ACSA June 5th Webinar Highlights
Questions were answered! Discussions were had!
Text is obviously no substitute for the dulcet tones of your
representatives on the ACSA Legislative Committee, we've done
our best here.
Webinar Highlights
Questions were answered! Discussions were had! Text is obviously
no substitute for the dulcet tones of your representatives on the
ACSA Legislative Committee, we've done our best here.
What does the partnership with DISCUS mean for ACSA and for
the potential success of this effort?
While the effort led by Ralph Erenzo and the American Craft Spirits
Association for the last 4 years has been remarkably successful at
building awareness of the FET issue among our federal
representatives, our limited political leverage (read, $$$$$) and the
fact that we aren't professional lobbyists has made it difficult for us to
get the bill into a position where it would have a chance to actually
become law, which is the point of all this.
Why are there so many bills out there, and which ones should I
be supporting?
There are a few related bills on the table, on both the House and
Senate side. Most are not in a position to gain any momentum,
especially because they are not in the correct committees.
These similar-but-not-exactly-the-same bills are dangerous because
they generate confusion among legislators and create the impression
that the industry is not united in our efforts. We cannot stress
enough how important it is to speak with one voice.
americancraftspirits.org Politicians have their own problems and they are loathe to get
involved in intra-industry politics, or even anything that smells like an
industry dispute. The beer industry is dealing with this challenge right
now, and it is hampering their ability to move forward with their
legislative agenda.
A bill supported by both trade associations (ACSA & DISCUS) has
the best possible chance of actually making it out of committee and
onto the floor. Side efforts make great soundbites, but they don't help
us get to the finish line. The ask is "Support HR 2520." All members
of the ACSA Legislative Committee are getting it tattooed on our
bums.
In a related question, how do you respond if a legislator says "it's too
expensive"? Tell them about how unfair it is that distilled spirits pay a
40% higher rate than beer and 100% higher than wine. All we want is
to be treated fairly, and the reduction we're asking for isn't even
halfway there. It's more than reasonable, and it's cost is less than 1%
of the federal budget. What if they say "I only want to support
domestic producers"? Tell them how important the export market is to
growth, and that we don't want to invite retaliatory tariffs or claims of
WTO violations.
Do I really need to get on a plane/train/automobile and spend my
precious time playing House of Cards in DC next week?
I don't know, how much do you want and extra $150,000 in your
pocket next year? In all seriousness, getting your face in front of the
representatives and their DC-based staff is crucial. That is where the
law-making happens. The more people we can put on each state's
delegation, the more impressive it is and the harder it is to ignore.
The education components on the first day are worth the trip on their
own, but the lobby effort is key. We really do need you there, and
we really do need to RSVP. It's not for the lunch order, it's to make
sure we have the right meetings set up.
RSVP to legislation@americancraftspirits.org. americancraftspirits.org