Printing Industry Executives Deliver Pro-Growth Message to Congress at Capitol Hill Fly-In

In the best-supported joint annual industry Capitol Hill Fly-In to date, cohosts NPES and Printing Industries of America, together with key sponsor associations, brought more than 50 leading printing industry executives to Washington, June 2 to 3, 2015, for Print's Voice 15, where they addressed top graphic communications industry business concerns directly with their elected representatives in Congress and the executive branch.

Print's Voice 15 participants, including industry executives and association leaders, contacted 80 congressional offices, up 13 percent from last year; of these contacts 28 were the elected officials themselves, 33 percent more than in 2014. Additionally, the group engaged with members of the Obama administration, as well as recently appointed U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan.

The agenda for Print's Voice 15 included a Tuesday welcome luncheon and afternoon issue briefings by invited members of Congress and Washington-based policy experts. This year's featured guests included Congresswoman Renee Ellmers (R-2-NC), as well as Congressmen Erik Paulsen (R-3-MN) and Bruce Poliquin (R-2-ME). The day continued with a bi-partisan Congressional Reception attended by 13 additional members of the House of Representatives followed by a Gala Congressional Dinner at which freshman U.S. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) was the featured speaker. The program resumed Wednesday morning on the "Senate side" of Capitol Hill with a breakfast featuring U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and new U.S. Postmaster General Megan Brennan, followed by 59 congressional office visits for the remainder of the day.

During the congressional office visits participants advocated for the following pressing industry issues:

1. Restructuring and revitalizing the U.S. Postal System, and the importance of paper.

2. Preserving pro-growth business tax policy.

3. Strengthening U.S. exporters' competitiveness in international trade.

4. Curtailing abusive "patent troll" practices.

5. Reducing burdensome government over-regulation in the manufacturing workplace.