integrate all postal retirees into the
Medicare system, a key provision of the
legislation that will bring much needed
fi nancial relief to the Postal Service’s
balance sheet. To help meet these challenges
and heighten the urgency of the
eff ort, NPES has joined the Executive
Committee of the Coalition for a 21st
Century Postal Service, is committing
additional resources to the eff ort, and is
determined to leave no stone unturned
in successfully enacting postal reform
during this Congress. Th is will demand
coordinated industry advocacy and active
grassroots participation from companies
and their employees who are
constituents of OGR Chairman Gowdy,
Ways and Means Chairman Brady, and
members of Congress in general.
On the tax reform front, NPES is championing
the inclusion of 100% expensing
as an essential part of any tax reform
plan. In statements fi led with both the
House Ways and Means and Senate
Finance Committees, NPES stressed that
full expensing must be the fi rst building
block of pro-growth tax reform. It is the
correct method of accounting for the
service price of job-producing capital
investment, and NPES urges that it be
a permanent part of a comprehensively
reformed tax code.
As noted by the Tax Foundation,
expensing is the single most powerful,
and therefore vital, component of
a tax reform plan that will increase
sorely lacking capital investment, add
the most growth to the economy, and
bring back well-paying jobs, which in
turn will result in rising wages and
increased tax revenue. Specifi cally, the
Tax Foundation’s analysis shows that
allowing businesses to fully deduct, or
expense, their investments immediately
would signifi cantly reduce the cost of
capital, boosting long-run GDP by 5.4%,
and increase the number of full-time
equivalent jobs by one million. Because
expensing only applies to new investment,
it will stimulate new growth in
the economy.
In addition to expensing, NPES also
supports a corporate rate cut for all
business entities—however they are
legally organized—and a repeal of the
Death Tax, the latter being especially
important to the perpetuation of smaller
family-owned businesses.
A third area of legislation that is
highly important to NPES during
2017 is workforce readiness. In this
regard, NPES lauded the unanimous
bi-partisan approval of the Strengthening
Career and Technical Education
for the 21st Century Act (H.R. 2353)
by the U.S. House in June. Th is is an
important step forward in bridging
the widening skills gap in the printing,
imaging, and mailing industry. It
is imperative that the bi-partisan
The printing, imaging, and
mailing industry is a huge
sector of the economy,
which has been variously
measured at $1.4 billion
annually, and employs
more than 7.5 million
workers. This is a scale of
magnitude comparable
to other large industry
sectors. But unfortunately,
it seems not to be
perceived as such.
momentum that brought about this
success continues with the U.S. Senate
acting on the legislation as soon as
possible. Th e improvements that
this legislation brings to career and
technical education across the country
need to be put into eff ect now. NPES
especially thanks and commends
Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi
(D-8-IL) who sponsored the legislation,
along with co-sponsor Congressman
Glenn Th ompson (R-4-PA). Krishnamoorthi
represents the Illinois 8th
Congressional district, home of more
than 20 NPES member companies, the
most in any congressional district in
the nation.
Th e bill is designed to strengthen and
improve career and technical education
by reauthorizing the Carl D. Perkins
Career and Technical Education Act,
which will help more students gain
the knowledge and skills they need
to compete for in-demand jobs, and
aid employers in fi nding technically
qualifi ed workers for their businesses.
Th e challenge of fi nding qualifi ed
workers for technically demanding
jobs is repeatedly cited as one of the top
“keeps me up at night” issues for NPES
members and others in the printing,
imaging, and mailing industries value
chain. Specifi cally, the legislation will:
• Give states more fl exibility in using
federal resources, and incentivize technical
education that prepares students
for high-skill, high-wage occupations
and careers;
• Improve curriculum alignment with
in-demand jobs, support innovative
learning opportunities, and build
stronger community partnerships and
engagement with employers;
• Increase employability skills, workbased
learning opportunities, and
meaningful credentialing so students
are prepared to enter the workforce;
• Streamline performance measurers,
reduce administrative burdens, simplify
applying for federal resources, and tailor
programs to local and state needs;
• Replicate promising practices that
best serve students and employers; and
• Provide parents, students, and stakeholders
a voice in setting performance
goals and evaluating the eff ectiveness of
state and local programs.
Q: Are there any issues that could
turn into legislation down the line
that you’re watching?
Nuzzaco: International competitiveness
of U. S. manufacturing has long been a
top NPES government aff airs priority.
So, NPES was disappointed when, upon
taking offi ce, the Trump Administration
pulled the United States out of the
Transpacifi c Partnership (TPP). In addition
to TPP, NPES strongly supported
the proposed Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the
European Union, and worked successfully
to secure Congressional approval
of Trade Promotion Authority for the
18 Printing News October 2017 PrintingNewscom