Why It Matters

German firearms manufacturer Heckler and Koch GmbH has filed a new lobbying registration disclosure in Washington, bringing on powerhouse firm Greenberg Traurig LLP to represent its interests on defense issues. The registration was filed May 1, and signed June 10.

H&K is a first-time entrant into federal lobbying at a notable time. The registration landed just days before the House Armed Services Committee began its FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act markup, one of the most consequential annual vehicles for defense procurement policy. For a foreign defense manufacturer seeking access to U.S. government contracts, the NDAA cycle is prime territory.

The firm also arrives at a moment when congressional scrutiny of firearms procurement and arms export oversight is active, creating both regulatory risk and legislative opportunity for a company of H&K's profile.

By The Numbers

Greenberg Traurig is handling the engagement externally. Two lobbyists are listed on the filing:

  • Dan Sennott, Shareholder and Co-Chair of Greenberg Traurig's National Security Group, brings prior staff experience on the House Armed Services Committee spanning the 114th through 116th Congresses.
  • Misha Lehrer, Senior Director at the firm, has documented prior experience working with Sen. Christopher Murphy (D-CT).

The Agenda

The lobbying registration disclosure lists a single issue code: Defense (DEF). No specific issues or legislation are described in the filing. Given the broad issue code and the absence of specific legislative targets, the full scope of H&K's lobbying agenda is not yet public. There are, however, relevant bills and policy debates active in Congress that touch on defense procurement and arms export oversight.

Broader Context

H&K is a German-headquartered manufacturer whose products, including the HK416, MP5, and G36, are used by U.S. military and law enforcement agencies. As a foreign defense manufacturer, the company's path to U.S. government contracts runs through a procurement and regulatory environment that is currently in flux.

Congressional attention to Germany's defense sector has been elevated. Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) shared reporting in December 2025 under the headline "In Germany, Everyone Is a Defense Manufacturer Now," reflecting broader congressional awareness of Germany's rapid defense industry expansion and its implications for allied procurement relationships.

On the export side, the regulatory framework governing how foreign manufacturers interact with U.S. defense supply chains has been a subject of active debate. The House Foreign Affairs Committee highlighted in May 2026 a bill from Rep. Baumgartner that would allow Foreign Military Financing funds to flow directly to American defense companies, streamlining a procurement channel that allied-nation manufacturers also navigate.

Between the Lines

The lobbyist connections on this filing point toward two distinct pressure points in Congress.

Dan Sennott's HASC background is directly relevant to the NDAA cycle. The House Armed Services Committee began its FY2027 NDAA markup on June 5, 2026, just days before H&K's disclosure was signed. Members, including Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT-2), Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA-51), and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC-2), all weighed in publicly on the markup. The NDAA is a key vehicle for shaping defense procurement rules that affect which manufacturers, domestic and foreign, can compete for U.S. contracts.

Misha Lehrer's ties to Sen. Murphy are more complex. Murphy has been one of the more active Senate voices on firearms and arms export legislation during the past year. In July 2025, Murphy co-led the introduction of the Clean Hands Firearm Procurement Act alongside Sen. Blumenthal, a bill that would bar federally licensed firearms dealers whose weapons are overrepresented in violent crime data from receiving government contracts. While the bill targets dealers rather than manufacturers directly, tightened federal procurement standards carry downstream implications for the broader defense supply chain.

In December 2025, Murphy led the reintroduction of the Americas Regional Monitoring of Arms Sales (ARMAS) Act, alongside Sens. Tim Kaine, Ed Markey, Elizabeth Warren, and Dick Durbin. The bill would transfer firearms export licensing oversight from the Department of Commerce back to the Department of State and increase congressional scrutiny of export approvals. Murphy described the legislation as targeting the illegal trafficking of American-made guns into Latin America. For a foreign manufacturer with its own export compliance history, legislation reshaping U.S. arms export oversight is a material policy development worth monitoring.

Murphy also traveled to Europe in June 2025 on a congressional delegation trip, where he delivered remarks on defense and AI policy, underscoring his ongoing engagement on transatlantic defense issues.

The Bottom Line

H&K's entry into federal lobbying, through a firm with direct House Armed Services Committee experience and ties to one of the Senate's most active voices on arms policy, reflects the intersection of a major NDAA cycle and a shifting regulatory environment around defense procurement and arms exports.

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