The countdown has begun! On May 15 and 16, ACD members will descend upon Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. for our highly anticipated annual Fly-In. The two-day event will allow our members to introduce our new name and meet with Congressional offices to discuss the critical issues impacting the chemical distribution industry today.
As we approach November elections, our issues may not be at the forefront of lawmakers’ minds. That’s why our Fly-In is so important to the advocacy work we do each year, allowing our members to directly engage with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. By sharing your stories and real-life experiences, ACD members can highlight the importance of the chemical distribution industry in particular Congressional districts or states, and keep lawmakers engaged on the key legislative and regulatory issues that maintain the responsible and efficient distribution of essential chemicals across the nation.
For this year's Fly-In, ACD members will have plenty to discuss with lawmakers, we are excited to share a preview of these topics with you:
- Trade: Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL-25) recently introduced legislation to retroactively renew and extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) trade program. GSP lowers costs for American businesses while promoting economic development in developing countries. ACD members will urge Congress to pass the RETRO GSP Act and to renew the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB). Both of these critical trade programs will alleviate some financial constraints and enhance access to thousands of essential chemical products that are not domestically manufactured.
- Ocean and Rail Shipping: The chemical distribution industry relies on safe and reliable ocean and rail service to ensure essential products are moving efficiently throughout the supply chain. Our industry and other ocean shippers have recently faced increased shipping rates due to disruptions in the Red Sea and the ongoing Panama Canal drought. ACD will urge Congress to enforce diligent oversight on the practices of ocean carriers and will also call for the continued implementation of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA). ACD will also continue its advocacy from last year’s Fly-In by urging Congress to pass the Railway Safety Act and to support efforts that promote an effective Surface Transportation Board.
- Risk Management Program (RMP): The recent decision by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to expand RMP regulations will cause unnecessary burdens, information disclosure issues, and financial strain on many small businesses who are already in compliance with the current program’s structure. While ACD is taking the necessary steps to fight this rule, the Fly-In will allow members to highlight the impact of the growing number of regulations coming from the Biden Administration which adversely impact ACD members, many of which are small businesses. The EPA’s final rulemaking will do more harm than good, risking the diversion of resources from proven mitigation plans to finance these new requirements.
- Taxes: Members will have the opportunity to call for legislation to repeal the Superfund Excise Tax on a broad array of chemicals and chemical substances. The reinstatement of this tax is not only a huge regulatory undertaking, but it has also caused tremendous uncertainty among businesses as they do not have clear guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
- Chemical Security: For eight months, the successful and bipartisan Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program has been dormant because of its reauthorization being blocked by one vote, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY). This program is critical for chemical security, and without it, our nation’s vulnerable facilities do not have vital resources from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to support their security efforts.
This year’s Fly-In is especially exciting as we will be unveiling our new identity as the Alliance for Chemical Distribution to members of Congress. We will no longer be coming to the Hill as chemical distributors only. Instead, we will represent the entire chemical distribution industry: from manufacturers and producers, to warehousers, transporters, tollers, and everything in between. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to not only advocate for the issues impacting our industry, but also to demonstrate how our organization is growing and changing — just like the ever-evolving business of chemical distribution.
Our members’ voices and experiences are crucial to the success of our industry and the Fly-In allows us to use both to advocate meaningful change that will impact chemical distribution for years to come.
Want to get involved? Check out our Fly-In page for further information and register today!
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