Professional Profile

Moriah K. O’Brien

Senior Government Relations Advisor

Moriah O’Brien joined Hobbs Straus in August 2009 as a Legislative Analyst.  She is now a Senior Government Relations Advisor.

Since joining the firm, Moriah has worked collaboratively with others in the firm to achieve important legislative objectives for the firm’s Tribal clients.  Her work has been instrumental in achieving the following:

  • Expanding Self-Governance to the Department of Transportation as the Tribal Transportation Self-Governance Program (TTSGP) (Section 1121 of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act, P.L. 114-94);
  • Ensuring that Tribal Grant Support Costs for Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools operated pursuant to the Tribally Controlled Schools Act (P.L. 100-298) are fully funded (from FY 2016 forward);
  • Substantially increasing appropriations for School Replacement Construction for Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools (from FY 2016 forward); and
  • Expanding eligibility for Bureau of Indian Education-funded schools operated pursuant to the Tribally Controlled Schools Act to participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) and Federal Employee Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) programs (Section 1114 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260).

Moriah is well-versed at the federal legislative and appropriations processes, including analyzing legislation and drafting summaries, reports, testimony, and talking points.

Moriah specializes in assisting clients with political situational awareness, including crafting and executing effective strategies and fly-ins to help them achieve their policy and appropriations goals.

Through drafting appropriations testimony and effectively engaging with Congressional and Federal Agency Offices, Moriah has helped Tribal education clients secure millions of dollars for priority construction projects.

Moriah’s legislative practice areas include Tribal transportation & infrastructure, education, housing, and economic development.

Moriah coordinates the contribution strategy and the FEC reporting for the Hobbs Straus Tribal Sovereignty Defense PAC.

Moriah is a 2008 graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), where she received her Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design and her Minor in Business Leadership and Entrepreneurship from the Pamplin College of Business.

A native Washingtonian, Moriah enjoys running and cycling throughout the District of Columbia as well as attending the plethora of arts and embassy events the District has to offer.  Also a seasoned traveler, Moriah aspires to visit all seven continents – thus far she has visited four.

Education

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, B.S. in Industrial Design, Minor in Business
Leadership and Entrepreneurship 2008