Liam Donovan

International Franchise Association: Webinar Recoding | Member Briefing: So What’s in the Tax Bill?

May 20, 2025 No Comments

I joined the International Franchise Association’s chief advocacy officer, Michael Layman, for a member briefing on what ended up in the 2025 tax bill.

Congress has released its 2025 tax bill—and IFA is here to break it down for you.
On May 20, IFA Chief Advocacy Officer Michael Layman and Bracewell LLP’s Senior Political Strategist Liam Donovan, a leading voice on tax and policy strategy, discuss a timely update on what’s in the bill, what’s still up for debate, and what it all means for the franchise community.
Featured Speakers:
– Liam Donovan, Senior Political Strategist, Bracewell LLP
– Michael Layman, Chief Advocacy Officer, IFA

Watch the full segment here.

Podcasts

The Lobby Shop: Reconciliation Roadmap and Tariff Updates

May 16, 2025 No Comments

On this week’s Lobby Shop, we dug into budget reconciliation and tariffs.

In this episode of The Lobby Shop, Liam Donovan provides an update on the budget reconciliation process in Congress, and the team dives into the proposed House cuts to energy programs funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, proposed Medicaid reductions, and the ongoing debate over SALT deductions—along with the challenges the legislation faces in the Senate and a tight legislative timeline. Josh and Paul also examine the current state of the Trump Administration’s tariffs, including the temporary easing of the U.S.–China trade war, multiple Section 232 investigations, and the complex policy landscape companies must navigate amid evolving tariff rules.

Listen to the full episode here.

Quotes

NBC News: Growing GOP fight over ‘SALT’ tax deduction complicates Trump agenda bill

May 1, 2025 No Comments

I spoke to Sahil Kapur, Scott Wong and Kyle Stewart for NBC News on SALT tax deduction.

Democrats are guaranteed to attack SALT limits imposed by Republicans as an attempt to raise taxes on residents of blue states, which hold enough swing districts to decide control of the House.
“I don’t think there’s any magic number where it’s not a fertile attack line for Democrats, so at a certain point SALT members just have to take yes for an answer,” said Liam Donovan, a lobbyist and former GOP aide, who said the cap is likely to end up above $10,000 but well short of the $100,000 pro-SALT members appear to want.
“To me, the best way to indemnify yourself politically is to make the number as big as possible but with an income phase-out,” he said. “Hard to attack Republicans if you can’t claim it hurts middle class families. The poster child is ostensibly the cop or firefighter who has a big property tax bill, which is a relatively cheap and easy problem to fix.”

Read the full piece here.

Podcasts

The Lobby Shop: Reconciliation Reckoning

April 22, 2025 No Comments

On this week’s Lobby Shop, we dug into budget reconciliation and debt ceiling.

The Lobby Shop team turns their focus on the ongoing budget reconciliation process in Congress that will shape the Trump administration’s economic agenda. Hosts Josh Zive, Paul Nathanson, and Liam Donovan provide a quick update on the latest tariff developments before diving into the reconciliation process and the shifting legislative dynamics between the House and the Senate. Then, Liam does a deep dive on how economic pressures are reshaping political strategy, and what it all means for government funding timelines and the looming debt ceiling. Tune in for a Liam-style breakdown of the often confusing reconciliation process in the next couple of weeks.

Listen to the full episode here.

Podcasts

The Lobby Shop: Post Liberation Day Blues

April 4, 2025 No Comments

On this week’s Lobby Shop, we dug into Trump tariffs and tax-package timing.

In the aftermath of President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariff announcements, the Lobby Shop team breaks down the philosophy behind President Trump’s new tariffs and the real world ramifications for both domestic and foreign policy. The team also examines reactions from the private sector and Congress, including the potential impact on the timing for the Republicans’ plan to move forward on a tax package. With a multitude of scenarios playing out at once, the Lobby Shop team discusses the one question on many Americans minds: where do we go from here?

Listen to the full episode here.