Washington Business Winter 2019 | Washington Business | Page 33
federal focus
to happen. And the question is do we want it to happen with
no rules, where it’s the Wild West, do we want to have it
happen with rules that are set by China, or do we want to
be at the table setting the rules of the road?”
A better approach to trade was a common theme from
each of the six Washington federal lawmakers that attended.
U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (D -2) voiced support for a
functioning U.S. Export-Import Bank, which finances loans
for American companies that export.
“The U.S. can and should reinvest in existing programs to
promote trade, promote investment, and promote economic
diplomacy,” Larsen said. “Trade is an
important tool of the U.S., and we’re not
using it well enough anymore.”
Other attendees from Washington’s
Congressional delegation included U.S.
Reps. Denny Heck (D -10), Adam Smith
(D -9), Suzan DelBene (D -1), and Cathy
McMorris Rodgers (R-5), who attended via
a conference call after a travel delay. U.S.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) addressed the
crowd in a pre-recorded video.
While free trade took up much of the
discussion, the day covered much more.
Heck conveyed some cautious optimism
around a new federal infrastructure bill,
which would create jobs in the short term
and lay the foundation for strong economic
growth in future years.
“There is an underlying consensus that
we need to do more on infrastructure, and
I think we ought to take advantage of it,”
Heck said.
AWB followed up on the August summit
with a visit to the nation’s capital Dec. 4-6
at the annual D.C. Fly-In event.
“AWB is more engaged than ever at
the federal level, and we encourage our
members from all across Washington to let
us know how federal decisions impact their
business,” AWB President Kris Johnson said.
To l e a r n m o r e o n AW B ’s f e d e r a l
efforts, contact AWB Government Affairs
Director Amy Anderson at 360.943.1600 or
[email protected].
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