17Jul

NADCA Government Affairs Conference

Secretary of Commer Pritzker addressing the NAM attendees

Washington, DC  6-2-15

For the fourth year in a row NADCA held it Government Affairs Conference in conjunction with the 2015 Manufacturing Summit of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). Over 400 manufacturers descended on Washington this year with a very basic message: the clock is ticking on American exceptionalism. Our global economic leadership is not guaranteed.

The NAM Summit is very well organized and NAM has the star power in Washington to attract big names like this year’s speaker, the Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker who spoke at the opening luncheon.  Secretary Pritzker talked about exporting manufactured goods from the US to other countries abroad that wants our products.  She also recognized and discussed the need to reduce the skills gap in the US; many manufacturers have job openings for skilled positions.

The first day after the luncheon involved visits to congressional offices by the attendees.  However the die casting group held both a NADCA Board meeting and a Government Affairs meeting that afternoon and scheduled the Hill visits for the second day of the event.  NADCA used the Government Affairs meeting to brief all the die casting attendees on the die cast issues to present to the Congress. These issues are very similar to the issues of NAM and are as follows:

  • Tax Reform
  • Infrastructure
  • Ozone Regulations
  • Greenhouse Gas Regulations
  • TSCA Reform

02

All Americans – need tax, energy and trade policies that will increase U.S. competitiveness and promote economic growth. It’s absolutely essential that lawmakers understand the barriers manufacturers encounter every day and our priorities for creating more jobs and prosperity for all Americans.

I will address the first Issue for manufacturing on the above list here – Tax Reform.

There are things policy makers can do to create a tax climate that encourages innovation and spurs investment, job creation and economic growth.

Key ingredients for comprehensive tax reform plan include:

  • A Lower Corporate Tax Rate;
  • Lower Tax Rates for Small and Medium-Sized Manufacturers; A Strong, Permanent and Competitive R&D Incentive;
  • A Modern International Tax System; and
  • A Robust Capital Cost-Recovery System

I have been visiting Washington DC for nearly 40 years with NADCA and I am very happy by the job the National Association of Manufacturers is doing to represent all manfacturers in the US. NADCA and the die casting industry is benefiting from attending the NAM Summit each year in Washington DC.

If you have any part designs or parts you would like reviewed and quoted as an aluminum die casting please send your files to sales@diecasting.com.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *