Playing to Our Strengths The Engineer Advocate Ron Tabroff Russell Harrison Region 1 IEEE-USA...

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Playing to Our Strengths Playing to Our Strengths The Engineer Advocate The Engineer Advocate Ron Tabroff Russell Harrison Region 1 IEEE-USA Government Affairs Chair

Transcript of Playing to Our Strengths The Engineer Advocate Ron Tabroff Russell Harrison Region 1 IEEE-USA...

Playing to Our StrengthsPlaying to Our Strengths

The Engineer AdvocateThe Engineer Advocate

Ron Tabroff Russell Harrison

Region 1 IEEE-USAGovernment Affairs Chair

IEEE-USA Government IEEE-USA Government AffairsAffairs

Representing IEEE Representing IEEE members in the United members in the United States to Congress, the States to Congress, the media, state and local media, state and local governments.governments.

Sen. Ted Kennedy

Overview of Overview of WashingtonWashington

Republicans don’t want to give the Republicans don’t want to give the Democrats a win.Democrats a win.

Democrats think they will get a Democrats think they will get a better deal next year.better deal next year.

Nobody wants to do Nobody wants to do

anything.anything.

Intellectual PropertyIntellectual Property

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Patent Reform Act of 2007Patent Reform Act of 2007– H.R. 1908 and S. 1145H.R. 1908 and S. 1145

Mostly Dead for 2008Mostly Dead for 2008

Student Loan Student Loan ForgivenessForgivenessH.R. 3634 – STEP ActH.R. 3634 – STEP Act

Scholarships for Scholarships for engineering studentsengineering students

Loan forgiveness for Loan forgiveness for professional engineersprofessional engineers

Good support, but no Good support, but no luck.luck.

Immigration ReformImmigration Reform

U.S. Citizenship

Temporary Workers

Permanent Legal

Residents

H-1B VisasEB Visas

Theory

Immigration ReformImmigration Reform

U.S. Citizenship

500,000 Temporary

Workers

60,000 EB Visas

Practice

Don’t Move!

Immigration ReformImmigration Reform

Permanent residents are better than Permanent residents are better than temporary workers.temporary workers.

Current system favors temporary Current system favors temporary workers.workers.

Legislative Goals:Legislative Goals:– No increase in H-1B’s until reformsNo increase in H-1B’s until reforms– More EB visasMore EB visas– Path from student to citizenPath from student to citizen– Protections for American & foreign Protections for American & foreign

workersworkers

EB Visa ReformEB Visa Reform

o HR 6039 - Exempt all HR 6039 - Exempt all students with Masters or students with Masters or PhD from U.S. school PhD from U.S. school from EB cap. from EB cap.

o HR 5882 - Recapture HR 5882 - Recapture unused visas. unused visas.

o HR 5921 - Eliminate EB HR 5921 - Eliminate EB country caps. country caps.

Energy PolicyEnergy Policy

Energy BillEnergy Bill

Tax credits for alternative energy Tax credits for alternative energy productionproduction– Solar powerSolar power– Wind powerWind power– Plug-In Hybrid Electric VehiclesPlug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Status – HostagesStatus – Hostages– Democrats want taxes on oil Democrats want taxes on oil

companiescompanies– Pres. Bush refuses to raise taxes on oil Pres. Bush refuses to raise taxes on oil

companiescompanies

Smart GridSmart Grid

Dept. of Energy instructed to Dept. of Energy instructed to create standards in 2005 Energy create standards in 2005 Energy BillBill

– IEEE is part of that processIEEE is part of that process– Process is moving very slowlyProcess is moving very slowly

Interconnectivity Standards took Interconnectivity Standards took 12 years.12 years.

Nuclear PowerNuclear Power

Legislative efforts Legislative efforts focus on removing focus on removing red tape from:red tape from:

– Siting decisionsSiting decisions– Waste removal and Waste removal and

storagestorage

Some talk of Some talk of insurance and tax insurance and tax credits.credits.

Other IssuesOther Issues

E-HealthE-Health Association HealthcareAssociation Healthcare PensionsPensions Budget – R&DBudget – R&D

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What do Lobbyists Do?What do Lobbyists Do?

Advocate PositionsAdvocate Positions Bridge between Bridge between

voters and voters and politicianspoliticians

ResearchResearch Information on Information on

specific populationsspecific populations Ideas & SolutionsIdeas & Solutions

What do Lobbyists Do?What do Lobbyists Do?

