Let Your Views be Known During August Recess

Very soon Congress will come to an agreement on the national debt limit and then quickly adjourn for their August recess. While no one is for sure what form the debt limit will take, one thing is sure, the process has had the effect of sucking all the oxygen out of the U.S. Capitol building, leaving little congressional focus or media attention on other issues important to manufacturers and the business community.

When Congress returns to their home districts, it provides a perfect opportunity for our members to make their views known. This is an important time which you need to make the most of.

Here Are a Few Topic Suggestions:

Snap Election Proposal by NLRB: With its legal complaint against airplane manufacturer Boeing under intense scrutiny, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently held hearings on changes it’s proposing to the oversight of union election rules that will “streamline” labor votes.

The proposed changes include allowing for electronic filings for petitions and other court documents and requiring parties to more quickly identify issues and provide evidence when filing complaints. The House is currently working on plans to limit the funding of the NLRB and other restrictions on their powers.

Interference with GPS Signals: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) continues to try and balance the need for broadband service in rural areas with the very real concerns of allowing LightSquared to operated near the GPS spectrum and the proven interference it would cause, making much of the current GPS systems that agriculture has come to depend on, worthless.

More than 3.3 million U.S. jobs in agriculture and other industries rely heavily on GPS technology and the disruption to GPS posed by LightSquared’s planned deployment of 40,000 ground stations, threatens direct economic costs of up to $96 billion to U.S. commercial GPS users and manufacturers, according to an economic study released recently. To date 66 members of the House and 33 Senators have signed a letter addressed to the FCC demanding that LightSquared be force to prove they can operate without interference to current GPS equipment in the field. Check with your member of congress about their position on this important issue at FarmEquip.org and then share your view with them.

Out of Control EPA: Over the years, EPA has repeatedly challenged states’ authority and expertise under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and asserted its control as the sole arbiter of evolving CWA permitting requirements and standards. With strong support from the business community and trade associations like ours, the House recently passed the bipartisan Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act (H.R. 2018). The bill reaffirms the decades-old state-federal relationship set out in the CWA, by addressing the EPA’s ongoing regulatory overreach. It is now crucial for the bill to pass in the Senate. It’s also important to take the time to thank House members who supported the bill. This info is also available at FarmEquip.org/shortlinks.

Some Contact Suggestions:

Invite your representatives and senators to your manufacturing facility and show them that manufacturing is innovative, productive and efficient. Plant tours are a great way for lawmakers to meet you and your employees, hear manufacturing success stories, and see first-hand how their votes impact your business.

Don’t overlook participation in town hall events with your elected officials or other public forums. Those who have supported your positions on various issues deserve, and need to hear, your support. Elected officials who seem out of touch with what it takes to keep a company afloat and create jobs, also need to hear from you. Don’t forget that local media often cover these events, giving you a great platform to share your views.

Visit members of Congress in their district offices or meet with their district directors during the August recess.

Regardless of the format or issue, we encourage you to take time during the August Congressional recess to let your elected representatives know more about your business and the impact their actions have on the business community.

And finally, a call to the White House at (202) 956-1111, or go whitehouse.gov/contact before the August recess would not hurt.

Tell the White House that repeal of Last In First Out (LIFO) would be an unfair, retroactive tax increase that would harm your business and/or your customers, and would cost jobs when we need to be creating them. Please ask other executives in your company (at all of your locations) to call as well.

LIFO is more in the public eye than it has ever been and we have been provided an opportunity to have our voices heard. If we prevail now and get LIFO removed from the debt limit debate, it will be a much easier task in the months ahead to protect LIFO during debate on broad based tax reform. ◆