AWFS is a client of LobbyIt. Each month, LobbyIt prepares the following report on public policy updates and activity for AWFS and its member companies.
AWFS Monthly Report
Greetings!
In the month of August, our team continued to monitor trade developments and took meetings to determine Congressional plans for future CTE legislation as it relates to veterans.
Advocacy Update
The month of August is traditionally a quiet one here in DC. Particularly in an election year, both chambers are eager to get back to their districts in order to successfully campaign for reelection. However, this year was different. The House left at the beginning of August, but the Senate was in session for a little more than half the month. The general consensus being that it was a political calculation by Majority Leader McConnell to keep vulnerable Democrats in DC in order prevent them from spending too much time campaigning. His office asserts that it was because they had a lot on their plate that they wanted to get done. At the end of the day, the only real accomplishments have been around confirming nominees.
When Congress gets back there will be a number of pressing issues on their plate. Each of them with unique challenges that will strain that chances of bipartisan solutions. The biggest issue that will begin on the first day of work in September, is the confirmation of Supreme Court Nominee, Judge Kavanagh. Democrats and their base are vehemently opposed to his nomination but for all their anger there is very little that they can do to stop him from being confirmed to sit on the court. The futility of their anger and efforts to block him will likely lead to very contentious confirmation hearings and may poison the well for future bipartisanship. This could prove very problematic given the other issues that must be tackled.
In September, the authorization for the FAA runs out. This means that they either need to pass the full authorization package or a short-term extension, there are opponents to both options. The funding for the government also runs out in September. At this rate, it does not look like all the funding bills will be passed by the end of the month, so likely a short-term extension will be required, providing leverage for disgruntled members of the GOP. There is also the farm bill that is working its way through Congress. There are key differences between the Senate and House versions, meaning that the conference to reconcile differences will be tricky. The Senate passed a more moderate version of the bill and remains to be seen whether the more conservative factions of the GOP will agree to it. At the drafting of this report, a trade deal is still in the works with Canada and Mexico. If there is a deal reached, it’ll have to go to Congress, and the Administration is pushing for this to occur prior to the election. The election that is overshadowing all of these policy decisions. Needless to say, there will be a lot of happenings in the coming months for us to keep track of and ensure that the end results are beneficial for you.
As trade negotiations and fights heat up, we are continuing our monitoring of the situation and updating the AWFS team. During the month of August, we engaged in more in-depth discussions with the team to determine how developments might impact the membership and what steps we need to take to protect the interests of the members. Currently, the Administration is on the cusp of solidifying $200 billion in tariffs against China, announcing an additional $267B, and the steel tariffs show no sign of being reduced.
Additionally, we took another meeting in the House, this time with the Republican chair of the committee with oversight over military personnel issues. The focus being to determine who are the champions of improvements to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) at the military. This program assists veterans as they separate from the military and enter the private sector. The program is important because it provides education on the benefits available to them and helps veterans in deciding the best education, career, and/or apprenticeship program that they should pursue. A relationship with a Member’s office that is deeply invested in this program could position the Association to impact the visibility of wood-related careers as well as potentially be more involved in the process. We will continue exploring this area as we compile a recommendation as to the advocacy agenda that the Association should pursue in 2019.
Until next month,
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