Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/340751
66 The PCB Magazine • July 2014 moved from its former Arlington, Va. location into the heart of DC. This prestigious Pennsyl- vania Avenue location is just blocks away from both the White House and Capitol Hill. No big surprise, as a government outreach and member advocacy presence here clearly pays dividends. This was reflected in the steady stream of high- level meetings with senators, representatives, and White House staffers that the IPC Govern- ment Relations team arranged for our IPC mem- ber delegation. The lawmakers our group met with in- cluded: Neil Bradley, Deputy Chief of Staff for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA); Sen- ator Tom Udall (D-NM); Senator Rob Portman (R-OH); Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX); Senator John Cornyn (R-TX); Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH). The key messaging delivered by our IPC member company executives' contingent was structured around three interconnecting themes: supporting national security through cutting-edge defense electronics; advocating for smart regulatory reforms; and promoting tech- nological innovation and manufacturing. These key themes were expressed in detail as follows: Advancing Technological Innovation and Manufacturing • Manufacturing in the U.S. has contracted significantly in the last 20 years, while manu- facturing has grown in other parts of the world. IPC's member companies in the U.S. seek a level global playing field • The U.S. government must support do- mestic innovation and manufacturing, includ- ing authorization and funding for the National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) • IPC supports comprehensive tax reform, including permanent extension of the R&D tax credit and lower tax rates for businesses • IPC supports comprehensive immigration reform that increases the number of H-1B and L-1 visas, as part of developing and maintaining a skilled 21st century workforce for innovation and economic growth in the U.S. Advocating for Smart Regulation • IPC supports legislative and federal agency efforts, including the House-passed Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 2122) to reform the regulatory process to prevent government over- regulation that harms U.S. electronics compa- nies in the global marketplace. • IPC backs science-based environmental regulations, including: – Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) re- form that preempts a patchwork of state laws, exempts byproducts sent for recycling from unnecessarily burdensome reporting require- ments, and regulates chemicals in articles only when necessary Figure 2: iPc executive luncheon with rep. Bill johnson (r-oh), an iPc champion! IMPACT 2014: IPC ON CAPITOL HILL continues