Spurred by the need to better educate Congress about the specialty chemical industry and the challenges it faces, chemical executives are rallying in the nation’s capital for meetings with elected officials during SOCMA’s Fifth Annual Washington Fly-In, April 17-18, 2012.
“Our unique sector of the chemical industry has a compelling story to tell, and there is no one better than our members to tell it,” said Lawrence D. Sloan, SOCMA president and CEO. “Members of Congress need to be reminded that, although specialty and batch manufacturing is a small industry, ours is the most innovative and, therefore, among the most critical.”
“SOCMA members are also an authority on the impact federal regulations have on essential manufacturing,” he added. “Put simply, Congress needs to know that improved chemistry occurs through more innovation, not more regulation.”
In addition to sharing concerns about the impact of regulations, Sloan said SOCMA will push for an extension of the research and development tax credit, passage of the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and carefully tailored fixes to the Toxic Substances Control Act. Fly-In participants will also urge Congress to expand resources at the Food and Drug Administration for inspections of foreign drug and drug ingredient facilities.
“These face-to-face meetings with members of Congress and their staff are an important way to exchange information and foster the development of smart regulations that consider the full economic impact on the U.S. chemical industry,” said Frank Marine, president of TM Chemicals Limited Partnership and a return participant.
To underscore its lobbying effort, SOCMA launched a new Web site —www.specialtymanufacturing.org — and is publishing a full-page ad in the April 18 issue of Roll Call, one of the most widely read newspapers on Capitol Hill.
The Washington Fly-In brings together chemical manufacturers from throughout the U.S. for the opportunity to influence public policy. In conjunction with this year’s event, SOCMA is also hosting a “Virtual Fly-In” for members unable to make the trip to Washington. The Virtual Fly-In, which allows members to send electronic letters to their representatives, runs April 16-20 and rounds off a week of advocacy activities.
SOCMA’s advocacy week activities are organized by the association’s grassroots arm, SOCMA CONNECT, which supports and encourages members to shape the laws affecting specialty chemical manufacturers.
SOCMA is the only U.S.-based trade association dedicated solely to the batch, custom, and specialty chemical industry. SOCMA has a global membership of 220 companies, which employ more than 46,000 workers in the U.S. alone. The value of the products and services provided by SOCMA members is $24 billion, and the industry’s impact on the U.S. GDP is upwards of $2.9 trillion. For more information, visit www.socma.com.
