2020 FEDERAL PRIORITIES
To Utah’s Federal Delegation: 2020 has been a year unlike any other. While the challenges of 2020 have stretched and tested us all, they have also highlighted why Utah is unique and successful — we work together. In this year of crisis, rather than crack and separate under the extreme pressures, we bonded together into a more cohesive unit. As Utah’s voice of business, we want to express our sincere gratitude to Utah’s Congressional delegation. When Utah needed its leaders each of you were there — you provided briefings, you provided guidance, and you provided support. We appreciate the way you have worked with, supported and listened to our members. As we continue to make our way through these challenges and eventually emerge, we look forward to continuing this partnership. Utah’s foundation is a strong one. While we focus on efforts for recovery, we don’t want to lose sight of the underlying and long-term priorities that have laid that foundation. These priorities focus on both those immediate needs and our long term and continuing goals. We are proud to be on “Team Utah” with each of you. And we look forward to continuing to work together with you. Sincerely,
Derek Miller President & CEO
Craig Wagstaff 2020-2021 Board Chair
UTAH’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION
MIKE LEE Senate Senate Senate Senate
Joint Economic Committee, Chairman Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Energy and Natural Resources Committee Judiciary Committee
MITT ROMNEY Senate Senate Senate Senate
Foreign Relations Committee Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee
ROB BISHOP House Natural Resources Committee, Ranking Member House Armed Services Committee
CHRIS STEWART House Appropriations Committee House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence House Budget Committee
JOHN CURTIS House Foreign Affairs Committee House Natural Resources Committee
BEN MCADAMS House Financial Services Committee House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
ECONOMY BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS IMPACT Utah’s economy is among the most resilient in the nation, and we are already starting to bounce back. However, Utah’s jobs have still suffered, with the greatest declines happening in the leisure and hospitality services sector. This significantly harms tourism, one of Utah’s most important industries. Ensuring small businesses and severely impacted sectors of our economy survive the current COVID-19 economic crisis is imperative to ensuring our state and nation’s economy recovers quickly.
CALL TO ACTION We call upon Congress to quickly make the PPP loan forgiveness process simpler and less technical for small business borrowers. We call on Congress to work with the Salt Lake Chamber and US Chamber to help companies stay afloat and keep paychecks flowing to American workers and families. We call on Congress to support workforce development programs that prioritize efficient and flexible retraining or upskilling, empowering our state and nation’s workforce to adapt to new economic conditions. We call on Congress to prudently streamline business regulations to optimize growth and innovation, helping our economy more quickly pull out of the current downturn.
HOUSING BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS IMPACT Utah is facing a housing shortage of approximately 53,000 units, which constrains our housing supply and makes homes less affordable for our rapidly growing workforce. Affordable housing is necessary to house Utah’s growing population, retain and attract talent, and ensure safe and equitable living conditions for all Utahns, in proximity to employment opportunities. Housing innovation in energy efficiency and environmental sustainability are hallmark traits of Utah’s housing industry, however, government regulations at the local, state, or federal level mandating certain features or excluding any one production type drives up costs and ultimately makes housing less affordable for residents.
CALL TO ACTION We call upon Congress to support initiatives and workforce development efforts that address the state’s ongoing construction and skilled-trade labor shortage. We call upon Congress to defer to state and local governments when it comes to any regulation of housing types, zoning restrictions, or housing development related environmental regulations.
IMMIGRATION REFORM BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS IMPACT Immigration is a key component to keeping our nation’s economy strong. Careful reform of immigration policy will encourage economic growth and job creation. Our current immigration system creates economic uncertainty for Utah employers in every sector of our economy. Immigrants make up one in nine Utah workers, and limiting legal immigration would reduce Utah’s GDP growth by $686 million in 2028.
CALL TO ACTION We urge Utah’s federal delegation to advance comprehensive immigration reform consistent with the principles of the Utah Compact. We urge our Congressional delegation to advance their co-sponsored H1-B reform legislation to support employer’s need to access the most talented workforce possible. We encourage Congress to protect TPS recipients, and employment-authorized H-4 dependent spouses from losing their work authorization.
TRADE BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS IMPACT With more than 3,500 Utah companies competing in the global market, trade is a vital piece of Utah’s economy and is essential to the success of our state’s small businesses. Recent pandemic related strains highlighted weaknesses in US supply chains. Exports contributed 9.2% to Utah’s GDP in 2019. Global trade does more than just create and support jobs; it also helps retain a skilled workforce through competitively higher wages. Utah businesses need reliable free markets and fair trading practices, as well as the stability and predictability that come with strong trade agreements.
CALL TO ACTION Utah businesses need free markets and fair trading practices built on balanced agreements that sustain economic growth through stable and predictable relationships, as well as support a successful manufacturing base that provides jobs, opportunities, and financial security to individuals and families. We call upon Congress to help support and ensure strong and reliable supply chains to ensure the stability of Utah’s industries.
HEALTH C ARE BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS IMPACT The current pandemic has highlighted the importance of access to affordable, high-quality health care, especially mental and behavioral health resources for Utah’s and the nation’s workforce. Health care and entitlement reform are vital policy areas that contribute to our economic stability and workforce productivity. Our health systems and entitlement programs neglect to provide simple, affordable, accessible, and high-quality services to Americans. High costs and low health market options undermine employers’ ability to strengthen their workforce, expand the economy plan to the further and create long-term fiscal stability.
CALL TO ACTION We call upon Congress to revise our entitlement and health care programs in order to provide equitable, effective services to those who need them most. We call upon Congress to address our nation’s prevalent opioid epidemic, as it impacts the personal lives of Utah’s workforce and increases health care costs. We call upon Congress to enable greater flexibility for businesses as they offer health care coverage to their employees. We call upon Congress to support the expansion of Association Health Plans. We call upon Congress to improve access to meaningful cost and quality information for consumers while protecting the ability of private companies to enter into negotiated contractual arrangements. We call upon Congress to prioritize mental health resources as part of any health care initiatives, focusing on the mental health professional workforce shortage, suicide prevention, trauma-informed care, and resilience in the state and national workforce. We call upon Congress to support telehealth initiatives through expanded coverage, and reducing or streamlining regulation.
INFRASTRUCTURE BACKGROUND AND BUSINESS IMPACT Infrastructure is the backbone of the American economy — we rely on our infrastructure to transport us to work and school, to power our homes and businesses and make transporting our goods and services possible. Individual and business access to broadband is essential to support business continuity and workforce development. Updating our infrastructure remains an issue with bipartisan support — but much of our nation’s infrastructure hasn’t been fully funded in decades. Long-term transportation and infrastructure investment is required to sustain the United State’s economic growth and competitiveness.
CALL TO ACTION We call upon Congress to ensure that federal investment tax credits for energy storage are equally available to all developers, including utilities. We urge Congress to enact and fund a bipartisan plan for infrastructure modernization. We call upon Congress to provide a long-term, stable funding source for infrastructure that states can consistently rely upon to plan for the future. We call upon Congress to prioritize and support the development of broadband infrastructure in all parts of the state.