legislative AFFAIRS
Legislative Update
Washington DC Legislative Fly-In: Now Taking Reservations
Your Chamber creates a Federal Legislative Action
Plan (FLAP) and delivers it to Congress at our annual
Washington D.C. Legislative Fly-in. Developing and
delivering the FLAP is a six month process. Working with
our Board, members, Legislative Affairs, Transportation
and Health & Wellness Committees, we survey the
membership and evaluate and discuss issues that face our
business community. The final plan is approved by the
Board of Directors. If you are interested in the legislative
process please join us. The DC Fly-in is May 11-14th.
Your Chamber is the only organization in B/CS that
advocates for local business interests at the local, state
and federal levels. The Chamber uses guiding principles
when considering positions on business issues. At the
heart of these principles is the certainty that the strength
of a nation, a state and community is a reflection of the
strength of their economies. Wealth and jobs are created
through economic development in a free society by
means of free enterprise. Businesses, especially small
businesses, are the engines that drive economic growth
and rely on an atmosphere conducive to that growth. The
following is a draft summary. If you receive our Insider
Report (and if you don’t, please sign up on our website)
you were invited to participate in our FLAP survey. We
value and appreciate your input and feedback.
We support:
Improve Health Care Legislation
1. Replacing or amending PPACA to create a market-driven
health care system that reduces the complexity of
compliance for patients, providers, insurers and employers.
2. Defining health care cost transparency to improve valuedriven healthcare services for all stakeholders by making
the system easier to navigate for patients, providers and
employers seeking to control costs.
3. Expanding personal responsibility incentives to develop
healthy lifestyle choices focused on wellness and
prevention.
4. Reforming the Recovery Audit Contractor (RAC) program
to provide a fair and balanced approach to punish abusers
without penalizing those who are compliant.
5. Allowing states to develop alternatives to Medicaid
expansion – using The Texas Way as a model.
Promote Fiscal Responsibility
1. Developing a balanced budget policy and a requirement to
use the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
in all government budgeting.
2. Mandating collaboration between federal agencies to
eliminate duplicative program expenditures.
3. Reforming Medicare and Social Security programs in a way
that will put them on the path to long-term sustainability.
4. Improving Congressional oversight of federal programs
with existing resources.
5. Levying greater penalties on those who intentionally
defraud the federal government.
Reduce the Regulatory and Tax Burdens on Business
1. Tax code reform that decreases business taxes, helping U.S.
companies to better compete in the global marketplace.
2. Modification of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street and Consumer
Protection Act of 2010 to reduce the cost and complexity
of compliance for employers.
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Connections March 2015
3. All efforts to oppose EPA’s “cross state” pollution
regulations.
4. Opposition to unfunded mandates on state and local
governments.