Talk to Congress next week!

Members of Congress have left Washington, D.C. and are working out in their states and districts until April 24. While they are home, they are looking to connect with constituents like you and your employees, so now is the perfect time to set up a district meeting – and the NAM can help you do just that.

Below are easy ways you and your team can engage with your members of Congress while they’re back home, as well as a short overview of important manufacturing issues to discuss during your meetings.

  • Set up a meeting. Click here to call your member of Congress and ask to schedule a meeting in their district office to discuss top priorities in person. Please let us know when a district meeting has been scheduled so we can provide you with briefing documents and other helpful information. If you know your members of Congress personally, please let the NAM know by joining our “Key Contact” program.
  • Invite them to your facility. Plant tours and visits are a great way for lawmakers to meet you and your employees, hear manufacturing success stories and see firsthand how their votes impact your business. Use the NAM’s Plant Tour Guide to plan your visit. We can help prepare you with talking points and updates on key manufacturing issues so you can use the opportunity to discuss what manufacturers expect from Washington. If you are interested in hosting members of Congress at your facility throughout the year, please let the NAM know by clicking here.
  • Open your doors. When hosting a member of Congress at your manufacturing facility you can demonstrate leadership in your community by inviting other local manufacturers to join the discussion. The NAM can help reach out to others in your area so you can help demonstrate the strength of the manufacturing community by engaging your peers to join you in calling for policies and regulations that will make manufacturing strong. If you invite your member of Congress, the NAM will help support your event by inviting nearby manufacturers.
If you have any questions or need any help in coordinating any of the above activities, please contact Christopher Glen, the NAM’s Director of Public Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy at cglen@nam.org or (202) 637-3121.
Manufacturing Issues Active in Congress

Rethinking Redtape:

  • Regulatory Reform Legislation: The Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act would ensure that federal agencies consider the impact of their rules on small businesses. This legislation is especially important for small manufacturers, who on average pay $34,671 per employee in compliance costs.

Ask your members of Congress to support the Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act (H.R. 33 & S. 584).

For more information please contact the below NAM policy expert:  
Erik Glavich – Director, Legal & Regulatory Policy
eglavich@nam.org
(202) 637-3179

Tax:

  • Comprehensive Business Tax Reform: Manufacturers in the U.S. struggle to compete under an outdated tax system with high rates, an anti-competitive system for taxing international income and significant compliance burdens. What manufacturers need is a tax code that lowers tax rates for all businesses, provides a strong, permanent R&D incentive and robust capital cost recovery rules and moves towards a modern, territorial international tax system that will promote U.S. economic growth and job creation.

Ask your members of Congress to move forward and enact pro-growth, pro-competitiveness tax reform.

For more information please contact the below NAM policy expert:
Dorothy Coleman – Vice President, Tax and Domestic Economic Policy
dcoleman@nam.org
(202) 637-3077

Infrastructure:

  • Needed Investments in Infrastructure: Manufacturers need an updated and modern infrastructure system to remain competitive in a global economy. The solutions include increased public and private infrastructure funding, developing an interstate system focused on moving goods to market, investing in ports and inland waterways, supporting efforts to reduce traffic congestion and modernizing drinking water and wastewater systems, as well removing barriers to ensure our telecommunications infrastructure remains the best in the world.

Ask your members of Congress to support critical investments in our nation’s infrastructure.

For more information please contact the below NAM policy expert:
Robyn Boerstling – Vice President, Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy
rboerstling@nam.org
(202) 637-3178

Healthcare:

  • Health Insurance Tax Repeal: The Health Insurance Tax raises the cost of healthcare and provides an additional burden for employers who are also struggling to manage the overwhelming healthcare mandates and paperwork demands required by the ACA.

    Ask your Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 246, legislation to repeal the Health Insurance Tax.
  • Medical Device Tax: The 2.3% excise tax on medical device manufacturers threatens to hinder growth and innovation. A two-year moratorium on the tax runs out at the end of 2017, making full repeal critical to manufacturers of medical devices. The Protect Medical Innovation Act of 2017 (H.R. 184) will do just that.

Ask your members of Congress to support full repeal of the medical device tax.

For more information please contact the below NAM policy expert:  
Christine Scullion – Director, Human Resources Policy
cscullion@nam.org
(202) 637-3133

Workforce/Education:

  • Workforce Development Legislation: Employers across the country are reporting moderate to serious shortages of qualified applicants for skilled and highly skilled positions. Perkins reauthorization will help our nation’s students acquire the skills needs to be successful in today’s work environment.

Ask your members of Congress to support the reintroduction of legislation reauthorizing the “Perkins Act.”

For more information please contact the below NAM policy expert:  
Christine Scullion – Director, Human Resources Policy
cscullion@nam.org
(202) 637-3133

Trade:

  • Trade with Cuba: Only 90 miles from the U.S. sit 11 million potential new customers for American manufacturers. Opening the Cuban market represents a tremendous opportunity for the U.S. to both strengthen manufacturing in America and to promote U.S. values of free enterprise and individual liberty to the Cuban people.

Ask your members of Congress to support legislation that normalizes trade relations between the U.S. and Cuba (H.R. 442, the Cuba Trade Act).

For more information please contact the below NAM policy expert:  
Lauren Wilk – Director, Trade Facilitation Policy
lwilk@nam.org
(202) 637-3141

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