable, their time. In the five years after Katrina, we had more than 900,000 individuals who came to Mississippi to volunteer to help their fellow Americans.  Many of them came more than once. 

My mother used to say, “Crisis brings out the best in most people,” and, boy, did Katrina prove her right. I suspect Ian will do so again. Indeed, during a time when our politics has us very divided, polarized over issues and elections, our appreciation for our fellow Americans in Ian’s path may be the catalyst that draws us together and thereby reminds us we are all Americans who help each other. President Biden has said we should “Build back better.” As Americans, we should work together to do just that for the victims of Ian.

The BGR Foundation has made a contribution to the Florida Disaster Fund to support the recovery effort following Hurricane Ian.

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Gov. Barbour Inducted into the AAPC Hall of Fame

BGR Founding Partner Haley Barbour was recently honored by the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) — America’s largest and only bipartisan network of political professionals — as an inductee into the AAPC Hall of Fame. Inducted along with Governor Barbour were Alexander Gage and Mandy Grunwald. AAPC annually selects accomplished industry professionals for induction into its Hall of Fame. This is the highest honor that working members of the profession can bestow upon a colleague. The award recognizes honorees’ influence on other political consultants and public affairs professionals, the length and seriousness of their careers and their commitment to ethical business practices.

Watch the tribute to Governor Barbour here:

BGR Founding Partner Haley Barbour Joins Former President Clinton to Honor Legacy of Former Mississippi Governor Winter

May 3, 2022

BGR Founding Partner and former Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour joined former President Bill Clinton and former Mississippi Supreme Court Justice Reuben Anderson at the Two Mississippi Museums – the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum – in a bipartisan tribute to former Mississippi Governor William Winter and former Mississippi First Lady Elise Winter. Governor Winter, who died in 2020, was remembered as an advocate for racial reconciliation and education reform, and Mrs. Winter, who died less than a year after her husband, as an avid volunteer who worked tirelessly to end homelessness.

Among the Winters’ greatest legacies were their contributions in realizing the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, the state bill for which was signed into law in 2011 by Governor Barbour; Governor Winter and Justice Anderson had been instrumental in lobbying the Mississippi legislature to pass the bill. Ground was broken in 2013, and the museum finally opened in December 2017. In addition to serving as Governor of Mississippi, William Winter had served at President Clinton’s National Advisory Board on Race. Ceremony attendees included fellow Mississippians Congressman Bennie Thompson, former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy, Congressman Michael Guest, former Governor Phil Bryant, and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.

 

Governor Haley Barbour Statement on Passing of Former Senator Bob Dole

“Bob Dole was a genuine American hero: as a soldier, as a leader of the Republican party – including as its Chairman and its Presidential nominee in 1996 – who, as GOP Leader, led passage of major legislation that gained bipartisan support.

“After his retirement from the Senate, he led in the formation of the Bipartisan Policy Center, a much needed institution in this day and age.

“Senator Dole had a brilliant wit, often on display; but he also was a serious patriot, a true friend and a devoted family man.

“Marsha’s and my thoughts and prayers are with Elizabeth, the Dole family and the entire, large number of staff members who were so loyal to him throughout his career.”

Haley Barbour was Chairman of the Republican National Committee when Senator Dole was the GOP Presidential Nominee in 1996. He was Founding Partner of BGR Group.

Four BGR Lobbyists named in The Hill’s Top 2021

Welcome to The Hill’s annual list of top lobbyists.

K Street played an outsized role in this year’s policy debates, working behind the scenes to reshape the COVID-19 relief package, bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ climate and social spending plan. The transfer of power following the 2020 election — along with trillions of dollars in new federal spending and proposals to transform various sectors of the economy — sparked a lobbying boom in Washington. 

BGR experts featured: Haley Barbour, Brent Del Monte, Andy Lewin and Jennifer Lukawski

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Largest Lobbying Firms in Greater D.C.

Washington Business Journal

BGR Group ranked third in largest lobbying firm in greater D.C. based on 2020 income.

