On Wednesday, July 24, 2024, members of the PRINTING United Alliance Board of Directors enjoyed a full day of meetings with federal policymakers in Washington, D.C. for a “Day on the Hill.” It was quite a memorable experience since the group literally “marched on Washington” due to numerous street closures, and a strong police presence because of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit, which also brought countless protestors to the area. Despite several meetings being cancelled due to Netanyahu’s speech to a Joint Session of Congress, eleven total meetings were successfully held.
Facilitated by ACG Advocacy, the Alliance’s lobbying firm, the meetings were designed to establish and strengthen personal relationships with federal legislators and their staff. The event provided the opportunity to ensure that policymakers became educated about and understand the challenges and opportunities facing the printing industry.
Prior to the meetings, the group received insight from the Alliance’s principal lobbyist, Julie Philp, on how to maximize meetings with limited time and what to “ask” the Members of Congress. The primary request, “will you join the 118th Congressional Printing Caucus?” was followed by “would you be interested in taking a tour of my facility when you are back in your home district?” The offices were especially receptive, and we predict the Printing Caucus will grow as a result. Offers to visit facilities in their Congressional Districts were also met with enthusiasm.
The Alliance’s message from leadership, namely that print is everywhere and print is essential, was also well received. Board members explained how the printing industry has expanded and consists of diverse communities, including apparel decorators, commercial printing, digital packaging, digital textile, graphics production, industrial applications and printed electronics, and installers. This led to a discussion on our efforts to update the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), to modernize the classification of printing to accurately reflect the breadth and depth of the printing industry.
In addition to economic data derived from the current Print Industry Atlas (available on printing.org), the Government Affairs team created policy one-pagers outlining the Alliance’s key advocacy issues. These materials provide an opportunity to educate lawmakers on the Alliance’s top public policy priorities and position on the advertising tax deduction, consumer data privacy, delivery and logistics, including the U.S. Postal Service, environment and sustainability, investment and innovation, and safe and productive workplaces. Our advocacy issues can be found on our website here.
There were three Congressional Member-level meetings. First, Jaime Herand, Vice President of Graphic Operations, Orbus Exhibit & Display Group, met with Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL-11). Second, Brooke Hamilton, President and CEO, NPI, met with Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK-01). Brooke is a seasoned advocate having welcomed Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) in the fall of 2023. Third, Brian Adam, President, Olympus Group, met with Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02), co-chair of the Congressional Printing Caucus. Naturally, Rep. Pocan was very engaged because he owns a printing company. Brian also met with the Office of Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI-04).
The remaining meetings were held with senior staff. Building a relationship with the right Hill workers is just as important as building one with Members of Congress since Congressional staffers influence, research, craft and write legislation that could impact our industry.
Brian Hite, Principal and Co-founder of Image Options, met with the Office of Rep. Young Kim (R-CA-40). Before the Day on the Hill, Brian embraced the chance to become an advocate by working directly with Rep. Kim’s scheduler, and he will host the congresswoman on August 22, 2024, for a site visit.
Lane Hickey-Wiggins, President and CEO, Douglass Screen Printers Inc. dba DPRINT, met with the Office of Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL-15) and looks forward to hosting Rep. Lee for a site visit to be scheduled soon. The staff showed an interest in learning more about the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) unprecedented rate hikes and significant decline in mail volume. The Alliance has since provided that information.
Mike Magerl, President, Trabon Group, met with the Offices of Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Eric Schmitt (R-MO), and both offices expressed interest in touring the Kansas City facility.
Dean DeMarco, Board Chair, led the discussion with the Office of Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH-15) and welcomed the representative and staff to visit his facility in Columbus, Ohio. Because Rep. Carey is a member of the influential House Ways and Means Committee, DeMarco’s group shared how important the preservation of the advertising tax deduction would be in 2025.
Eric Kahle, Chief Revenue Officer, Visual Marking Systems Inc., met with the Office of Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH-08) and was pleased to learn that Rep. Davidson is the owner of a cast molding printing company and was familiar with our policy issues. Eric’s invitation to join the Printing Caucus will be a “special delivery” from the legislative aide to Rep. Davidson.
Mike Wagner, Chief Operations Officer, Butler Technologies Inc., met with the Office of Senator John Fetterman (D-PA). Wagner shared in detail how his business differs from what many people think of in terms of “printing.” He explained that Butler Technologies offers advanced printed technology, such as flexible heaters, biometric sensors, force sensing resistors, and more, further demonstrating the vast scope of print.
Stephanie Buka, government affairs coordinator and constituent of Sen. Fetterman, raised the importance of an affordable and reliable U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and legislation known as the United States Postal Service Stop and Study Act (S. 4675). Introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), the bill would require the USPS to submit an advisory opinion to the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) before USPS could implement any network changes. The text of S. 4675 has been introduced as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. Buka explained that, as members of Keep US Posted and the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, the Alliance strongly supports this legislation.
The meetings were a powerful tool to put a “human face” on the printing industry. Not only did it raise the Alliance’s profile, but the Day on the Hill was also a great preview for board members of what will take place during the 2025 PRINTING United Alliance Legislative Fly-in. This invite-only event will provide another opportunity to lobby Congress on issues of importance to the printing industry.
The Alliance would like to thank everyone who participated in the Day on the Hill. No one knows print better than the people who run printing businesses every day, and the Alliance – through its dedicated members – will continue to educate Washington on the unique issues and challenges the industry faces.
In this article, Stephanie Buka, government affairs coordinator, PRINTING United Alliance, provides an inside look at the 2024 Day on the Hill. More information can be found at Business Excellence-Legislation or reach out to Steph should you have additional questions specific to how these issues may affect your business: sbuka@printing.org.
To become a member of the Alliance and learn more about how our subject matter experts can assist your company with services and resources such as those mentioned in this article, please contact the Alliance membership team: 888-385-3588 / membership@printing.org.