CLAC Meeting Follow Up
TO: CLAC members
FROM: Steve Lutes
RE: Meeting follow-up
The Chamber’s Corporate Leadership Advisory Council met September 14 in Washington, DC. We had solid attendance and an engaged group. We also welcomed the new chair of the council – Shannon Greene, Treasurer & CFO of Tandy Leather Factory, Inc. in Fort Worth, Texas. It was an opportunity to thank our outgoing chair – Ray Pinard, President & CEO of 48HourPrint.com – for his outstanding leadership as well as his many efforts to carry the Chamber’s message on several important issues to Capitol Hill and in the media.
Our first speaker was Congressman Todd Rokita (R-IN) (pictured below speaking), a freshman member of Congress who serves on the House Budget Committee. The Congressman spoke at length about the debt and tried to both put it in perspective and sound an alarm about where we are headed if fundamental changes are not made. I’ve attached his PowerPoint presentation. Congressman Rokita was followed by the Chamber’s Executive Vice President of Government Affairs Bruce Josten who also addressed the debt issue as well as tax reform, the economy and proposals to empower businesses and create jobs. Attached you will find Bruce’s notes from his remarks. We had presentations from Chamber experts on health care and taxes and heard from Dan Holler, Communications Director for Heritage Action for America. Dan spoke about the 2012 election, both the Presidential race and control of Congress, and how various outcomes will impact the policy direction in 2013 and beyond.
Following a session of policy roundtables, we traveled to Capitol Hill and participated in a press conference to call for the Repeal of the 3% Withholding Tax. Five of your fellow council members joined four Members of Congress and the Chamber’s Giovanni Coratolo in making remarks at the press conference. Special thanks to the following council members for their help: Terry Neimeyer, President & CEO, KCI Technologies in Sparks, MD; David Kellogg, President & CEO, Solers in Arlington, VA; Phil Soucy, Co-President & CEO, Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. in Alexandria, VA; Rich Spicer, VP, Tyler Construction Group in Columbia, SC; and Steve Reynolds, CFO, ELDECO, Inc. in Greenville, SC.
- Here’s a link to a video of the press conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faohbHZjH3U
- And here’s a link to the press release the House Small Business Committee issued: http://smallbusiness.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=260107
To follow below is a blog we did on the press conference. Like the 1099 mandate, the 3% Withholding Tax is an issue that several council members raised as important. We have been able to make some significant progress on the issue…House Leadership has indicated that the repeal legislation will be a part of their Fall agenda. And we’re driven the number of cosponsors of the repeal legislation up to 241 in the House. If you haven’t already, please take a minute to both sign our National Petition and send an email to your elected officeholders: http://www.repealwithholdingnow.com/
Thank you to all who took time out of your busy schedules to attend!! And everyone, please mark your calendars and plan to join us for the Winter Meeting on March 4-5, 2012, in Orlando, FL.
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