Boating Industry

April 2017

Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/807903

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 19 of 51

www.BoatingIndustry.com 20 | Boating Industry | April 2017 NEW ADMINISTRATION, NEW OPPORTUNITIES ABC 2017 offers industry fresh look at policy, issues BY JONATHAN SWEET W ith a new presidential administration and 62 new members of Congress, the 2017 edition of the American Boating Congress will be one of the most important in years. "It's a critical year because this is a fresh start," said Nicole Vasilaros, NMMA's vice president of federal and legal affairs. "This is an administration that doesn't have the political history that previous administrations had. There's a lot of education that needs to happen, so coming to ABC this year is probably more crucial than ever so that we're educating the folks in the administration as to why boating matters." ABC is organized by NMMA and co-hosted by (as of early March) 24 other organizations and associations, including Boating Industry. The lobbying and education efforts that happen now help to set the agenda and priorities for the next two years and beyond. "With so many new members in Congress, any time you have a switch, you're going to have staffi ng turnover," Vasilaros said. "It's really important we have strong attendance, with a variety of people coming from around the country to tell that story … early on." As part of that turnover are two new House Boating Caucus co-chairs, Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., and Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J. They replace Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., who did not seek re-election, and Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla., who lost his race for the U.S. Senate last fall. "Both have already been proven champions for our industry, so it's really exciting to have them come as co-chairs on the House side," Vasilaros said. "They'll be a great duo and will give us great leadership for the coming years." Jake Tapper, Hill visits and more This year's ABC will have a similar schedule to past events, with some new features (see complete tentative schedule on p. 23). Award-winning CNN journalist Jake Tapper will deliver this year's keynote address kicking off the general session on Wednesday. Other speakers will be announced closer to the event, but will include elected representatives and administration offi cials. Frankel and MacArthur are likely to be among the speakers. Another addition to the schedule this year is "Inside the Beltway – Republican and Democratic Insights," which starts the Tuesday schedule. Attendees will be able to hear from Republican and Democratic D.C. operatives about the inner workings of both Congress and the administration in preparation for Hill visits and other meetings. One of the most important facets of ABC is the opportunity to schedule visits to Capitol Hill to meet with senators and representatives. Hill visits are organized by state delegation so attendees can show the importance of boating to lawmakers. "Having constituents come to town and say not only are they voters in the district but they are employers … that tells a story that is really impactful," Vasilaros said. "I can't underscore that enough. Having a boat brand or an engine company or a marina talk about troubles they're facing, the opportunities they're seeing for growth, really makes an impact on the staff and members." ABC speakers offer an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of Washington. Jake Tapper

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Boating Industry - April 2017