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NAM Urges 'Careful Action' on Lobbying Reform

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President, John Engler, testifying yesterday before a Senate committee that is considering lobbying reform legislation, warned against overraction.

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) President, John Engler, testifying yesterday before a Senate committee that is considering lobbying reform legislation, warned against overreaction and said, "Just as the majority of Senators and Representatives always conduct themselves in a legal and ethical manner, so, too, do the vast majority of lobbyists."

Addressing the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), Engler explained, "The NAM lobbies Congress and the executive branch to educate and inform policymakers about the impact of legislation, executive actions and other policies on the manufacturing economy of this country. In our fast-paced 21st century," he continued, "such timely information is essential."

He noted a variety of means, including informational plant tours, where NAM members educate lawmakers and their staffs about crucial issues facing the manufacturing economy. "These tours are bipartisan and educational, and give Congressional staffers unfettered access to manufacturing executives, workers and facilities," Engler said.

"Curtailing, or making more complicated, such educational processes will impede the First Amendment right of our members to provide input on decisions that directly impact American livelihoods and our nation's overall economic welfare," stated Engler.

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