Elizabeth Barnett

Elizabeth Barnett is a Partner at Avenue Solutions, a government relations firm which provides strategic legislative, policy, and political expertise based in Washington, D.C.  Elizabeth advises numerous clients across the spectrum of the health care industry on a range of federal legislative and regulatory issues related to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act.  Elizabeth brings a wealth of political and legislative experience to this all-female, all-Democratic firm.

Elizabeth has over 20 years of experience in health care policy both in the private sector and on Capitol Hill.  Before joining Avenue Solutions, Elizabeth was a lead Democratic lobbyist for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, where she represented the association and its member plans before the Senate Finance Committee, Senate Democratic Leadership, and other offices on both sides of the political aisle.  Elizabeth also led strategy on several priority issues, including Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, CHIP, and insurance coverage.

Elizabeth has a deep understanding of Capitol Hill, where she spent eight years working for U.S. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).  As the Senator’s principal health policy advisor, Elizabeth developed and managed her health care and social policy agenda, created and implemented legislative strategies, and served as her chief negotiator on priority legislation on the Senate Finance Committee, including the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act; the Deficit Reduction Act; and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families reauthorization.  Elizabeth also served for a time as the Senator’s speechwriter.

A true veteran of the Washington political process, Elizabeth has also worked as a researcher at EMILY’s List and on the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.  A native of Southern Maryland, Elizabeth’s tenure in D.C. began with an internship with U.S. Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD).

Dedicated to increasing the number of women in Congress, Elizabeth has served on the board of the Jenkins Hill Society since its inception and recently served as chair of the Senate program.  Elizabeth received a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from Washington College.  She resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children.