GBTA
2014 Government Relations Agenda
Rocky Mountain Business Travel Association
May 13, 2014
Shane Downey
Director, Government Relations
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What we’ll talk about today…
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Advocacy and Politics
GBTA Government Relations Priorities
2014 GBTA Legislative Symposium
How You Can Make a Difference
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GBTA
Collective Voice of Business Travel Industry
• Policy, Tax, and Funding Decisions Drive the
Success of the Industry and Your Companies
• Our Success Drives the Economy and Jobs
• Support of Congress/Administration Matters to
You and Your Company
• Bipartisan Efforts are Essential
GBTA Member Advocacy is Key
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Importance of Business Travel
• Business Travel in the U.S. Contributed
$491 Billion to U.S. GDP
o Essentially, Every Dollar of Business Travel
Spending Generated about $1.28 in GDP
 Responsible for about 3% of U.S. GDP in 2012.
• Supported 7.1 Million Jobs in the U.S.
• Contributed $118 billion in total to federal,
state, and local tax receipts
• Each Dollar Spent on Business Travel, About
30₵ Goes to Taxes
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Importance of Business Travel cont.
• For Every One Percent Increase in Business Travel
Spending, the U.S. Economy Gains an Additional
71,000 Jobs, Nearly $5 Billion in GDP, $3 Billion in
Wages, and $1.2 Billion More in Tax Collections
• Sizeable Returns On Investment To Business Travel:
20:1 Business Travel ROI
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GBTA Government Relations Priorities
SMARTER, SAFER PASSENGER SCREENING
o PreCheck and Global Entry – Risk-Based – Safe, Fast, Efficient
o Visa Improvements Increase Travel and Commerce
TAXATION AND FEES
o Local, State, and Federal Taxes Must Benefit Travelers
o Discriminatory Travel Taxes Hurt the Industry and Economy
INFRASTRUCTURE: Smart Spending
o Air Traffic Control Modernization Reduces
Flight/Delays/Cancellations
o Amtrak/ACELA Improvements are Essential
Keeping the Country Open for Business
o Fighting Against Government Shutdowns
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The LATEST Successes –
You Made a Difference
• TSA PreCheck Developments
o Early Notification
o International Travel
o PreCheck Application Program
o Program Expansion
• Expanded Global Entry
o Reciprocal Agreements
• Prohibited Items List/Knife
Policy
o Withdrawn
• Calls on Plane
o Filed Comments
• Government Travel
o DATA Act
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Aviation Security Tax Increase
Worth the Fight
• 2013 Budget Deal - Administration and
Congress More than Doubled Tax
• Higher Costs Mean Fewer Business Trips
• GBTA Opposed FY 2013/2014/2015
Increase
o ACTION ALERT: Over 400 Member Letters
• TSA Interpretation Concerns
– A single round trip with five or six legs could
be treated as five or six one-way trips
– Generate roughly $30 in fees, even though the
previous $5 cap per one-way trip would have
limited those total fees to $10
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Aviation Tax – Taxed Enough
• Consumers Pay more
than $60/20% of Taxes
and Fees on a Typical
$300 Round-Trip Ticket
o More than Alcohol &
Tobacco Industries – Sin
Tax
• Taxes and Fees Growing
o 1993, Tax and Fee Burden
on Travel was $3.7 billion
o Today, it is $19 billion
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Air Travel Vital to Business Travel
• Vital to Business Travel
o Business Send Employees on Over
7 Million Flights Each Month
• Future Air Traffic to Stress a
Stressed ATC
o Need to Keep Pace with Demand FAA Predicts 1.2 Billion by 2030
• Congressional Funding is a
Concern
o FAA Must Manage Near Term
Programs and Objectives
o Needs a Predictable Funding
Source to Solve Long Range Plans
 Budget Deal Provided $60 Million
for NextGen
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DFW Next Gen Pilot
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, the NextGen RNAV Off
the Ground Procedure
o Enables a 15-20% Increase in Departures per Hour
o American Airlines is Saving $10-$12 million in Annual Fuel Costs at
Dallas/Fort Worth using the Procedure
o 40 % Decrease in Pilot-Controller Verbal Communications
 Reducing Risk for Miscommunication
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Passenger Facilitation
• TSA PreCheck
Developments
o Early Notification
o Program Expansion
 Growing Pains
• Applying for PreCheck
Application
o Global Entry
o Many Others
o Comparison Chart
o
http://www.dhs.gov/comparisonchart
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Air Passenger Rights
• Damaged/Lost Bags Airlines
o Compensate for Reasonable
Expenses (up to $3,300)
o 2009 rulemaking, Refund any
Fee for Carrying a Bag if the
Bag is Lost
• Bumped Passengers are, with
a few exceptions, Entitled to
Compensation
o Airline Arranges Substitute
Transportation That Between
One and Two Hours After Your
Original Arrival Time (Between
One and Four Hours on
International Flights), Must Pay
You an Amount Equal to 200%
of Your One-Way Fare
 $650 Maximum
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Reducing Government Travel Spend
…Shortsighted
• GSA Las Vegas Scandal
Lingers
• EO 13859 – Reduce USG
2013 Travel Spend 20%
Below FY 2010 Level
• Numerous Bills Introduced
To Cut Spending Further
• Example: Reduce USG
Travel Spend 50 Percent
Below FY 2013 Level by
GBTA: Working with AHLA
and Others Opposing Harsh
2017
Cuts
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Fight Higher Car Rental Taxes...
