With a new year and the start of the 118th Congress, there is so much ahead of us. The team at ESP Advisors will continue to learn and grow together as we work to energize the ocean community, policy leaders, and the public so that marine ecosystems and economies get the attention and funding they need to thrive. We look forward to working with you and the new Congress to continue to make strong progress for ocean and natural resource priorities.
2023 Congressional Resources
As you get yourself organized for the new year, we are happy to share a few resources to help keep you and your team on track.
- The ESP Advisors printable 2023 Congressional Schedule is now at your fingertips along with our public 2023 Congressional Google calendar to reference as you plan out your year
- As you prepare to welcome the new freshmen class to Congress, here’s a handy list of who they are and who they’re replacing
2022: Year in Review
2022 was an incredible year to work in ocean and environmental policy. We hope you took some time to celebrate your work and recharge your batteries over the holiday – it was a BUSY year for all of us!
Legislation
If you still have a 2022 hangover, this list might remind you why. It was a historic year for legislation, new programming, and funding in our space. Here are some highlights:
- Congress passed the CHIPS and Science Act, based on the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competitiveness Act and the House’s America COMPETES Act.
- Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act to fund many important priorities, including $2.6 billion for coastal resilience
- This year’s National Defense Authorization Act not only included significant funding for ocean technology and data to enhance maritime domain awareness and help stop illegal fishing and human trafficking, but also the biggest package of ocean bills passed by Congress in decades.
- Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) appropriations were signed into law in March of this year
- Congress passed the government’s $1.7 trillion FY23 funding package on December 23, which included $772.5 billion in funding non-defense spending and increases for most agencies, as well as a number of ocean-related bills that rode the omnibus wave
- The Biden Administration launched efforts to create America’s first-ever Ocean Climate Action Plan that will guide significant ocean-based climate mitigation actions including green shipping, ocean-based renewable energy, blue carbon, and other ocean-related solutions
- Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding began flowing to great projects across our country, including for ecosystems and ocean data
- The nation celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act — foundational laws for our oceans and coasts
Firsts
Watch your step because there are a lot of shattered glass ceilings in Washington! Here are some of this year’s inspiring individuals leading the way for our nation:
- Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was sworn into the Supreme Court, making her the first black woman in history to serve on SCOTUS
- Representative Mary Peltola, the first Alaska Native in history to serve in the U.S. Congress, was elected to the House of Representatives (twice!)
- Dr. Arati Prabhakar was confirmed as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, making her the first woman, first immigrant, and first person of color to serve in the position
- Admiral Linda Fagan became the first woman to serve as Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard
- Rear Admiral (USN Ret.) Ann Philipps became the first woman to lead the U.S. Maritime Administration
Remembrances
We lost some truly incredible leaders in the ocean, science, and natural resources community this year. To name a few, this year we remember:
- Representative Donald McEachin from Virginia, among many other things, a champion for climate, equality, and oceans
- Representative Don Young from Alaska, a historic champion for ocean legislation in his 49 years of service in the House
- John Connelly, the steadfast president of the National Fisheries Institute for almost 20 years, who helped to galvanize the seafood industry
- Edward Osborne (E.O.) Wilson, one of the world’s leading naturalists and conservationists
ESP Advisors Impact
ESP Advisors worked tirelessly on behalf of its clients to advocate for critical ocean and environmental priorities throughout the year. In 2022, our team:
- Held 200+ meetings with Members of Congress and their staff
- Covered 80 hearings and events
- Analyzed 74 bills
- Wrote 47 weekly policy newsletters for our clients, summarizing “what’s up in Washington” for oceans
- Tracked 42 nail-biter, priority midterm elections
- Gave 37 presentations
- Took 18 flights to see our clients around the country
- Posted 15 informational blogs analyzing important legislation
- Planned 10 client DC “fly-ins” for marathon days of meetings and events
- Wrote 10 client strategy documents to guide their engagement for the year
- Hosted 6 ESP networking events (see photos on our community page)
…and had a blast doing it!
Firm Growth
In 2022, we continued to grow to meet the needs of our clients and the community, and we can’t wait to see what next year has in store. In 2022, our firm:
- Hired four new full-time employees and two new consultants, and hosted our first policy fellow
- Grew the number of clients we serve by 33 percent
- Doubled our revenue over 2021
Reflections and Hopes for 2023
From Emily
2022 was a year of hard-fought success and heartbreaking loss for those working in our field. The pace never seems to slow, but I hope you find time now, and as often as you can throughout the coming year, to celebrate your successes large and small. As I reflect on the year behind us, I’m filled with gratitude for being part of this community that cares so much about the people and world around us.
In 2023, we’re excited to welcome the 86 new Members of Congress and help get them up to speed on all things oceans. We’ll be working with bill sponsors to make sure any legislation that didn’t make it across the finish line last year is reintroduced and moving forward. With the historic funding and legislation passed for oceans in the last 18 months, we will continue to help our clients and the federal government ensure effective implementation over the coming years. This year, the Farm Bill will be drafted by the Agriculture Committees in Congress, an opportunity that only comes up once every five years. And while Congress did just deliver the holiday gift of FY23 appropriations, it’s time to start work on FY24. We can’t wait to get started.
Wishing you and your family, team, and loved ones a very happy and healthy new year. Thank you for all you do to make our world a better place. Here’s to 2023!
Emily Patrolia
Founder and CEO
ESP Advisors
