Pictured – TRI Alliance GR team, with Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), Appropriations Committee
TRI Alliance Washington Fly-In Was A Chance To Voice Our Concerns
The TRI Alliance fly-in to Washington, DC, was productive. On April 18, we had breakfast with Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV), Appropriations Committee (photo attached); a meeting with Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Workforce Protections Subcommittee; lunch with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Ranking Member on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee; a meeting with former OSHA head Loren Sweatt (now HELP staff) including NRCA VP for OSHA issues Cheryl Ambrose at our request; and a meeting with the OSHA/DOL staffer and Chief of Staff for Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS). Roofing Day meetings took place the next day (April 19) and TRIA’s final meeting was on April 20 with the National Association of Home Builders. Roofing Day issues were workforce development, DOE’s Building Technologies Office, and the IRC Sec. 199A pass-through deduction, and TRI Alliance meetings focused on OSHA/DOL issues using the attached TRIA Watch List. More on the fly-in can be found here: https://tileroofing.org/industry-insights/tri-alliance-government-relations-team-holds-successful-meetings-in-washington-dc/
The TRI Alliance continues to monitor legislation that affects our members and the roofing industry in general.
OSHA Heat Illness Standard
OSHA’s draft Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor/Indoor Settings Standard moved forward with an April 27 National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health Working Group meeting. When its recommendations are voted on by the committee in May, OSHA will initiate the Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Act (SBREFA) panel process. SBREFA requires OSHA to notify SBA’s Office of Advocacy when it has an economically significant draft rule so Advocacy can assemble a panel of Small Enterprise Representatives (SERs) to critique the draft. During the TRIA fly-in meeting with HELP Committee staff, NRCA’s Cheryl Ambrose expressed her desire to have a roofing contractor on the Heat Illness SBREFA panel and felt TJ Curtis would be perfect.
Julie Su Nomination for Sec. of Labor
On April 20, the Senate HELP Committee held a hearing on Julie Su’s nomination for Sec. of Labor and Republicans questioned her policy positions and record at CA’s labor dept. On April 26, the Committee approved Su’s nomination on a party-line vote but she may never get a Senate vote due to opposition from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV).
CRA Resolution to Rescind Tariff Moratorium on Chinese Solar Panels
On April 28, the House passed a Congressional Review Act resolution to block the Commerce Dept. from implementing President Biden’s two-year tariff moratorium for Chinese solar panels. China has been circumventing tariffs by routing solar panels through other countries and the House vote included 12 Democrats voting yes.
Debt Limit Increase Bill and IRA Green Energy Tax Incentives
On April 26, the House passed the Republican debt limit increase bill, the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023. With the Senate on the sidelines, the ball is now in President Biden’s court to meet with Speaker McCarthy. A provision in the bill would repeal most of the Inflation Reduction Act’s green energy tax-incentive expansions. Republicans say they add to the debt and China also benefits from them, but it’s possible they were also concerned by labor union and “social justice” requirements in the expanded tax incentives, too.
For more information about the TRI, please visit our website at www.tileroofing.org