Advocate PositionsAdvocate Positions Bridge between Bridge between

voters and voters and politicianspoliticians

ResearchResearch Information on Information on

specific populationsspecific populations Ideas & SolutionsIdeas & Solutions

Politicians listen to Politicians listen to lobbyists because voters lobbyists because voters

don’t talk to them.don’t talk to them.

A Politician’s WorldA Politician’s World YOU

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Politicians cast votes Politicians cast votes based on what will get based on what will get

them them re-elected.re-elected.

This is not bad. This is not bad.

It is exactly how the system is It is exactly how the system is supposed to work.supposed to work.

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Accommodating Self-Accommodating Self-InterestInterest

Democracy’s Secret Strength

Does it work?Does it work?

Percent saying the following had Percent saying the following had “some” or “a lot” of influence “some” or “a lot” of influence over their boss.over their boss.

Visit from constituent – 98%Visit from constituent – 98% Letter from constituent – 96%Letter from constituent – 96% Lobbyist – 92%Lobbyist – 92% Form Letter – 65%Form Letter – 65%Congressional management FoundationCongressional management Foundation

What does this have to do with What does this have to do with you?you?

Government Relations Government Relations at Your Sectionat Your SectionGovernment Relations is ….Government Relations is ….

- A member benefitA member benefit- A great way to excite and involve A great way to excite and involve

your membersyour members- A help to our profession, our A help to our profession, our

members and our countrymembers and our country

What Can Your Section What Can Your Section Do?Do?* Discuss policy issues at your * Discuss policy issues at your meetingsmeetings

Simply mentioning public policy helps raise awareness.Simply mentioning public policy helps raise awareness.

* Add policy articles to your newsletter* Add policy articles to your newsletterIEEE-USA can draft the articles, or you can find a member IEEE-USA can draft the articles, or you can find a member

who is interested.who is interested.

* Participate in IEEE-USA’s Grassroots * Participate in IEEE-USA’s Grassroots Network Network

IEEE-USA GrassrootsIEEE-USA Grassroots

The CARE Network – The CARE Network – Giving IEEE-USA Giving IEEE-USA permission to tell you about legislation permission to tell you about legislation that will affect youthat will affect you..– Several sections have signed their Several sections have signed their

members up for the network, as an members up for the network, as an added member benefit.added member benefit.

– Network members receive between 6 Network members receive between 6 and 10 e-mail Alerts each year, as and 10 e-mail Alerts each year, as legislation affecting them is considered legislation affecting them is considered in Congressin Congress

IEEE-USA GrassrootsIEEE-USA Grassroots

Legislative Action Center:Legislative Action Center: www.ieeeusa.org/policy/lac

– Easy access to your state and Easy access to your state and federal elected officials.federal elected officials.

– Information on current bills.Information on current bills.– Quick e-mails to your legislators.Quick e-mails to your legislators.– Biographical, committee and staff Biographical, committee and staff

information on your legislators.information on your legislators.

StoriesStories

Wisconsin – Individual effortWisconsin – Individual effort Rock River – Cheap entertainmentRock River – Cheap entertainment Seattle – Engaging politiciansSeattle – Engaging politicians California – Students effortsCalifornia – Students efforts New York – Education our LeadersNew York – Education our Leaders Pittsburgh – Embarrassing the Pittsburgh – Embarrassing the

PowerfulPowerful

IEEE-USA has 215,000 members in IEEE-USA has 215,000 members in the U.S., which is a big number the U.S., which is a big number politically. Despite our numbers, politically. Despite our numbers, we are often ignored by politicians we are often ignored by politicians because they don’t know who we because they don’t know who we are. It is our responsibility and in are. It is our responsibility and in our interests, as engineers, as IEEE our interests, as engineers, as IEEE leaders and as Americans, to leaders and as Americans, to change this.change this.

Questions Questions oror

CommentsComments

Wild Applause

?

What do politicians What do politicians want?want?

A chance to impress A chance to impress you.you.

A chance to help A chance to help youyou

Anecdotes.Anecdotes.Senate Majority Leader

Harry Reid

Senator Chuck Schumer

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Life of a Grassroots Life of a Grassroots MessageMessage Sent by a voter.Sent by a voter. Read / listened to Read / listened to

by a kid.by a kid. Sorted by issue Sorted by issue

into a folder.into a folder. Response sent.Response sent.

Read by a senior Read by a senior staffer when:staffer when:– A decision needs A decision needs

to be made on to be made on how to vote, orhow to vote, or

– The folder The folder reaches a specific reaches a specific size.size.

Impact:Impact:– Bring attentionBring attention– Decide as voteDecide as vote

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