The “Big I” was a force to be reckoned with as it battled for a wide array of flood insurance legislation in 2017, including a long-term extension of the National Flood Insurance Program.

The nation’s capital is teeming with lobbyists and influencers, but when the stakes are at their highest, these are the players at the top of their game, known for their ability to successfully navigate the byzantine and competitive world of federal policymaking.

The ranks of Washington’s policy experts and influencers run deep, but these are the players who stand out for delivering results for their clients in the halls of Congress and the administration.

2020 was a chaotic year for K Street, with the coronavirus pandemic and lobbying battles for COVID-19 relief legislation consuming much of the year. The presidential and congressional elections also kept lobbyists busy while they tried to find ways to network under the new normal of virtual work.

K Street played an outsized role in this year’s policy debates, working behind the scenes to reshape the COVID-19 relief package, bipartisan infrastructure bill and Democrats’ climate and social spending plan. The transfer of power following the 2020 election — along with trillions of dollars in new federal spending and proposals to transform various sectors of the economy — sparked a lobbying boom in Washington.

K Street influencers helped their clients unlock huge sums of government funding authorized by the bipartisan infrastructure law and navigate a slew of regulatory proposals. Lobbyists at corporations and trade groups made last-minute changes to key measures while also staving off legislation to crack down on tech giants and other industries.

During his time at the Big “I,” Mr. Rusbuldt earned recognition as one of the leading experts on tax, banking, insurance and financial services issues in Washington, DC.