As we posted recently, it’s important for members of our business to state our case to our representatives in Congress, and this year’s NACD Washington Fly-In was a prime opportunity to do exactly that.
From beginning to end, the 2017 Fly-In was about as well-organized and focused event as you could hope for, as members of the chemical distribution industry were thoroughly prepped for their audiences with U.S. representatives on Capitol Hill, then given that chance to advocate in person on the issues and challenges that matter most to us all.
Read on, as Fly-In attendees Jillian Cimo and Mary Ann Thornton of Coast Southwest recount the highlights of this year’s event, and the discussions they had with elected representatives about the issues that need to be grappled with in upcoming legislative sessions.
Prepped and ready, thanks to NACD:
NACD members being briefed before meetings on the Hill, with Dwayne Sattler discussing the value of Stem and Chemed programs.
Jillian: NACD’s preparation process is extremely thorough. The week prior to the Fly-In, they conduct a webinar which covers the talking points, the schedule, the dress code, and other ancillary topics. The Fly-In itself begins with a prep session where all attendees receive instructions, guidance and supporting documents. For many of the representative meetings, a member of NACD would join the group in a support role.
Mary Ann: Every year is a different experience with respect to the venue and the topics. However, the one thing that never changes is how the NACD organizers always do a spectacular job of organizing the event. This includes, but is not limited to; all the webinars, educational literature, contact and participation information provided to us prior to the fly-in and our meetings. They always give us the tools necessary to ensure positive and successful meetings.
How were they received on Capitol Hill?
Mary Ann: The environment this year on Capitol Hill was tense in comparison to last year, not among our NACD members, but with those working on the Hill. The new administration is off to a fast start with a great deal of change and it seems like everyone is trying to keep up. Atop everyone’s domestic agenda is healthcare reform.
Jillian: Without exception, our interactions with representatives and/or their staff were polite and positive. With this in mind, they did range from chilly to warm-hearted and enthusiastic. Of particular note was our meeting with Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA). He listened, asked questions, and understood completely our issues and why we were asking they be addressed by Congress. He ultimately invited us all to attend his “Patriot Party” on July 2nd at a park in North Orange County. He is extremely supportive of our Community Outreach efforts as evidenced in our “You Be The Chemist” program. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) was also enthusiastic in his support of our initiatives. We invited him to a site visit of our Arlington, Texas facility and we will work to arrange this visit when Congress is on summer break.
Mary Ann: It is a little bit of an uphill battle when we enter their offices, as the representatives and their aides are overburdened with meetings, bills, requests, etc… They hear from lobbyists all day, so when we walk in the door they think we are lobbyists as well, which we are not. All of them were aware of the AHPs discussion as they are working on health care reform. None of them were familiar with the S. 580 bill, so it was great that we could bring that to their attention and have it be heard.
We visited Representative Joe Barton to discuss issues affecting our industry.
What did they need to understand about AHPs?
Jillian: Association Health Plans would allow our industry members to band together as an association to increase our purchasing power of health insurance plans. The majority of NACD’s member companies are small businesses, our average number of employees is 27, and individually we don’t garner notice from the large insurers. Collectively, NACD’s 450 members with their thousands of employees, could purchase insurance across state lines with great bargaining power and phenomenal savings.
Mary Ann: All meetings were met with open minds and were left with a better understanding of the issues. The aids and representatives themselves went on to describe the hurdles they are facing on the Hill with the main topic of concern being health care reform. Everyone seems to understand the importance of providing better and more affordable healthcare across the board.
Jillian: The majority of representatives with whom we met were in agreement as to the need for some type of healthcare reform. Of particular interest were our discussions with the Senate staff of Arizona Senators Flake and McCain. Arizona has been the poster child for the failures of Obamacare, with premium increases of 116% and insurers fleeing the market (they currently have only 1 insurer for all 50 counties). They were particularly receptive to the idea of the AHP’s.
What about your discussions about S.580?
Mary Ann: S. 580 is a provision to the House bill HR5 which already passed. The increasing number of memorandums and guidance documents being issued outside of the normal rulemaking process produces unclear compliance requirements and unexpected regulation changes, without the voice of our industry. This new provision would ensure transparency and stakeholder participation in the agency rulemaking process.
We visited the offices of Senator Dianne Feinstein for meeting to discuss AHPs and STEM education.
Jillian: Specific areas of disagreement fell almost exclusively along party lines, particularly in the California delegation. S. 580, The Truth in Regulations Act, seeks to return to the rulemaking process as outlined in our Constitution. Congress makes law. This allows vital stakeholders in those laws to have an appropriate comment period, and have their voices heard as regards those laws that directly affect their business. The prior administration’s affinity for allowing regulatory agencies to rule-make via ‘Guidance Documents’ completely disregarded the voices of those regulated. The California Senators’ staff, Feinstein and Harris, were of the opinion that regulatory change was unnecessary.
On STEM education (and educating legislators!)
Mary Ann: We also discussed our community outreach efforts with the “You Be The Chemist” program and our work with the Chemical Education Foundation to increase STEM education awareness. It is something that Jill Cimo works tirelessly on every year. It’s her passion, and the program continues to grow every year. As part of this discussion, we encouraged and invited all representatives and senators that we met with to join the newly-formed Congressional Chemistry Caucus to support STEM education.
Jillian: NACD was instrumental in the formation, in 2016, of the Caucus. Founded by Rep.’s Moolenaar (R-MI) and Lipinski (D-IL), the mission of this bipartisan caucus is to educate members, staff, and the public on the benefits of chemistry in today’s society and its economic impact on our country. Prior to the Fly-In, there were 40 Congressional members. At the conclusion, we had signed on 4 more members!
The impact and importance of the NACD Fly-In?
Mary Ann: The fly-in provides NACD members with the opportunity to come together as an industry to discuss with elected officials and each other the common hurdles and core issues we face, hopefully creating positive change in the process. I am always grateful for the opportunity to work with our representatives on finding solutions to our industry’s issues, and making sure that our voices are heard.
Jillian: Coast Southwest strives daily to be an example of how the industry does business in a forthright, efficient, and conscientious way. Industry members who take the time and incur the expense to attend the Fly-In are businesses who already desire to follow the rules and regulations that exist. The opportunity to express our concerns to our elected representatives on the Hill is afforded to us by NACD; their guidance and organization in this effort is vital. To ensure that, as stakeholders, our voices are heard on matters that affect our ability to run our businesses, the annual Fly-In is an amazing tool.
