Happenings on the Hill
The Trump Administration’s top policy infrastructure advisor, DJ Gribbin, is expected to be leaving his post soon. With Gribbin’s departure, along with a less than enthusiastic response from Congress to the Administration’s 10-year $200 billion infrastructure spending package, it seems unlikely that an infrastructure spending bill will advance prior to the November mid-term elections. Democrats, on the other hand, are calling for the repeal of some of the recently enacted tax cuts to pay for $1 trillion dedicated towards infrastructure, which the Administration views as dead on arrival.
What is likely to happen before the mid-terms is Congress will appropriate funding for the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Both reauthorizations likely will be included in a government spending bill for FY 2019. Funding for the FAA will advance after U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA 9th), Chairman of The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, reluctantly decided to remove his proposal to privatize the air traffic control system. This action was vehemently opposed by Senator John Thune (R-SD), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation, as well as the general aviation community.
In the meantime, NASBP and the Surety & Fidelity Association of America continue to meet with committee staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs to educate them on H.R. 4486, introduced by U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY 7th), which calls for removing the federal Miller Act from periodic threshold adjustments due to changes in the rate of inflation. This is the same bill that Rep. Velázquez offered last year as an amendment to the FY 2018 House National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). You may recall that the Velázquez amendment was not included in the final NDAA conference report; but recently, the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee, U.S. Representative Steve Chabot (R-OH 1st), signed on as a co-sponsor to H.R. 4486. The goal is to include the Velázquez/Chabot language in the base text of the House NDAA bill without having to offer it during the amendment process. This will be an issue the NASBP Fly-in attendees will raise during their Capitol Hill visits.
NASBP Legislative Fly-in 2018
Plans are underway and registration is officially open for this year’s NASBP Legislative Fly-in, which will be held on June 5-6 at the Liaison Hotel in Washington, DC. Confirmed to participate are the Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee, U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot, and Ranking Member U.S. Rep. Nydia Velázquez. NASBP has also invited the Chairman of the House Small Business Committee's Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce, U.S. Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA 25th), and the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Contracting and Workforce, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy (D-FL 7th). Now is the time to register and to secure your hotel for the NASBP Fly-in, as the reduced hotel-room rate expires on May 2.
The program begins on Tuesday, June 5 with a reception and briefing at the Liaison Hotel. Then, on Wednesday June 6, beginning at 8:00 a.m. on Capitol Hill at 121 Cannon House Office Building, NASBP will feature a round-table panel discussion, where key policymakers from the U.S, House Small Business Committee will discuss legislative changes to expand opportunities for small businesses.This is an excellent opportunity for NASBP Fly-in attendees to learn firsthand what these key policymakers are contemplating and debating during committee deliberations relating to opportunities for U.S. small business.
After the panel discussion concludes, the rest of the day will be devoted to attendees’ Capitol Hill appointments. Attendees are invited to an evening cocktail reception at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel where they can debrief with their colleagues.
New this year for the NASBP Fly-in, NASBP is offering a new, streamlined service that schedules Capitol Hill appointments for Fly-in participants. Fly-in attendees are being asked to complete an on-line form indicating where they live and work. Then, their Hill appointments will be scheduled for them! For more details about this new service and other important Fly-in information, visit the Fly-in website at http://www.nasbp.org/2018flyin/home.
Direct questions to Larry LeClair, Director of Government Relations, at 240-200-1272 or leclair@nasbp.org.