TRSAPAC Fly-In: DCCC, NRCC and USDOT Visits
The TRSAPAC Fly-In wrapped up with a full agenda in the nation’s capital on July 12. TRSA’s Government Relations Department facilitated several meetings for TRSA members that included both the Democratic and Republican Party campaign arms, as well as several high-ranking officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The day began with a wide-ranging discussion with Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), who is a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Leadership, as well as a member of the House Education and the Workforce; Veterans Affairs; and the Science, Space & Technology Committees. Rep. Takano shared his insights on the upcoming midterm elections from a Democratic perspective, noting that there is much enthusiasm in the Democratic base and an optimistic outlook that the midterms will be a referendum on a controversial president and some of his administration’s more radical policies. Rep. Takano believes the key issues in the midterms will be healthcare, tax cuts and tariffs, with the thinking that all three have been harmful to middle-class Americans.
TRSAPAC Fly-In attendees also got to see the perspective from the Republican party when the group visited the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and met with the organization’s Executive Director John Rogers, as well as the Chairman of the NRCC, Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH). Rogers gave an update on the polling data the committee was seeing heading into the midterm elections, and noted that a single issue had yet to come front and center at this point in time. Rep. Stivers gave an update on key individual races, including Rep. Barbara Comstock in Virginia, Rep. Mike Coffman in Colorado and several others. While pleased with the current state of the economy, Rep. Stivers noted a few potential stumbling blocks that Republicans must navigate heading into the election season, including a potential trade war/tariffs, rising healthcare costs and a potential government shutdown in September.
Sandwiched in between these two meetings was a visit to the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Transportation to talk with Anthony Bedell, deputy assistant secretary for intergovernmental affairs; Loren Smith, senior advisor, office of policy; and Bill Quade, associate administrator for enforcement and program safety at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Bedell kicked off the meeting by outlining U.S. DOT Secretary Elaine Chao’s priorities, which included:
- Ensuring safety
- Improving infrastructure
- Regulatory reform
- Innovation
The trio also took several questions from Fly-In attendees on U.S. DOT policy and enforcement initiatives before the meeting adjourned.
The TRSAPAC Fly-In contingent kicked off their program on Wednesday evening with a meeting with U.S. Rep. Coffman at the Capitol Hill Club. To read more about this meeting, click here. For more information on the twice-yearly Fly-Ins or TRSA’s advocacy efforts at the federal, state and local levels, contact TRSA Vice President of Government Relations Kevin Schwalb at kschwalb@trsa.org.