Engaging members of Congress is key to NPES Government Affairs says NPES President Ralph J. Nappi (Room S101). More specifically, NPES members’ communications and interactions with their elected representatives and their staffs are absolutely essential to advocating the association’s and industry’s public policy agenda, and is the focus of NPES Government Affairs activities for 2012 and the future.

A prime example of this was when more than a dozen NPES member company executives joined with members of Printing Industries of America to urge support for H.R. 2309, Postal Reform Act of 2012 and pro-capital investment tax policy by collectively visiting more than 50 congressional offices June 5-7. They met with both elected representatives and staff during NPES’s Capitol Hill Fly-In/Print’s Voice 2012, jointly sponsored by the two partner associations.

Passing H.R. 2309 in the U.S. House of Representatives is critical to enacting urgently needed postal reform legislation before the end of 2012 and the 112^th Congress. The U.S. Senate passed a counterpart measure back in April, and a House/Senate compromise is imperative to put the Postal Service on a sustainable course for the future.

During a luncheon on June 6, Fly-In participants thanked Senator Thomas R. Carper, (D-DE), an ardent advocate for postal reform and principal co-sponsor of S.1789, The 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012, for his leadership in gaining Senate approval of the measure.

Prior to House lobbying visits, Fly-In participants met with both U.S. Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe (PMG) and one of the principal sponsors of H.R. 2309, Congressman Dennis Ross (R-12-FL) for a briefing on the U.S. Postal Service’s 5 Year Business Plan to Profitability, as well as the political dynamics of postal reform legislation in the House of Representatives.

PMG Donahoe stressed that while the Postal Service can and must do much unilaterally to improve its fortunes, it is equally imperative that Congress acts to provide USPS management more flexibility to make the systemic changes necessary to achieve financial stability and a new business model that has long-term sustainability. Congressman Ross underscored the need for the more aggressive reforms contained in H.R. 2309, including a greater impetus for restructuring and streamlining USPS infrastructure and reducing unsustainably high labor costs.

Fly-In participants were addressed at a reception by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, The Honorable John A. Boehner (R-8-OH), who commended them for their participation in the process of government and discussed economic challenges facing the nation. Dinner guests also included Congressmen Pat Tiberi (R-12-OH), Chairman of the Ways and Means Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee, and Todd Rokita (R-4-IN), a member of the House Budget Committee.

Tiberi focused on the need for comprehensive tax reform that would reduce the burden of taxation on businesses, allowing them to create more jobs and making them more internationally competitive. He was also commended for his leadership in sponsoring H.R. 4691, which would extend 100% bonus depreciation until January 1, 2013. Rokita talked at length about the dangers of dramatically increasing federal budget deficits and the need for curtailing government spending.

The Fly-In concluded with a gala dinner that featured comments by U.S. Senator Scott Brown (R-MA), and entertainment by longtime Washington favorites, the Capitol Steps.

Fly-In participants gave the program high marks, citing its educational value and the opportunity to advance industry priorities by meeting directly with government officials and their staffs. Both NPES and Printing Industries of America look forward to continuing the synergy of their Capitol Hill Fly-In/Print’s Voice partnership in 2013.

For more information contact NPES Government Affairs Director Mark J. Nuzzaco at phone: 703-264-7235 or email: mnuzzaco@npes.org.