Government Affairs

DECEMBER 17, 2018 - The Fiscal Year 2019 (FY19) funding bill for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that Congress passed in September includes $100,000 to begin work on developing a National Mesothelioma Patient Registry. This funding will be provided through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and specifically through the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Saskatchewan is a beautiful province in the heart of Canada. It is bordered by the United States to the south, the Northwest Territories to the north, and Manitoba and Alberta to the east and west respectively.

2017: A Year of Missed Opportunities

With continued political involvement at the top-of-mind for the International Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers, General President McCourt penned a letter to U.S. House of Representatives Democratic Leader Hon. Nancy Pelosi.

Washington, D.C. – House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Linda Sánchez (CA-38) and U.S. Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23), both members of the Ways and Means Committee, today introduced bipartisan legislation to create jobs and promote energy efficiency.  The Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act of 2017 would significantly reduce U.S. energy consumption by improving energy efficiency.

A great amount of our government advocacy is focused on improving the health of our membership and
their families.

Including the promise that “America’s labor leaders will always find an open door with Donald Trump,” the new U.S. President was the final speaker to address the roughly 3,000 delegates attending the annual National Building Trades Legislative Conference in early April.

Similar to the U.S. Conference, the Canadian Building Trades Conference featured an impressive schedule of presentations from national and provincial leaders from the major political parties, as well as updates from construction industry leaders on major Canadian infrastructure projects.

The highlight of the Canadian Conference was the dedication of the Building Trades Workers Memorial on May 16 to honor the men and women of the Canadian Building Trades. The importance of the dedication of this impressive memorial was evident for several reasons.

Voters will also determine the control of the U.S. Congress.  In the U.S. Senate, Republicans currently have a 54-46 majority, and there are 34 Senate races this year (24 seats are Republican and 10 are Democratic).  If Hillary Clinton is elected president, Democrats will need to win 4 additional seats to win the majority (As Vice President, Tim Kaine would give Democrats the Senate majority if the Senate election was deadlocked at 50-50).  In the U.S. House of Representatives, the Republicans have a 247-186 majority, and it is expected that House Democrats will gain seats, and there is the potential for significant gains for House Democrats.

With so much attention focused on the presidential election, it is easy to lose sight that there are many important Governor, state, county and municipal elections that will determine our future government leaders.