The Obama Administration has decided to expand its unprecedented effort to corral lobbying related to ARRA spending. Now, it won’t be just the unhappy lobbyists left mute on the curb. The White House announced this week that the current limits will be expanded to include all persons seeking to influence ARRA spending. However, the White House appears to have decided to reduce the scope of the restriction to apply only to proceedings involving applications for competitive grants. So, the rules apparently will apply to more people, but in narrower circumstances. Further guidance is promised by the White House. In the meantime, the policy seems to mean that, whomever you are, if you are seeking ARRA competitive grant money or otherwise trying to influence how it is spent, be prepared to put it in writing, in advance, and make sure it’s something you want to see posted on a Federal agency website. All Washington is watching with interest as the White House moves to bring ethereal translucence to the ARRA lobbying process. The details deserve careful attention and Sonnenschein will be preparing additional compliance guidance. The White House announcement is here.