TRSAPAC Fly-In: Fresh Faces on Capitol Hill
Following the results of the Nov.8 election, TRSA members visited Capitol Hill to meet with key legislators and get a sense of the changes that will take place in DC with a Republican president, House and Senate. These meetings are invaluable as TRSA’s Government Relations staff formulates its strategy for the coming year.
The Nov. 17 meetings kicked off with a discussion of business regulations with Rep.-Elect Trey Hollingsworth (R-IN), who recently defeated Democratic candidate Shelli Yoder with 53.5% of the vote in Indiana’s ninth district, which stretches from Indianapolis to Louisville. A businessman himself before running for Congress, Hollingsworth connected with the TRSAPAC members in attendance on several key issues of importance to the textile services industry, including:
- U.S. Department of Labor’s Overtime Regulation
- Minimum wage increases across the U.S. and its impact on businesses
- Difficulties finding a pool of labor
A major theme of the recent presidential election was trade deals and their impact on labor in the United States. Rep.-Elect Hollingsworth asked TRSAPAC members about the impact of these types of deals on their business. He also discussed the regulatory challenges businesses must contend with under the current administration and how the Republican leadership hopes to ease those burdens during the first 100 days of the Trump administration. Rep.-Elect Hollingsworth said that the new leadership is looking to roll back the regulatory state, take control of the executive branch, reform the tax code and cut the budget deficit.
After the meeting with Rep.-Elect Hollingsworth, the group met with another newcomer to DC in Rep.-Elect Scott Taylor (R-VA). Rep.-Elect Taylor won the seat in Virginia’s second district that was left open when incumbent Scott Rigell decided not to run for re-election. Taylor won nearly 60% of the vote in a district that includes Virginia Beach and the Hampton Roads area, against Democratic challenger Shaun Brown.
Rep.-Elect Taylor is a retired Navy SEAL from a district with a heavy military presence. He spoke at length with Fly-In attendees about job opportunities for former military members. Several textile services executives shared their company’s experiences with these hires during the back-and-forth discussion. Rep.-Elect Taylor also emphasized that the industry should keep in close contact with him during his time on Capitol Hill. “I need you to alert me to issues that affect your industry,” Rep.-Elect Taylor said. “There are some issues I might miss. Don’t hesitate to reach out and get ahold of my office.”
TRSAPAC Fly-In attendees included:
- P.J. Dempsey, Dempsey Uniform & Linen Supply
- Greg Hart, Cintas
- Milton Magnus, M&B Hangers
- David Potack, Unitex Textile Rental Services
- David Tingue, Tingue
- Doug Waldman, Superior Linen Service
The TRSAPAC Fly-In meetings began with a dinner the previous evening with Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO). Click here for details.