Anheuser-Busch Increases Lobbying Efforts on Tax Issues

Why It Matters

Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. has registered Miller & Chevalier Chartered to lobby on its behalf on tax issues, according to a new federal lobbying registration filed April 27, 2026.

The engagement adds a specialized tax law firm to Anheuser-Busch's lobbying operation at a moment when Congress is actively debating sweeping changes to the tax code. Miller & Chevalier is known primarily for its federal tax practice, and the three named lobbyists on the registration are all tax attorneys. The move signals the company is investing in dedicated outside counsel on tax policy, separate from any broader lobbying activity it may conduct through other channels.

By the Numbers

The new registration does not report a lobbying dollar amount, which is standard for initial registrations before quarterly activity reports are filed. The lobbying team at Miller & Chevalier includes Marc Gerson, Rocco Femia, and Mike Desmond, along with a fourth lobbyist whose name was not included in the disclosure filing.

Gerson brings direct congressional experience. He served as tax counsel for the House Ways and Means Committee during the 109th Congress. In the two years prior to this registration, Gerson appeared in 114 lobbying filings across clients including McDonald's Corp., Netflix Inc., T-Mobile USA Inc., and Carlyle Group LLC, all on tax matters. Femia has worked alongside Gerson on several of those same clients. Desmond is a newer addition to the firm's lobbying roster, with recent work focused on food and beverage industry clients including Darden Restaurants Inc.

Miller & Chevalier's client roster spans more than 30 organizations, with American Fidelity Corp. as its top-billing client at $600,000 over the past year. Nearly all of the firm's lobbying work is concentrated on tax issues.

The Agenda

The Anheuser-Busch lobbying registration lists taxation and the Internal Revenue Code as the sole issue area. Gerson's prior work for other clients offers some indication of the firm's typical focus areas. For clients in the food and beverage space, those filings have referenced "tax issues of interest to the food and beverage industry." For other corporate clients, filings have cited domestic and international corporate tax proposals, OECD tax matters, and issues related to H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21). Whether Anheuser-Busch's engagement covers any of those specific areas is not stated in the current disclosure.

Broader Context

The registration comes as Congress continues to work through the tax provisions of H.R. 1, referred to in some filings as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Multiple Miller & Chevalier clients have explicitly cited that legislation in recent quarterly reports, including LyondellBasell Industries NV, Carlyle Group LLC, Standard Industries Inc., and ZenPayroll Inc.

On the beer industry side, members of Congress have recently weighed in on tax provisions affecting beer distributors. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) noted in late April 2026 that the "Working Families Tax Cuts" included a provision to permanently reduce taxes for beer distributorships. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) met with the National Beer Wholesalers Association around the same time, discussing preservation of the 199A deduction.

Anheuser-Busch has also drawn considerable positive attention from members of Congress in the past year, with lawmakers citing the company's domestic manufacturing investments and veteran employment programs. Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) praised the company's expansion in May 2025. Rep. Robert Wittman (R-VA) toured an Anheuser-Busch brewery in Williamsburg in August 2025. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) visited the St. Louis facility in July 2025, highlighting the company's workforce programs.

Between the Lines

The Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the IRS 2026 filing season on April 15, 2026, the same month the Anheuser-Busch registration was filed. The House Budget Committee held hearings on the fiscal year 2027 budget request that same week. Neither hearing included testimony specifically referencing Anheuser-Busch, but both reflect the active tax policy environment in which the company is now formally engaged.

There are bills relevant to the tax issues Miller & Chevalier typically handles for clients, including provisions affecting corporate rates, pass-through deductions, and international tax frameworks.

Competitive Landscape

Miller & Chevalier's existing client list in the beer and beverage space includes RAI Services Co. Inc., a tobacco company, and Darden Restaurants, where Desmond has logged work on food and beverage tax issues. The firm also represents the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and Marriott International Inc., among others navigating the same legislative environment.

The Bottom Line

Anheuser-Busch has brought on a firm with deep tax policy credentials at a time when Congress is actively reshaping the corporate tax landscape. The registration is narrow in scope, covering only tax issues, and no specific provisions or legislation are identified. Quarterly reports, when filed, will offer a clearer picture of what the company is actually engaging on.

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