 

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BGR Group Recognized as “Standout Firm” in Bloomberg 2020 Survey

Washington, D.C. (May 28, 2021) – BGR Group, Washington, D.C.’s premier bipartisan lobbying and public relations firm, has once again been recognized as a Standout Firm by Bloomberg Government. BGR Group ranks second on the list. According to Bloomberg Government, “Standout firms are defined as firms that displayed impressive performance in 2020 by exceeding thresholds in key metrics: revenue growth, growth in average revenue per client, client retention, and revenue per lobbyist.” This is the fourth consecutive year BGR Group has been named as a Standout Firm by the Bloomberg Survey.

“BGR is proud of our continued record of service to our clients, particularly during the pandemic,” BGR Group President and CEO Bob Wood said. “Over our thirty-year history, BGR has provided consistent and quality results. We are honored to work with clients across multiple issue areas ranging from healthcare to financial services to state and local affairs. As indicated by the survey, our client retention and addition of new clients in a challenging year was exceptional. Our outstanding team of bipartisan policy and public relations professionals continues to grow and achieve success for our clients.”

Established in 1991, BGR Group has offices in Washington, Austin, Beijing and London, and extensive business relationships around the world. The bipartisan firm’s clients include Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, trade associations, non-profit organizations, academic institutions, hospitals and coalitions. The BGR team includes former senior-level appointees in the White House, Congress and Executive Branch departments and agencies. BGR’s staffers are veterans of political campaigns at the presidential, congressional and gubernatorial levels. In these key roles, team members gained expertise in public policy, strategic thinking, effective advocacy and delivering results. BGR Public Relations team members have dozens of years of experience at the highest levels of journalism as well as in political, corporate and international communications. Working together, BGR Group’s Government Affairs and Public Relations teams communicate our clients’ needs and help them achieve success.

Read the full report HERE

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2020 Campaign Insights by BGR’s Founding Partner Gov. Haley Barbour

Fox News

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour reacts to Hillary Clinton accusing Trump of trying to ‘sneak or steal’ the election on ‘The Daily Briefing.’

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Former Mississippi Governor, BGR Group Founding Partner Haley Barbour on the passing of Rep. John Lewis

In 1961, John Lewis was one of the Freedom Riders who came to Mississippi to demonstrate for civil rights. He was put in Parchman Prison for 37 days. He returned to the state many times.

In 2011 when I was Governor, I had the honor of inviting more than 100 of the original Freedom Riders to the Governor’s Mansion, with my co-host Rep. Bennie Thompson.

John Lewis was a gentleman in every respect, courteous and cordial. He personified the struggle for justice and equal rights. We can all learn from his example.

-Haley Barbour

Republican Governors Paved the Road to Recovery Before the Coronavirus Crisis Began

Newsweek

“By enacting sound fiscal management, pro-growth policies and common-sense conservative reforms in good times, Republican governors have put their states and citizens on a speedier pathway to renewed prosperity.”

May 12, 2020
BY GOVERNORS SCOTT WALKER, HALEY BARBOUR and SUSANA MARTINEZ

“No American living today has experienced a crisis quite like the threat posed by the coronavirus. This pandemic’s economic, public health and societal implications are unique in our history.

It is unsurprising to us that America’s governors immediately stepped up and tackled this challenge head-on. As governors continue their efforts to flatten the curve and chart a pathway back to the historic economic prosperity we were experiencing just a few short weeks ago, states with Republican governors who have implemented common-sense fiscal policies are best positioned for a swift and successful rebound.

Just as any individual or family is better able to cope with the financial impact of a sudden illness, job loss or property damage when they have spent responsibly and saved what they could, states that take these steps when times are good are far better positioned to stay solvent when a crisis hits.

This is not a partisan statement—this crisis is bigger than politics. It is simply what the data show us.

Looking back on the Great Recession of the last decade, states with low debt, solid credit ratings, sound budgeting practices and lower tax rates bounced back the fastest. States with high taxes, high spending levels, and large unfunded pension liabilities took the longest to recover.

The strong economic policies favored by Republican governors fall into the former category.

States that diligently squirreled away savings instead of yielding to the temptation to spend every penny have a massive advantage in addressing looming revenue shortfalls. Eighteen of the top 25 states with the healthiest rainy day funds have Republican governors, including 12 of the 18 states with funds equaling more than 10 percent of their total budget in the bank.

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