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GPCC Meets with Federal Lawmakers to Advance Regional Infrastructure, Energy and Workforce Priorities
Earlier this month, a delegation of regional public and private sector leaders led by the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce (GPCC) headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for several regional priorities critical to economic development, job growth and quality of life in the 10-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania.
While on the Hill, we met with our entire western Pennsylvania congressional delegation, key Ohio and West Virginia congressional members, and important committee members and their staffs. In these meetings, we focused on four issues: waterways infrastructure investment and the Upper Ohio River Navigation project; smart energy policy and the need to advance the Energy Modernization Act; workforce competitiveness and Perkins Career & Technical Education reauthorization; and the need for robust funding for the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL).
In between our two days of regional advocacy, we also held our 13th Annual Washington, D.C. Elected Officials Reception at Bullfeathers on Capitol Hill, which was well attended by members of Congress from across the state, their staffs, and a sizable number of members of the GPCC. We thank all of our sponsors of the reception. Without their support, these important events could not take place.
Thanks to the sponsors of the 13th Annual Pittsburgh Region / Washington, D.C. Elected Officials Reception:
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U.S. House of Representatives Pass WRDA, Including the Upper Ohio River Project
Following our yearlong advocacy collaboration with the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, we were successful in getting the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite their review of the Upper Ohio River Navigation Study. This study was needed in order to include the Upper Ohio River Project project in the Water Resources Development Act of 2016 (WRDA). During our D.C. fly-in, we received welcomed news that the study finally received sign-off from all relevant agencies. Furthermore, WRDA passed the U.S. Senate earlier this month by a vote of 95-3, with both Pennsylvania Senators (Senators Toomey and Casey) voting yes. Earlier this week, WRDA was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives.
This represents an important step forward in advancing much needed investments in our nation and region’s waterways infrastructure. Notably, the Upper Ohio River Navigation project will provide a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure investment to rehabilitate the Emsworth, Dashields and Montgomery locks and dams. These locks and dams provide our manufacturers and energy producers with critical access to our inland waterways. This project, a key regional infrastructure priority, is critical to economic development, job growth and an improved quality of life in southwestern Pennsylvania.
The Upper Ohio River Navigation project, included in the both the Senate and House versions of WRDA, received significant support thanks to bipartisan leadership from the Port of Pittsburgh Commission, Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey, Congressmen Bill Shuster and Keith Rothfus, and our entire southwestern Pennsylvania congressional delegation. We are hopeful that House and Senate leadership will move expeditiously to name conferees and usher in broad agreement to advance needed infrastructure investments to our waterways.
We also thank our friends at the multi-state Great Lakes Metro Chambers Coalition, who have included this and other projects important to economic development in the Great Lakes region in its 2016 WRDA priorities.
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GPCC Supported Perkins Career & Technical Education Reauthorization, Passes Full House
Earlier this month, H.R. 5587, The Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, passed the full U.S. House of Representative by a 405-5 vote
Recently, the Allegheny Conference released a comprehensive workforce report, to investigate the acute problems within our workforce pipeline. The report, Inflection Point: Supply, Demand and the Future of Work in the Pittsburgh Region, highlights the critical challenges facing southwestern Pennsylvania’s workforce over the next decade. As part of a larger strategy to meet these challenges, the report emphasizes the need for effective career and technical education (CTE) reforms. All occupations are evolving rapidly as a result of technological change, necessitating increased technical skill in the workforce. As it stands today, the regional workforce is unable to meet occupational and industry demand for individuals with adequate technical skills.
H.R. 5587 would begin to rectify the CTE-related challenges cited in Inflection Point, which include the need for more effective employer-educator relationships, alignment of programs with occupations in high-demand and the need to address the CTE funding shortfalls school districts face by spending federal funds more effectively.
While in Washington, D.C. in September, our team met with the bill’s sponsor Congressman GT Thompson (R-PA 5). In the coming weeks, we will be working with our Senators to get a comparable bill out of the Senate.
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In Joint Op-Ed, CEOs of the Allegheny Conference, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the PA Chamber of Business and Industry Urge Action on State Pension Reform
The need to pass meaningful state pension reform remains the top public policy priority of the Allegheny Conference and GPCC during the fall legislative session. The same is true for our partner organizations across the state, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce and the PA Chamber of Business and Industry. As such, the CEOs of our three organizations penned a joint op-ed in PennLive.com to urge lawmakers in Harrisburg to take action on the issue during the fall.
Given commitments made with the passage of the 2016-17 state budget, we are hopeful the legislature will take up this issue during its remaining fall session days. But we could use your help. Please contact your state lawmakers – and the governor and his staff if you know them – and urge action on state pension reform. There are a couple of bills that achieve much of what we’re hoping to see, so it’s less about a specific piece of legislation than it is about immediate action with legislation including our key principles, including risk sharing, cost control and predictability.
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Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) Tax Credit Expansion Bill Advances in PA House of Representatives
We received great news this week that the bill supported by the GPCC to expand the PA Neighborhood Assistance Program (NAP) was approved by the Pennsylvania House Finance Committee in a bipartisan manner by a vote of 20-3. The legislation doubles the annual cap on the program from $18 million to $36 million. The NAP tax credit is a key part of the Allegheny Conference’s Strengthening Communities Partnership, which leverages funds to support revitalization efforts in seven communities across the region.
The GPCC thanks the leadership of Senator Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), Representative Mark Mustio (R-Allegheny) and Representative Dom Costa (D-Allegheny) for their work to advance this important legislation. Our work is not over. The bill now heads to the full House for a vote and companion legislation will need to work its way through the PA Senate before the governor can sign it into law.
The GPCC has been very active on the need to advance legislation to raise the cap on the NAP program. Last month, we participated in and helped to organize a Pennsylvania House Finance Committee hearing in our region on the bill that passed the committee this week. We have also published op-eds and letters to the editor and led a successful social media campaign using #ItsNAPtimePA, calling for an expansion of the program.
This flyer provides more information on the NAP and the impact it's having in communities. Feel free to share it.
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