NAPA members flock to Hill Day
The road materials space was well-represented in Washington, D.C. the last week of September as hundreds of stakeholders from across the industry descended on Capitol Hill for conversations with lawmakers on highway funding, taxes, and the impact of inflation on road construction.
NAPA members joined members of the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association (NSSGA) and the National Ready-Mix Concrete Association (NRMCA) as part of Hill Day, a show of strength among the trade associations where attendees come together to discuss priorities for constituents to discuss with their representatives in Congress.
Many NAPA members participated in Hill Day following the IMPACT Leadership Group Conference, which was co-located with the joint advocacy effort for the first time.
NAPA Vice President for Government Affairs Nile Elam kicked off NAPA’s Hill Day programming with a legislative briefing at the Grand Hyatt Washington. Government Affairs Director Mitch Baldwin sharedthe organization’s efforts around work zone safety, which are taking shape ahead of National Work Zone Awareness Week in April.
NAPA members learned about the impact the Supreme Court’s decision on “Chevron deference” would have on the regulatory environment, as well as the latest guidance on PFAS and heat illness prevention from NAPA Vice President for Environment, Health, & Safety Howard Marks and Coral Todd with Duval Asphalt.
“For industries like ours, these regulations present unique challenges,” Todd said.
Attendees next headed over to the Hyatt Regency where other Hill Day participants from NSSGA and NRMCA were gathered for an introduction to advocacy. After meeting their groups, organized by state, and learning what talking points to highlight, the event faded into a PAC-sponsored networking reception.
Hill Day advocates were up bright and early the next morning to hear NAPA President and CEO Audrey Copeland introduce former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove, who discussed the political climate and offered last-minute guidance to those heading to meetings with lawmakers later in the day.
Next, the groups headed over to Capitol Hill, where they discussed tax policy priorities, like bonus depreciation, as well as ideas for keeping the Highway Trust Fund solvent.