Travel Industry Group Hires Steptoe to Lobby

Updated June 25 at 9:57 a.m.

At least a couple Steptoe & Johnson lobbyists apparently have vacations on their minds.

Steptoe partner Stephen Heifetz and senior director Marc Frey are advocating for the U.S. Travel Association on "[i]ssues relating to travel and tourism," according to a lobbying registration report filed with Congress on Thursday. They are focused on legislation that is intended to expedite visa processing and allow citizens of more countries to come to the United States for trips of 90 days or less without a visa, according to Steptoe spokeswoman Kathy King. The Department of Homeland Security currently gives visa waivers to citizens of 36 nations, most of which are in Europe.

Heifetz and Frey, who both worked at the Department of Homeland Security, say on their law firm biographies that they help "clients navigate laws and policies at the nexus of international business and security."

U.S. Travel has spent at least $351,000 this year lobbying the federal government on matters that include Homeland Security appropriations, visa waivers and airport operations, according to congressional records. The Washington-based organization has used its own staffers and outside lobbyists from Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies, Monument Policy Group, Prime Policy Group and Sankofa Consulting Strategies to advocate for it.