U.S. citizens have renewed their interest in Congress thanks to the Internet and at the urging of interest groups. According to a survey released this month by the Congressional Management Foundation, 44% of Americans contacted a U.S. Senator or Representatives in the past five years, which is a much higher contact rate than five years earlier.
The Internet is seen as one of the most important factors in boosting America’s interest in its government, having become the primary source for learning about and communicating with Congress. According to the survey, 43 percent of Americans who had contacted Congress used online methods to do so, more than twice the percentage of those who used either postal mail or the telephone.
Chad Mitchell, Vice President of Advocacy and Strategic Initiatives for Illumen, a workflow tool used to manage news and legislative issues, agrees. “It’s fast, easy and cheap to be online to learn about your legislature,” he said to a group of 50 corporate travel professionals at the National Business Travel Association’s (NBTA) 6th Annual Legislative Summit.
Mitchell also discussed the power of new online mediums that both citizens and Congressional offices are becoming more familiar with. He said that politically active citizens are now recording video messages addressing legislative issues to send to their Congressional representatives, as well as subscribing to or maintaining political blogs. “Members of Congress and their staffers are reading blogs,” he said.
Interest groups also play an increasingly important role in how citizens learned and communicated with Congress. The survey found 84 percent of respondents who had contacted Congress had been asked to do so by a third party, particularly interest groups. They also found information from interest groups to be more credible than information received directly from Congress.
“We constantly make our members aware of all legislative issues facing the corporate travel community,” said Shane Downey, NBTA Government Relations Manager. “We encourage our members to contact their representatives to express their views and ask for industry support.”
Attendees of the NBTA Legislative Summit were in town to personally visit with their Congressional offices to encourage support for current legislations that would enhance the business travel agenda. NBTA provided participants with background information on the bills, along with tips on speaking with Members of Congress and their staff.
“This is what matters,” said Mitchell. “You come to DC, talk to your Members, and get your voice heard. There is no better way to get your message across than through a face to face visit.”
The Issues at Hand
Extra taxes being levied on car rental customers in some cities and states across the United States was a hot topic at the Legislative Summit. These taxes, called discriminatory taxes because they single out customers of one specific industry, are often used to fund local projects such as the establishment of art centers or sporting arenas, or to revamp the community’s highway system.
“These discriminatory taxes for rental car customers are popping up all over the United States,” said Downey. “In fact, there were only 5 car rental taxes in the U.S. in 1980, and there are more than 100 today. As corporate travel advocates and concerned citizens, we’ve got to step in and let our Congress know how damaging these taxes truly are.”
Because the majority of rental car customers are local citizens or businesses, Brian Rothery, Legislative Affairs Manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, called these taxes “regressive,” hitting hardest those who least can afford them. “These taxes price the customer right out of the market,” he said.
The End Discriminatory State Taxes for Automobile Renters Act of 2007, or EDSTAR, would put an end to this trend by prohibiting new discriminatory car rental excise taxes. Legislative Summit attendees met with U.S. Representatives and Senators to encourage support of this bill, explaining the negative affects these taxes can have on a local business community.
According to Rothery, Congress has adopted similar protections for other segments within the travel industry, including the airlines, buses, and trains. “We’re not asking for something that’s never been done before,” he said. “We’re not asking for some brand new concept.”
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Rep. Clarke at NBTA Legislative Summit |
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY 11th) was also at the Legislative Summit to highlight a piece of legislation that she introduced last year – the Fast, Accurate, Secure and Timely (FAST) Redress Act of 2007. Her bill would create a dedicated office within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to simplify the process of appeal for air travelers mistakenly placed on terrorist watch lists and repeatedly subjected to secondary screening, as well as ensure innocent travelers have a quick and efficient mechanism to resolve watch list hits.
“It currently takes an average of 44 days to complete an appeal,” said Representative Clarke. “The Fast Redress Act would greatly streamline that process and serve as a one-stop-shop for any individual seeking appeal.”
As many NBTA members have indicated their travelers are frequently caught on watch lists and have expressed frustration in seeking redress, NBTA has been particularity supportive of this bill and has worked closely with Representative Clarke’s office to ensure its passage through Congress. Since the bill’s introduction, the association has provided to its members legislation alerts and updates. Utilizing NBTA’s online Legislative Action center, through which users can locate their Congressional representatives and compose emails about current legislative issues affecting business travel, NBTA members have also sent more than 200 emails to their Representatives and Senators encouraging co-sponsorship, companion legislation, and/or support.
On June 11 Legislative Summit attendees spoke with their Congressional offices about the importance of this legislation to the corporate travel community. One week later the bill was unanimously passed in the U.S. House of Representatives. NBTA is now encouraging members to ask their Senators to introduce companion legislation.
“Our hard work together with NBTA is shown in the success this bill has already had,” said Representative Clarke. “I look forward to continue working together on this legislation that would move us as a nation.”
NBTA Members can now visit the NBTA Legislative Action Center to compose an email to their U.S. Senators encouraging introduction of a companion bill to the FAST Redress Act. Visit the Legislative Action Center now. Visit the NBTA Legislative Action Center now.
Return to Connecting News June 2008