Price Gouging of Business Travelers
• 800% Increase Since
1990
• Taxes Used for NonTravel Purposes
• Increases Travel Costs
GBTA: Support Bill,
Testify at Hearing,
Dozens of Hill
Meetings, and Coalition
Efforts
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JOLT Act
Increase International Business Travel
Shorter Lines, Less Paperwork, More Visitors
• Expand the Visa Waiver
Program
• Expand Global Entry
Program
• Reduce Visa Wait Times
• Impact on US Industry
o Each Overseas Traveler
Spends Approximately
$4,455
o Stay on Average More than
18 Nights
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2014– Greatest Risks
• KEEP GOVERNMENT OPEN FOR
BUSINESS
• Debt Ceiling Fight, government
Shutdown and/or
Default…Deficit Reduction
Targets
• Funding Decrease for PreCheck,
NextGen, Global Entry, and
Visa Reforms
• Elimination of Tax
Benefits/Deductions/Increase
Costs of Business Travel
• Decrease in Business Travel
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2014 Legislative Symposium
June 24 - 25
Washington, DC
• 2013 Legislative Symposium
Highlights
Hosted by U.S.
Make Your Planso Reception
For
2014!
Congressional Travel and
Tourism Caucus
o Remarks by Seven Senators
and House Members
o Over 100 Meetings with
Members of Congress and Staff
o Education Sessions
o Make a Difference!
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8th Chapter Challenge is ON!
The Voice of the Travel
Industry in Washington,
DC and Congressional
Districts
GBTA is Challenging Its Chapters:
Engage YOUR Elected Officials on Business Travel Issues
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Chapters Completing 4 Tasks = PARTNERS
• 30% of Membership Send a Communication to an
Elected Official Through the Legislative Action Center
• Invite an Elected Official to Speak at a Chapter Meeting
OR Host a GBTA Government Relations Focused Meeting
• Send a Letter to Its Representative or Senator
Endorsing a GBTA Endorsed Bill or Vote
• Raise $1,000 in PAC Contributions (30% of Members
Must Contribute)
Additional information: Shane Downey, sdowney@gbta.org, 703/236-1131 and Business
Travel PAC - GBTA Political Action Committee/Members -Only Area of Government Relations
Website
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Rocky Mountain BTA Standings
1 MEETING
GOAL
1 LETTER
CURRENT
45 EMAILS
0
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40
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Rocky Mountain BTA PAC Totals
Money Raised
PAC Total - $0
Goal - $1K
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2013 Challenge Partners
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Arizona BTA
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Austin BTA
Baltimore Washington BTA •
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Chicago BTA
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Dallas Fort Worth BTA
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Los Angeles BTA
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Michigan BTA
New England BTA
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New Jersey BTA
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New York State BTA
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North Carolina BTA
North Central BTA
Northern Virginia BTA
Ohio Valley BTA
Rocky Mountain BTA
Silicon Valley BTA
St. Louis BTA
Texas BTA
Utah BTA
Virginia BTA
Wisconsin BTA
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Continue the Tradition
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Government Relations…..ENGAGE!
GBTA Website
http://www.gbta.org/usa/governmentrelations/Pages/Default.aspx
GBTA The Blog
What GBTA is Doing in Washington to Push Our Priorities and
Shape Policies
http://www.gbta.org/usa/governmentrelations/Pages/TheLatest.as
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GBTA Legislative Action Center
On-line Advocacy is Effective! Send a Letter about Key Issues to
Your Elected Officials in a Few Clicks
http://capwiz.com/nbta/home/
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Advocacy: Impacts You and Your Company
If We are Not at the Table, Others Will Set the Agenda
We May Not Like the Results
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
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DONATE TODAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
• Business Travel PAC is a federal
political committee that makes
contributions to federal candidates
and committees. Contributions to
Business Travel PAC are voluntary
and any member has a right to
refuse to contribute without reprisal.
The contribution guidelines are
merely suggestions and a member
may contribute more or less or not
at all without concern of favor or
disadvantage by the association.
Corporate donations will be used to
pay for other grassroots political
activities. Contributions are not
deductible as charitable
contributions for federal tax
purposes. Federal law requires
Business Travel PAC to request the
name, address, occupation and
employer for each person whose
contributions exceed two hundred
dollars ($200.00) or more in a
calendar year.
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Questions and Comments
Shane Downey
(703) 236-1131
sdowney@gbta.org
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