
There’s really only a handful of lobbyists in Washington who have worked either for or closely with Kevin McCarthy on health policy. That means these five people have a lot of sway.
- Will Dunham, policy director at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, left McCarthy’s office in October and was most recently the House minority leader’s deputy chief of staff.
He was McCarthy’s top policy staffer for nearly seven years, where he worked with GOP committee staff directors and other staffers involved in four-corner negotiations. He also worked for Steve Scalise at the Republican Study Committee during his 13-year tenure on Capitol Hill.
Although he’s a self-described policy generalist, Dunham was an important player in the GOP’s attempt to repeal and replace the ACA — a common theme among members of this list.
- Emily Murry, a partner at Tarplin, Downs & Young, served as McCarthy’s policy adviser between 2011 and 2014 and senior policy adviser from 2014 to 2016.
Murry worked on Capitol Hill for more than a decade, rounding out her time as Ways and Means health subcommittee staff director.
Murry helped craft the GOP’s ACA alternative. She also had a hand in writing the SUPPORT Act legislation, Medicare reforms, and policies to provide relief from medical device and health insurance taxes, according to a bio on her firm’s website.