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Successes

PMA is Fighting for

You in Washington, D.C.

Through PMA’s Washington, D.C. team, One Voice, we have achieved many federal lobbying successes over the years to help our members and the industry.

Advocacy Successes: 2020-2025

Workforce

  • Pell Grants updated to cover short-term programs
  • Funding restored for MEPs after contract cancellations
  • $5,250 tax-free employer student loan payments made permanent

 

Taxes

  • Full R&D expensing made permanent
  • Refunds for small businesses on R&D taxes paid
  • 100% Bonus Depreciation made permanent
  • Higher 199a deduction for passthroughs approved
  • Estate tax exemption upper thresholds made permanent
  • 529 accounts expanded to include industry credentials

 

Trade and Supply Chains

  • PMA coalition is the leading voice opposing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports
  • Comments filed raising concern over possible Section 232 tariffs on industrial machinery and robotics
  • Comments filed with Commerce Department opposing tariffs on copper and copper alloys
  • Met with USTR over Chinese investments in Mexico under USMCA

 

Regulations

  • Interim rule blocked Corporate Transparency Act reporting
  • PMA President David Klotz testified before OSHA on proposed indoor heat rule

Workforce

  • Succeeded in defeating Labor Department apprenticeship rule eliminating competency-based registered apprenticeships
  • Agreement reached on Workforce Innovation and Opportunities Act Renewal

 

Trade and Supply Chains

  • United States, European Union extended truce over steel, aluminum tariffs
  • Supply-chain resiliency and risk assessment tool created

 

Taxes

  • House passed bill eliminating R&D tax, restores 100% expensing
  • Bipartisan bill introduced expanding 529s to industry training

 

Regulations

  • Secured delay of Corporate Transparency Act reporting
  • Defeated NLRB joint employer rule
  • Expansion of overtime eligibility to
  • 4.2 million workers overruled
  • FTC ban on non-competes overruled
  • Pentagon bill includes Cybersecurity Maturity
  • Model Certification language for small businesses

Workforce

  • Succeeded in increasing funding by $545 million for workforce investment, training and recruitment
  • Increased by $50 million Perkins CTE State Grants
  • Increased by $500 the maximum Pell Grant to $7,395
  • Succeeded in introducing bill to expand 529s for credentials

 

Trade and Supply Chains

  • Helped convince USTR to maintain tariffs on Chinese stampings during review
  • Succeeded in getting copper added to the critical mineral list
  • Advocated for introduction of a bill to reform 232 steel, aluminum tariffs
  • Lobbied Commerce Department to change the 232 exclusion process
  • Urged the creation of the House Committee on Competition with China

 

Taxes

  • Worked to include a fix for R&D, 100% bonus depreciation in U.S. House bill
  • Lobbied for introduction of bill to double Section 179 expensing
  • Succeeded in eliminating backlog of Employee Retention Credits
  • Endorsed bill making passthrough deduction permanent

 

Regulations

  • Filed comments on OSHA’s indoor heat rule
  • Succeeded in reversing Waters of U.S. regulation
  • Filed comments on expansion of overtime eligibility

Workforce

  • Helped secure $11 billion for workforce and R&D funding
  • Lobbying to increase federal funding for career technical education
  • Working to expand Pell Grants
  • Succeeded in having manufacturing institutes now emphasize workforce, education

 

Trade and Supply Chains

  • Worked to make forming and machining included as priority in supply-chain-resiliency law
  • Testified on steel, aluminum tariffs at U.S. International Trade Commission
  • Succeeded in passing semiconductor-investment law
  • Working with Commerce Department on CHIPS implementation

 

Taxes

  • Defeated tax increases on passthrough businesses
  • Expanded new Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit to renewable-energy components
  • Assisted Last-in-First-out coalition in supporting LIFO
  • Prevented lowering the estate-tax threshold

 

Regulations

  • Met with OSHA on indoor 80-degree heat index rule
  • Working with coalition on temporary-worker regulation
  • Lobbying to defeat PRO Act union bill in the Senate

COVID

  • Increased EIDL loan limits to $2 million
  • Worked to extend the PPP loans application deadline
  • Succeeded in eliminating PPP loan “necessity questionnaire” for borrowers
  • Extended the Employee Retention Tax Credit

 

Workforce

  • Passed the National Apprenticeship Act in the U.S. House
  • Filed formal comments on barriers to Work-Based Learning opportunities
  • Lobbying to pass College Transparency Act
  • Secured additional $6 billion for registered apprenticeship expansion
  • Included in appropriations bill $50 million Perkins Basic State Grant increase
  • Secured $386 billion for Veterans Affairs rapid retraining program

