INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS for INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS
What was lobbied
10 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Trade (domestic/foreign) TRD
The IBEW continued to urge Congress to oppose Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), also known as fast track, and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement (FTA). If adopted, TPA would only allow Congress and up or down vote on a free trade agreement with no opportunity to improve of amend the agreement. The TPP FTA would be the largest FTA ever and, like previous FTAs, would lead to outsourcing and other job losses for American workers. The IBEW urged Congress to oppose the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 644) and H.R. 2146, the legislative vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). If adopted, TPA would allow Congress an up or down vote on a free trade agreement with no opportunity to improve or amend the agreement. The IBEW lobbied Congress not to impede a new 123 Agreement (treaty) with China after the President submits the renewed accord to Congress. Required by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, a 123 Agreement must be in force before a company may export American-made nuclear equipment to a foreign country. The current U.S.-China 123 Agreement is scheduled to expire on December 30, 2015. The IBEW supports its renewal. The IBEW urged Congress to oppose Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), also known as "fast track", and the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) Free Trade Agreement (FTA). If adoped, TPA would only allow Congress an up or down vote on a free trade agreement with no opportunity to improve or amend the agreement. The TPP FTA would be the largest FTA ever and, like previous FTA's, would lead to outsourcing and other job losses for America workers. The IBEW urged the Department of Energy to approve a Non-Free Trade Agreement (NFTA) export license (FE Docket No. 12-32-LNG) for Jordan Cove Energy Project. If approved, Jordan Cove plans to construct a $5.7 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) export facility near Coos Bay, OR. Building this facility will create an average of 900 construction jobs over 42 months with permanent employment expected to be around 150 workers. The IBEW encouraged Congress to pass the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank Reauthorization Act of 2014 (S. 2709). The Ex-Im Bank levels the playing field for U.S. companies who sell their products abroad by matching the financing foreign governments provide for their exporters. Since 2009 the Ex-Im Bank has helped retain or create 1.2 million jobs in the U.S. including 205,000 just last year and at no cost to American taxpayers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
| DAN GARDNER | — |
| JOHN M WALSH | — |
Financial Institutions/Investments/Securities FIN
The IBEW continued to lobby Congress in support of the Department of Labors efforts to update and close loopholes in the 40-year-old rules that apply when individuals receive professional advice regarding retirement investments. Updating and improving protections for retirement savers is urgently needed and long overdue. The current rules with their inadequate safeguards cost American consumers approximately $17 billion annually. The IBEW encouraged Congress to pass the Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank Reauthorization. The Ex-Im Bank levels the playing field for U.S. companies who sell their products abroad by matching the financing foreign governments provide for their exporters. Since 2009 the Ex-Im Bank has helped retain or create 1.2 million jobs in the U.S. including 205,000 just last year and at no cost to American taxpayers.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
Health Issues HCR
On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, H.R. 3590 (ACA), (also known as Obamacare). The ACA included a tax on high cost health care plans called the "Excise Tax on High Cost Employer - Sponsored Health Coverage" (Excise Tax). The excise tax will begin in 2018. It is a 40% tax on the cost of employer-based health insurance that exceeds certain amounts-generally $10,200 for individual coverage and $27,500 for family coverage (excluding optical and dental coverage). IBEW has been lobbying for cosponsors for a draft repeal of the excise tax bill.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Environment/Superfund ENV
The IBEW urged Congress to support incentives to help facilitate the commercial deployment of carbon capture and sequestration along with carbon capture utilization and storage. As the U.S. moves toward a lower-carbon future, full scale development of these technologies will be necessary if coal is to have a future in the nations energy mix. IBEW representatives met with officials from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on September 24, 2015 and urged the Obama Administration to keep the current ozone standard under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) at its present 75 parts per billion (ppb)
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
Government Issues GOV
The IBEW met with members of Congress seeking cosponsors for H.R. 1193; which would nullify the DOD policy implemented on November 1, 2014, regarding reductions in per diem allowances based on the duration of temporary duty assignments or civilian travel. H.R. 1193 would prohibit uniformed service agencies or the DOD from altering the amount of the locality-based travel and transportation per diem allowances or reimbursements to which certain uniformed service members or civilian DOD employees are entitled based on the duration of temporary duty assignments or official travel in a locality.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| JOHN M WALSH | — |
Labor Issues/Antitrust/Workplace LBR
IBEW continued to participate in educational meetings with Congressional staff to inform them about the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931, legislation that requires workers employed on construction projects funded by the federal government be paid wages no less than what are prevailing in the geographic area.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Fuel/Gas/Oil FUE
The IBEW lobbied in support of the Keystone XL Pipeline Act (H.R. 3 and S. 1), legislation that would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline. Although America continues to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression, unemployment rates in the construction industry remain relatively high. Construction of the pipeline will put Americans back-to-work and have positive ripple effects throughout the economy. The IBEW urged Congress to oppose H.R. 702 or any legislation lifting the crude oil export ban. Each year, IBEW construction electricians and apprentices, who earn middle-class wages and benefits, work millions of labor hours in American oil refineries. Lifting the crude oil export ban would place many of those hours at risk as oil producers would no longer be required to refine crude oil before export.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
| DAN GARDNER | — |
Utilities UTI
The IBEW urged Congress to support language found in Section 4302 of the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2015 that would help address grid reliability in deregulated electricity markets. Competitive market conditions, cumulative environmental regulations, and capacity market rules that disadvantage baseload power generation has made the grid more dependent on less reliable resources. Under these conditions, it has been difficult for baseload generation to clear capacity market auctions thus placing grid reliability at risk. Section 4302 is an attempt to fix this problem. The IBEW lobbied Congress in support of the Hydropower Improvement Act of 2015 (S. 1235), legislation to reform the relicensing and regulation of hydroelectric generation. As the United States moves toward a lower-carbon future, it has become clear hydropower has become burdened with excessive, time-consuming, and costly regulation. To help address these issues S. 1236 would improve administrative efficiency, reduce duplicative oversight, and promote timely decision-making in the hydropower relicensing process. The IBEW urged Congress to oppose the Assuring Private Property Rights Over Vast Access to Lands (APPROVAL) Act (S. 485 and H.R. 3062), legislation to stop construction of much needed infrastructure in the United States. By intent, the legislation targets one project, the Plains and Eastern Clean Line, a high-voltage direct current transmission line proposed to run from the Oklahoma Panhandle 700 miles to western Tennessee. As written however, the legislation would curtail transmission siting authority across the United States.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | Lobbyist |
Retirement RET
The IBEW lobbied in support of legislation - not yet introduced - that would permit multi-employer (Taft-Hartley) defined benefit pension trustees to voluntarily change their particular plan to a composite design. Today, federal law limits plan sponsors to offer either a traditional defined benefit pension (DB) or a 401(k)-style defined contribution (DC) plan. Composite plans provide a way to bridge the gap between these two choices, combining the lifetime income payments of DB plans (for employees) with the predictable cost structure of DC plans (for employers).
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
Energy/Nuclear ENG
The IBEW urged Congress to continue funding for the National Nuclear Security Administrations Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility Project located at the Department of Energys Savanna River Site, just outside Aiken, South Carolina. When complete the facility will process weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel pellets for peaceful use in licensed nuclear reactors.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| BRUCE G BURTON | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.