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Tracy Nagelbush Tolk is a senior policy director in Crowell & Moring’s Government Affairs Group, where she uses her more than 20 years of government affairs experience to help clients effectively communicate with the federal government on public policy matters in the areas of climate change, clean technology, transportation, alternative energy deployment, cybersecurity, energy efficiency, Native American affairs, and natural resources development. Tracy is well regarded on both sides of the aisle.

Prior to joining Crowell, Tracy worked as an energy policy professional and lobbyist at Van Ness Feldman LLP, a boutique D.C. law and lobbying firm. She directly represented several electric utilities, clean energy, transportation, and agriculture companies and various coalitions on Capitol Hill and before federal agencies. Tracy advocated for clients’ interests in the areas of renewable energy generation, production of alternative transportation fuels, alternative refueling infrastructure, transmission manufacturing, and manufacturing of electric vehicles. She also has assisted clients in securing federal funding for a variety of energy projects. This included crafting documents for client use on Capitol Hill, writing Congressional updates in various publications, and executing strategic plans to ensure clients’ government relations objectives were met.

Tracy’s Congressional experience includes serving as a senior advisor to Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) while he served in congress and former Congressman Jim Davis (D-FL). She successfully managed all energy, environment, and transportation policy issues for the Congressmen who were both assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. For Inslee, Tracy also managed matters before the House National Resources Committee as well as the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. In this role, Tracy created outreach programs to educate members of Congress on the latest science regarding climate change; hired and managed legislative fellows; and developed strategy to successfully execute the passage of various legislation.

While working for Congressman Davis, Tracy handled all federal and state communications before, during, and after Hurricanes Charlie, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne, including with Governor Bush, FEMA, and the counties and cities affected by the storm.

Tracy is an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University teaching a course in the masters in Legislative Affairs program.

On February 18, President Trump issued an Executive Order titled “Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies” that directs independent agencies (as well as Cabinet Departments and their sub-agencies) to route all “proposed and final significant regulatory” and budgetary actions through the White House and the Office of Management and Budget. If implemented to its full extent, this action will significantly strengthen the authority of the White House by weakening the political autonomy of these independent agencies. As an assertion of the President’s inherent powers under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, it also stands to weaken congressional influence over these independent agencies, both through the appropriations and confirmation processes.Continue Reading Declaration of No Independence: President Trump Asserts Control Over Independent Agencies Through Executive Order

Since its passage in 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act’s renewable energy tax credits have been in the crosshairs of Congressional Republicans. With many of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions expiring at the end of 2025, and a full plate of Trump and Congressional Republican Campaign promises for tax cuts in play, the Republicans have pointed to repeal of the IRA as a source of funding to pay for other tax breaks.Continue Reading Clean Energy Tax Credits and After the Election – What to Expect?