First, some “BIG” News. NABITA has continued to focus our lobbying efforts on passing the BIG Act into law. As we announced in May, the BIG Act passed the House and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate. NABITA is proud to announce that support for the Senate BIG Act has grown exponentially since the bill’s introduction. New co-sponsors include Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME). Furthermore, NABITA continues to have positive meetings with Senate offices across the spectrum and we hope to be able to announce more support soon.
In the meantime, summer has officially come to Capitol Hill, which means not only is baseball back in action in the District, but Congress is preparing for their busy season. Typically, the summer months are when the nation sees a flurry of Congressional action before the House and Senate take their annual August recess break. Now is the best time of the year for you to lobby your state’s Senators and ask them to support the BIG Act, S. 1383. For your convenience, NABITA has created a legislation page to include information on key legislation, regular updates on policy news, and details on how you can help move the BIG Act forward with all the information you need to reach out to your Senators!
Overwhelmingly, the most common question NABITA receives from Senators concerning the BIG Act is “how do the stakeholders in my state feel about BITs.” As these stakeholders, you hold immense sway, and your support could mean the addition of a new co-sponsor!
Finally, if you have any inspiring stories about your experiences with BITs, our government affairs team would love to hear from you. Please reach out to Jen Taylor, Executive Director of NABITA, at jen.taylor@nabita.org.