Your Voice Heard 3,000 Miles Away

It was an outstanding trip this year with over 17 participants led by the Chamber’s Vice Chair Toby Murray. The group highlighted the Chamber’s RAMP funding priorities, which include SR 167 and a portion of I-5 from Nisqually to Thorne Lane.

We discussed with our Congressional Delegation and various Departments in the Executive Branch, support for Boeing with the tanker issue, school facilities at Fort Lewis and alternative energy projects

The delegation was comprised of Pierce County business leaders and civic officials ranging from corporations and family-owned businesses along with officials from the Port of Tacoma and the cities of Tacoma and Lakewood.

The trip took place over the course of a three-and-half day period in mid-May 2009. During that time, the Chamber met with most of the congressional delegation members for Washington State, officials from the Pentagon including Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley, representatives from the Boeing Company, U.S. Chamber and the Association of the United States Army. In all, the group participated in over 25 different meetings spread mainly throughout Capitol Hill and reaching as far as Virginia.

It is evident the Chamber’s constant and continuous communication over the last twenty-four years with these officials and congressional members in Washington, D.C. has resulted in funding for our infrastructure, security, trade, transportation and military bases.

The Chamber would like to especially thank this year’s sponsors for their commitment and dedication to making our organization and our advocacy at the federal level better: Waste Connections, Simpson, The Boeing Company, Comcast and Totem Ocean Trailer Express.

This year’s trip to Washington, D.C. was the 24th taken to the nation’s capital by the Chamber. If you are interested in participating in next year’s trip – the Chamber’s silver anniversary trip – please contact Mike Weinman.