Last week over 250 leaders from the Sacramento region’s business, labor and government sectors came to Washington D.C. as part of the annual Metro Chamber’s Cap-to-Cap. These leaders and I spent two days meeting together to talk about our region’s needs pertaining to air quality, aviation, clean technology, community development, education, flood protection, health care, homeland security, job growth, natural resources, transportation, water and the workforce.
We especially focused on how to bring economic growth to our area. The Metro Chamber identified government reform and regulatory relief as some of the most important ways to stimulate employment by providing relief to the private sector. This is a message I hear a lot from my constituents when I am home – that less, not more, government is what we need to get our economy roaring – but it is refreshing to hear this sentiment echoed in the halls of Congress.
Not only does Cap-to-Cap bring diverse perspectives and issues unique to our region to the Capitol, but it brings the federal landscape before our regional leaders. At my invitation, former director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Douglas Holtz-Eakin addressed the national debt and federal budget reform - a tough fiscal situation that our businesses understand all too well.
Just as when local business owners alerted me to the serious consequences an increased 1099 reporting requirement would have had on their ability to do business, meeting with business, labor and government leaders during Cap-to-Cap keeps us “in the loop” even while we are in the Beltway. I enjoy an ongoing working relationship with many of these individuals and groups throughout the year when I am home in Sacramento, but it is especially valuable to bring these leaders to D.C. Until next year’s Cap-to-Cap, I look forward to seeing more of you back home this week for Memorial Day.
Sincerely,
Daniel E. Lungren
Member of Congress
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