IPC members to reclaim Capitol Hill

IPC announces that it will sponsor Capitol Hill Day on Wednesday, May 12, 2004, in Washington, D.C., immediately preceding IPC’s Spring Technology Market Research Council Meeting on May 13-14, 2004, in Baltimore, Md. Under the direction of the IPC Government Relations Steering Committee, this event provides IPC members the opportunity to meet with Congressional representatives and voice their support for legislation that promotes the global competitiveness of the U.S. electronics interconnect industry. "Our industry is showing signs of a recovery and we must take advantage of every opportunity to ensure that it does," said IPC President Denny McGuirk. "Lobbying Congress for such things as pro-growth, pro-manufacturing legislation is one of those critical opportunities." During the first session of the 108th Congress, IPC’s Government Relations Steering Committee successfully lobbied a full slate of issues on behalf of the entire U.S. electronics manufacturing sector. "We have enjoyed much success in passing additional tax depreciation relief, defeating the EPA’s MP&M rule and obtaining federal funding for IMS research and development and have seen significant progress regarding Asian currency manipulation, corporate income tax reductions and the ‘Buy America’ legislation," said Dan Feinberg, chairman of the IPC Government Relations Steering Committee and president of Fein-Line Associates. "We must not rest on our laurels, though, but should rather increase the pressure on our legislators. "Next spring will be the perfect time for our industry to converge on Capitol Hill," Feinberg continued. "With the elections looming a only a few months later, both parties in Congress will be eager to gain favor with the U.S. manufacturing sector by passing pro-growth, pro-manufacturing legislation and policies." For more information on attending Capitol Hill Day 2004, contact John Kania, IPC’s director of government relations, at JKania@ipc.org or +1 202-962-0460.