Congress' "summer break" will soon end and with their return to DC we hope to see a pick-up in legislative activity. Certainly, talk related to a potential "government shut down" will dominate.
Your staff Public Policy Team has not been resting. Here's a brief summary of what we've been working on -
- It's clear that Chaffetz' exit from Congress has slowed the progress of postal reform legislation. It's uncertain whether the new OGR Chairman, Trey Gowdy (4th-SC), will have the same appetite for championing the bill. So far, little progress has been made with either Gowdy, or his staff, to engage in serious discussions. But, we are not alone. Up to this point, Gowdy hasn't been entertaining any groups or causes. Actually, Gowdy's active support may not matter, as the bill was already approved by OGR with overwhelming bipartisan support. The next part of our strategy will likely be to focus our attention on relationships we enjoy with members of the Ways & Means Committee where we must eliminate concerns related to the bill's impact on Medicare. We'll keep you posted.
- You are aware that Idealliance's legislative priorities have included health care reform, tax reform, labor and employment policies, and postal reform. Given our industry's challenge related to attracting and retaining new workers we have decided to add "Workforce Development" to our list of focus areas. We will be following up with a legislative overview of this area within the next 10 days.
- Finally, we have decided to collaborate with a number of sister industry organizations with our next annual legislative conference and fly-in. Our industry coalition currently includes Idealliance, NPES, PIA, AICC (The Independent Packaging Association), and FBA (The Fibre Box Association). Our event is scheduled to take place June 19,20 and will be co-located with NAM (National Association of Manufacturers). Working more collaboratively as an overall industry will give our voice greater power and impact. Look for press releases and announcements over the coming days.
Of course, I welcome any comments and/or questions you may have.
Ken
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Ken Garner
Executive Vice President
Idealliance
Alexandria VA
(703) 837-1070
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