 

Trade

  • Succeeded in suspending for five years potential tariffs on EU copper-based alloys
  • Successfully lobbied Biden administration to negotiate lifting steel tariffs on EU
  • Worked to introduce U.S. Senate bill to reform Section 232 tariff process
  • Convinced White House to keep tariffs on Chinese imports injuring PMA members
  • Secured language in bill to support Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms

 

Taxes

  • Protected Section 179 equipment expensing
  • Started coalition to protect deduction for passthrough companies
  • Included four-year extension of R&D tax credit in House bill
  • Succeeded in preventing elimination of step-up basis for capital gains
  • Opposing increase of business tax rates

 

Regulations

  • Filed comments with OSHA on updating its mechanical power presses standard
  • Lobbying to prevent PRO Act union language from becoming law
  • Working with OSHA on indoor heat illness prevention rule
  • Filed comments opposing changes to EPA’s Benefit Cost Rule

COVID

  • Lobbied Congress to create Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, of which 86% of members took advantage
  • Reversed IRS ruling; law now allows for deduction of PPP expenses
  • Borrower may now select PPP loan forgiveness term anytime between 8 and 24 weeks
  • Deferred 2020 payroll taxes for two years
  • Allowed second-draw loans for companies with 25% revenue loss test

 

Workforce

  • Secured more than $1 billion for job training and technical education
  • Lobbied Congress for new language in the CARES Act that expanded training funds in the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act for e-Learning
  • Lobbied to create Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs

 

Trade

  • Prevented up to 100% U.S. tariffs on copper-based alloys from Europe
  • Lobbied to incentivize supply chain reshoring/onshoring
  • Worked with coalition to oppose Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs, including filing comments to seek exclusion changes

 

Regulations

  • Prevented an OSHA universal workplace COVID mandate
  • Filed comments on numerous regulatory issues, resulting in:
  • Reforming Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) intermittent leave
  • Reversing the NLRB ambush election union rule
  • Crafting a more balanced EPA cost-benefit rule
  • Outlawing the use of “secret science” in EPA rulemaking

Advocacy Successes: 2015-2019

Workforce

  • Submitted recommendations to the Education/Labor Committees on updating the National Apprenticeship Act, which Congress has not revised since 1937
  • Increase of $30 million for Workforce Innovation Opportunity Grants; $15 million more for registered apprenticeships; $16 million more for Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEPs); and increased the maximum Pell Grant award to $6,345
  • Creation of Industry Recognized Apprenticeship Program (IRAP)
  • Passage of the Higher Education Act in the House
  • Convinced Trump administration to request $200 million for the Labor Department to expand registered apprenticeship and industry-recognized apprenticeship program

 

Trade

  • Passage of a new NAFTA, signed into law by the president
  • Commerce Department allowing companies to file complaints against China currency manipulation
  • Worked with Senate on legislation to address steel and aluminum tariffs

 

Taxes

  • Repeal of the medical device tax; health insurance tax; Cadillac health care tax

 

Regulations

  • Submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Labor on lockout/tagout
  • Filed comments with the White House on environmental impact reviews that delay infrastructure projects
  • Filed comments and lobbied to issue a new Waters of the U.S. rule at the EPA
  • Passage of a more reasonable overtime rule
  • Convinced the NLRB to change the ambush election rule for unions

Workforce

  • Helped promote Manufacturing Day and scheduled plant tours throughout the year
  • Became a founding member of a nationwide campaign to promote credentials
  • Passage of a law that provides a major expansion of Career and Technical Education funding
  • Introduction of the College Transparency Act
  • Increased funding for Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) programs

 

Trade

  • Sent a formal statement of priorities to the White House on U.S.-Japan trade agreement
  • Provided key information to the Senate chairman on the impact of steel and aluminum tariffs on PMA members
  • Became a founding member of the Coalition for American Metal Manufacturers and Users, opposing the steel and aluminum tariffs
  • Convinced the Commerce Department to allow tariff exclusions for steel and aluminum quota countries
  • Worked with bipartisan Senators and Representatives to introduce tariff legislation
  • Successfully lobbied for the removal of steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada and Mexico in May 2019

 

Taxes

  • Treasury Department accepting the definition of pass-throughs for tax cuts
  • Introduction of a bill eliminating the estate tax

 

