Advocacy Efforts Alive and Well

摘要

As 2004 chairman of Precision Metalforming Association (PMA), I selected as the theme for the year: "PMA: Premier Manufacturing Advocate." I adopted this theme in recognition that the steel tariffs that caused us so much pain in 2002-2003 were just one outgrowth of the situation in Washington, D.C. That is, while our industry had virtually no presence or constituency in federal government, other parties-big steel, labor unions, etc.-were fully mobilized and had well-oiled legislative/lobbying machinery working the halls of Congress and the executive branch on an ongoing basis. Through the efforts of our dedicated members, consultants and other resources PMA brought to bear in Washington, we were able to pressure the administration into repealing the tariffs 18 months early. We also gave the metalforming industry, and U.S. manufacturing in general, some long-overdue visibility and credibility within the federal government.