Legislative Priorities Emerge for Manufacturing
On November 16, incoming National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President John Engler, along with experts on various manufacturing issues, laid out for manufacturing industry associations in Washington key legislative priorities aimed at improving the U.S. manufacturing base. He expects a written "legislative agenda" for NAM will be made public by year’s end.
Engler says procedural rules on judicial nominations may be a first administration test, and that the manufacturing community should begin to view the legislative and judicial processes as key to future success on critical manufacturing issues.
Top priorities of the Bush administration likely will be tort reform and tax reform. Both will require cooperation of pro-business Democrats as well as the Republican majorities in the Senate and House, as both chambers lost conservative "pro-manufacturing" Democrats and gained new Republicans without specific voting records.
"We must make sure our issues are on Bush’s list of priorities. While Bush has a record of doing what he promises in elections―both as governor and as president―we cannot take for granted that our issues are on the list," said Greg Casey, president of the Business Industry Political Action Committee (BIPAC).
NAM supports enactment of either a comprehensive energy bill or piecemeal energy legislation as part of other bills. Progress thus far has been small pieces of the plan the White house laid out in 2002.
Fred Nichols, NAM chief lobbyist, predicts Social Security reform will be the new administration’s top priority, followed by making current tax cuts permanent, tax-law reform, and pushing national energy policy reforms. He agrees that piecemeal energy policy is as likely as a single bill.
Frank Vargo, NAM’s trade specialist, said trade agreements―regional and global―and currency valuation would be key legislative agenda items for the next Congress. Resolving China’s currency pegging, WTO reauthorization, and TPA extension are all key to successful China trade relations. NAM is drafting a China policy statement that will be circulated shortly.
There also will likely be a push to enact the administration’s Clear Skies proposal.
NAM’s tax experts said by year’s end the administration would appoint a bipartisan panel to look into reforming the tax code. They would likely complete a report by next August. NAM’s Tax Committee is recruiting members for consideration to the panel. The current state of pension plans will focus congressional attention on defined-benefit and cash-balance plans. Class action reform may be attached to an omnibus appropriations bill this year, and medical liability reform will likely be an issue for the next Congress.
Longenecker Named Chair of Government and International Affairs Committee
Robert Longenecker has taken the role of chair of the Association’s Government and International Affairs Committee―a sub-committee of the Association’s board. The committee seeks broader participation in the pro-manufacturing legislative agenda and promotes aluminum-specific policy positions (see www.aluminum.org>industry>government policy).
For more information about NAM membership or involvement, see www.nam.org. For aluminum manufacturing concerns that we promote, call or e-mail Robin King or Steve Larkin at The Aluminum Association, or visit www.aluminum.org.
