Food and beverage giant PepsiCo has hired government relations firm Heather Podesta + Partners in a lobbying pact that focuses on Congress' possible early reauthorization of the federal farm bill.

Podesta is representing the Purchase, NY-based soda behemoth in a bid to educate Capitol Hill lawmakers on the food and beverage industry, as well as for the purpose of “reviewing corporate and international tax reform proposals” and “monitoring efforts to reauthorize the federal Farm bill, including efforts to address the SNAP program,” according to lobbying disclosure documents filed in November.

Pepsi

The farm bill, the omnibus bill that’s traditionally passed by Congress every five years, authorizes federal agriculture and nutrition policy under the purview of the United States Department of Agriculture. The last farm bill — the Agricultural Act of 2014 — was signed into law by President Obama in February 2014, two years late by many estimates. This bill is set to expire in September of 2018.

Some lawmakers are currently mulling over the possibility of enacting the next farm bill early — as much as a year ahead of schedule — in a bid to help U.S. farmers in light of currently low commodity prices. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and House Agriculture Committee ranking member Collin Peterson (D-MN) have publicly expressed support for this measure.

The Pepsi account will be managed by founder and prominent Democratic lobbyist Heather Podesta, who was previously aide to the late Congressman Robert Matsui (D, CA) and Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D, ND) as well as legislative fellow to Senator Bill Bradley (D-NJ). Podesta will be joined by Robert Hoffman, a former speechwriter for California Governor Pete Wilson and legislative director for senator Mike DeWine (R, OH); Jonathan Becker, former chief of staff to Senator Amy Klobuchar (D, MN); Anne MacMillan, former Senior Policy Advisor to then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and deputy chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and Stephen Bailey, former senior tax counsel for the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction and a principal staffer on tax legislative issues for Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND).

PepsiCo, which is the second-largest food and beverage business in the world in terms of net revenue, reported $370,000 in lobbying expenditures during 2016’s third quarter. Other lobbying firms the company has signed pacts with this year include FTI Government Affairs, Covington & Burling, The Russell Group and Lugar Hellmann Group.