ACD Press Release

NACD Companies Welcome Members of Congress during Recess

During Congress’ six-week summer recess, NACD members have been busy opening up their facilities to members of Congress by hosting congressional site visits. This summer alone, NACD companies have hosted six members of Congress from across the country, with three more scheduled by month’s end. 

A visit by Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) to EMCO Chemical Distributors, Inc.’s Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin facility highlighted this summer’s visits. Both Speaker Ryan and Senator Johnson met with EMCO President Edward J. Polen and employees to learn more about steps the company is taking to ensure safety and to discuss how Congress can increase regulatory certainty. After touring EMCO’s facility, Speaker Ryan and Senator Johnson took the time to sit down with EMCO employees for a question-and-answer period to enable employees to ask about issues affecting the chemical distribution industry as well as their families. 

As summer recess began, Norman, Fox & Co. opened their doors to Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA) who serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She discussed with Norman, Fox & Co. President Stephen Halpin and company employees the importance of including hours-of-service restart provision language in upcoming legislation. Additionally, Rep. Napolitano took a special interest in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) documenting practices, vowing to work with NACD’s legislative affairs department to work out a solution.

Early in August, Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA) visited Tarr, LLC’s Auburn, WA facility outside of Seattle. Reichert, a former sheriff and current senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, met with Tarr, LLC President Skip Tarr to discuss duplicative regulations and tax reform. A senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means, as well as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Trade, Rep. Reichert specifically touted the House Republican blueprint for reforming the tax code, A Better Way. The blueprint calls for lowering rates, moving the United States toward a consumption-based tax system and revamping the IRS. GOP lawmakers designed the blueprint to foster economic growth and to simplify today’s complex tax code.

NACD will close out August with a site visit from Rep. George Holding (R-NC) to Brainerd Chemical Company Inc.’s Dunn, NC facility. Brainerd Chemical Company Chairman and NACD Chairman Mathew Brainerd will welcome Rep. Holding to discuss potential tax reform heading into the 115th Congress, in addition to highlighting the 25th anniversary of NACD Responsible Distribution®. Opportunities like these to make lawmakers aware of the lengths NACD members go to in order to protect workers, communities, and the environment are invaluable.

NACD continues to see the effect hosting congressional site visits has on strengthening the association’s name recognition throughout Capitol Hill. When NACD staff talk to lawmakers who have toured chemical distribution facilities, those visits are often brought up in conversation. Lawmakers can relate to the issues we fight for day in and day out. Site visits connect the abstract provisions in proposed legislation to the real-world impacts they have. In short, site visits are one of the most effective tools we have to educate lawmakers about our industry. If your company is interested in hosting a congressional site visit with your local member of Congress, please click here or contact Doug Leigh at dleigh@nacd.com. 

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