Regulations

  • Regulation for Association Health Plans (AHPs) being eased
  • NLRB reversing course to change rule covering the use of temporary workers
  • OSHA allowing post-incident drug testing
  • Labor Department no longer requiring electronic filing of OSHA Forms 300 and 301
  • White House releasing a regulatory reform process for secret science
  • EPA changing rule restricting power plant construction and upgrades

Workforce

  • Helped promote Manufacturing Day and scheduled plant tours throughout the year
  • Unanimous House passage of the Career and Technical Education bill
  • Introduction of a bipartisan Senate bill to allow grants for short-term skills training

 

Trade

  • Met with Commerce Secretary, and filed comments and testimony opposing steel and aluminum tariffs
  • Worked to exempt several critical countries from steel and aluminum tariffs
  • Filed official comments on NAFTA re-negotiations

 

Taxes

  • Passage of the largest tax cut law in more than 30 years
  • A 20% deduction for pass-through businesses such as S-Corporations
  • Full 100% business expensing for manufacturers – can invest in machines, property and training

 

Regulations

  • Filed comments with the Department of Labor asking to reverse the union ambush elections rule
  • OSHA not moving forward with posting companies’ Forms 300A, 300, or 301 on public internet
  • EPA reversing its position on chlorinated paraffins, issued consent order allowing use
  • EPA no longer using “secret science” when developing policy
  • Delayed implementation of NAAQs, Greenhouse Gas, and Clean Power Plan rules
  • A rewrite of the Waters of the U.S., court actions proceeding
  • Blocking the doubling of the overtime exemption threshold level to $47,476
  • Suspension of EEOC wage reporting requirements rule
  • Overturn of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) joint employer decision

Workforce

  • Helped promote Manufacturing Day and scheduled plant tours throughout the year
  • Passed Career and Technical Education/Perkins bill in House

 

Taxes

  • Convinced IRS to exempt S-Corporations from 385 Rule to reclassify debt as equity for income tax purposes and include related companies/sister corporations in debt calculations

 

Regulations

  • Passed a law updating the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) to create a uniform regulatory structure for the first time in 40 years across all 50 states
  • Helped delay EPA’s elimination of chlorinated paraffins
  • Victory in court suspending overtime threshold expansion effort
  • Victory in court blocking EPA’s Waters of the U.S. Rule
  • Lawsuit filed to prevent third-party walkthroughs
  • Agreement reached on final beryllium rule
  • Comments filed opposing lockout/tagout change – rule delayed
  • PMA coalition lawsuit successfully blocks Labor Department persuader rule for union-organizing attempts
  • Congress passes resolution blocking Volks decision allowing OSHA to fine employers for five years’ worth of recordkeeping violations
  • Suspension of the Clean Power Pla, which sought to increase price of electricity by 20-30% annually

Workforce

  • Filed comments on workforce innovation law
  • National manufacturing strategy and innovation bill becomes law

 

Taxes

  • Major tax provisions signed into law, including:
  • Permanent 14% R&D with AMT Claim
  • Permanent Section 179 Equipment Expensing
  • Extension of Bonus Depreciation through 2019 with AMT Claim
  • Two-Year Moratorium on Medical Device Excise Tax
  • Extension of Commercial Building Energy Efficiency Deduction
  • Extension of Hiring Long-Term Unemployed Tax Credit
  • Extension of Empowerment Zones for Two Years
  • Exclusion of Small Business Stock Held for Five Years
  • Permanent Five-Year Built-in Gains for S-Corporations
  • 501(c)(4) Gift Tax Exemption

 

Regulations

  • Court blocks Waters of the U.S. Rule
  • Supreme Court says EPA underestimates economic impact; agency agrees to small business review
  • OSHA delays rule requiring Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2)
  • Department of Labor delays persuader rule
  • Defeat of NLRB poster rule

FAQS

PMA Advocacy Questions?

If you don’t see your question listed, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to help!

Contact Us

PMA’s monthly webinars always cover the latest information on trade and tariffs. You can register for these free webinars and view archived programs here. In addition, PMA members are welcome to join brief Monday morning calls with our D.C. team, during which tariffs are a frequent topic. Also, the Coalition of American Metal Manufacturers and Users (CAMMU) distributes email updates on tariffs. If interested in signing up for the Monday calls and/or the CAMMU emails, contact Christie Carmigiano.

There are many ways, including becoming a media volunteer, hosting a plant tour for your elected officials and contacting members of Congress through Action Alerts. In addition, donations to the PMA Advocacy Fund support our day-to-day lobbying and communications efforts in D.C. on behalf of the industry.

Contact Christie Carmigiano with your question(s) and we will connect you with an appropriate member of our advocacy team to assist.