Press Release
ABA Board of Directors meets with lawmakers and regulators during D.C. visit (April 29, 2015)
When Members of the American Bus Association’s Board of Directors came to Washington D.C. for their annual spring meeting, several met with key Members of the House and Senate, along with their Congressional staff.
These meetings provided an excellent opportunity for ABA’s Board to take its message directly to with lawmakers and staff regarding the important issues facing the industry during the 114th Congress and beyond. This was particularly useful in terms of impressing upon legislators the import of the motorcoach, travel and tourism industry’s impact on the U.S. economy, especially during the surface Transportation Reauthorization process currently underway.
In all, nearly two dozen meetings were held on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, April 29th with several Senators and House members along with staff members. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Chief Counsel Scott Darling also addressed the Board of Directors and gave ABA an update on recent activities within the regulatory agency.
“Making sure that ABA and its Board of Directors have regular face-to-face contact with key legislators and their staffs, and regulatory officials is one-way business gets done. It is important lawmakers know from these industry leaders what is taking place in their states or home districts, and how laws and regulations passed and written in Washington will impact these businesses,” said ABA President/CEO Peter J. Pantuso. “ABA is the largest and most influential motorcoach, travel and group tour trade association in the industry and the impact of these meetings will be felt for many months to come.”