RESTON, VA - Sixty Senators, U.S. Representatives or their staffs, including nearly one-third of the U.S. Senate, heard the printing industry speak with one clear and loud voice during the 2014 edition of Print's Voice Capitol Hill Fly-In. 

Over 50 industry executives and association leaders gathered on Capitol Hill May 6-7 and called on Congress to enact urgently needed postal and patent reform legislation before the end of 2014. They also made the case that first-year expensing of capital equipment purchases must be included as an essential element of comprehensive tax reform, and that the cost of advertising should remain fully deductible as an ordinary and necessary business expense. Congress was also urged to enact international trade legislation and ratify international trade agreements that foster U.S. manufactures ability to successfully compete in the global marketplace.

Featured elected officials who addressed Fly-In participants included, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and House Republican Conference Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), as well as U.S. Representatives Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Michael Michaud (D-ME), Reid Ribble (R-WI) and Lee Terry (R-NE).

During the course of the two-day program attendees met with other senators and representatives during scores of congressional office visits to advocate for Print's Voice '14 government affairs priorities.

See issue briefs

Before the office visits attendees were briefed on the printing industry’s government affairs priorities by several panels of issue experts drawn from congressional committee staffs, Washington think tanks, and industry experts. 

Co-sponsored by Printing Industries of America and NPES The Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing and Converting Technologies, Print's Voice, now in its fourth year, has grown into a signature event that brings printers and suppliers together for a powerful program of public policy education, issue advocacy, interaction with Members of Congress and social events on Capitol Hill. This year’s Fly-In was also supported for the first time by the National Association of Printing Ink Manufacturers and the Association of Independent Mailing Equipment Dealers. 

Fly-in participants gave the program high marks, citing its educational value and the opportunity to advance industry priorities by meeting directly with elected officials and their staffs. Both NPES and Printing Industries of America look forward to continuing the synergy of their Print's Voice Fly-in partnership in 2015, with the goal of further expanding industry participation.