RCS at Roofing Day!

By James Ellsworth. 

A recap of great conversations and initiatives at Roofing Day in D.C. 2023. 

We had a great time in Washington, D.C. April 18-19 talking with our representatives and their staff about the roofing industry and the importance of addressing the labor shortage, continuing to invest in building technologies and the Main Street Tax Certainty Act.  There were over 200 people representing the roofing industry from 33 different states and the RCS Crew brought three people from two states — Oregon and Pennsylvania.   

After working in local and state politics for five years, I know the importance of a personal connection.  This trip reminded me of how crucial it is to meet with those who represent you in person, reinforcing or forming that personal connection with them and their staff.  These are people who volunteer to work on complicated issues where there is rarely a clear right and/or wrong.  They are dedicated, passionate individuals who are working to improve their districts and the country overall.   

As usual the D.C. team from the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) did an amazing job getting us up to speed on the issues while putting on an amazing event.  They even organized a Chief of Staff panel who shared their thoughts on how we could best share our stories and make our asks to respective congressional representatives.  We all gathered to hear about environmental regulation from a former EPA administrator of the Trump and Bush Administrations; had an excellent recap of current national and global affairs that helped put our asks to Congress in context; and we heard from Congressman David Kustoff from Tennessee who discussed Speaker McCarthys proposal concerning the debt ceiling.   

After having conversations with three Oregon congresswomen and two Senate offices with very qualified staffers, I can say that our initiatives and asks are bipartisan and supported energetically.  We received obvious support for two of our priority issues: workforce shortage solutions and support for the Main Street Tax Certainty Act. 

Workforce shortages solutions - The need for workforce shortages is a top issue for others, not just the roofing industry.  Our representatives know that this is a vital economic issue and made it clear to us how important it is to keep hearing from our industry and others.  And while immigration reform is a complicated issue, it can also be a solution to the industries labor problem; it is not our only solution but one that should be considered to help meet the current demands.   

Career Technical Education (CTE) is another bipartisan issue that is worth supporting.  Offering young people an alternative to a traditional college path, CTE is one way to help revitalize the American working middle class and introduce young people to important skills and profitable careers that can be passed down to future generations.  Continued and additional funding for Perkins Grants will pay dividends to the future of our industry and country.  Additionally, the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) will allow employers smoother and less burdensome access to training resources for their employees.   

Main Street Tax Certainty Act - The Main Street Tax Fairness Act is another bipartisan issue we talked with legislators about.  The view that it is unequitable to sunset tax breaks for LLC’s and S-Corps, but not for C-Corps, was shared in our meetings.  Again, this is a place where continued conversation and connection with our legislators is vital.  This sunset will not happen until the end of 2025, but if we continue the conversation and keep this issue top of mind, it will be heard.  

Overall, we had excellent dialogue with our representatives, and more importantly, strengthened our relationships.  We communicated that we want to be a resource and help our congressional representatives in passing these important and vital efforts.  As has been said by many before, “Decisions are made by those who show up.”