Tire Dealers Gather on Capital Hill for Annual TIA Lobbying Day

Tire Industry Association Lobby Day Steny Hoyer Rpy LIttlefield — Congressman Steny Hoyer, Democratic Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives, pictured with TIA Executive Vice President, Roy Littlefield at the Highway Users Seminar and Congressional Reception on Capitol Hill.

Tire Industry Association (TIA) members descended on Washington, D.C. on Tuesday to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill. The event, designed to help Washington insiders understand the issues that affect the lives of TIA members and to emphasize that real people are impacted by Federal policies, featured briefings from government officials, policy updates and meetings directly with members of Congress and their staff.

The event kicked off with a briefing from Department of Transportation and National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. DOT and NHTSA officials highlighted the current state of highway policy, including the standing desire of the White House to pass a significant transportation infrastructure bill, though reiterating that a bill is not imminent at this time.

TIA Lobby Day — TIA Executive Vice President, Roy Littlefield (center) with Bob Majewski, Sumerel and Chris Donovan, Sullivan Tire right before the DOT Briefing

A luncheon inside the Capitol Building featured speakers that highlighted topics important to TIA members, including the estate tax, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act and the current state of the upcoming mid-term elections.

In between an Industry Issues Seminar that featured several members of Congress and a reception at the Rayburn House Office Building, TIA members were in the offices of key members of Congress to help them better understand the issues that face the tire industry and remind them that tires aren’t just a business– they are the lifeblood of many hard-working American business owners. Throughout the day, TIA members met with at least 16 members of Congress (nine Republicans and seven Democrats) to share the positions that TIA members see as crucial for the future of their industry.

The major policy areas that TIA identified include:

Opposition to the repeal of LIFO and continued protection of “pass-through” business entities
The repeal of the Estate Tax
Continuation and simplification of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.
A repeal of a 1993 amendment to the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act of 1993 that TIA sees as opening the door for unfounded lawsuits
Protection for small businesses from liability related to used oil
A desire to have TIA oversee the NHTSA’s national consumer education program
Greater enforcement of the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, including cracking down on auto manufacturers that make claims that suggest that aftermarket parts are inferior to OE options
Reducing the National Labor Relations Board’s ability to implement certain actions related to unionization
Support for the Motor Vehicle Owners Right to Repair Act
A simplification and streamlining of interstate sales tax for online businesses
Support for measures that would allow employees to choose Paid Time Off, rather than overtime pay
Support for a five-year+ Federal Highway Aid Bill but opposition to a number of proposed elements of such a bill, including privatization of roads, a fuel tax increase, several use-specific taxes as well as a number of additional issues