‘The Gold Standard of Advocacy’ for the Print Industry
As the printing industry continues to grow and diversify, so does its advocacy in Washington and across the country. This year saw a new president inaugurated, a new U.S. Congress sworn into office, and new faces among the ranks of governors and state legislators – and PRINTING United Alliance is poised to meet all these changes with the most robust government affairs program ever assembled to represent the industry.
The new Alliance launched in 2020 brings together the legislative, political, and regulatory expertise necessary to advocate for a pro-print agenda. This three-legged stool model is the gold standard of advocacy, and allows the Alliance to leverage the voices of its member companies to achieve a successful business environment.
In an era of divided government, this holistic approach to advocacy is especially critical. Picture a balloon full of hot air (yes, Washington, DC, pun intended) and squeezing the air from one side of the balloon to the other. That image demonstrates the push-pull relationship between legislative and regulatory policy. Congress passes laws; regulatory agencies, like the Department of Labor, implement the details.
If a congressional outcome is undesirable to the printing industry, the Alliance can turn on its regulatory advocacy to ease the impact on the industry. Conversely, burdensome or costly regulatory actions can be met by lobbying Congress to repeal agency rules or withhold implementation funding.
The Alliance’s scope of advocacy, too, is one that allows for the most beneficial impact to the printing industry. Both good and bad policies ideas flow freely between Capitol Hill and state legislatures (and municipalities, too). By providing both federal and state industry representation, the Alliance is able to effectively elevate policies that benefit the industry, its employees, and its customers, while at the same time combating policies that would be detrimental to innovation and success.
Brand Has ‘Limitless Potential’
The Alliance also promotes the printing industry’s political brand – one that has limitless potential if the industry comes together to pool its voices and its resources in support of a common agenda. Politics is more than campaigns and elections; it includes relationship building and networking to educate and engage lawmakers as stakeholders. After all, they are making key decisions that ultimately impact your company’s bottom line.
The Alliance provides its members with the most up-to-date policy education and grassroots advocacy tools to help facilitate your company’s political engagement. The Alliance also offers its members the opportunity to politically engage via PrintPAC, the printing and packaging industry’s premier political action committee dedicated to electing pro-print senators and representatives. Additionally, companies provide corporate support to Print Powers America, which funds special industry advocacy initiatives.
PRINTING United Alliance is committed to providing world-class advocacy on behalf of its members in 2021, as the printing industry – indeed, the world – looks ahead optimistically to relief and recovery in a new year. Learn more about joining our efforts by following us on social media or by visiting printing.org.
Lisbeth Lyons is Vice President, Government & Political Affairs, PRINTING United Alliance, the largest, most comprehensive graphic arts trade association in the country. With more than 20 years of experience representing the voice of business on Capitol Hill, Lisbeth advocates for public policies that protect and advance the economic future of the printing and packaging industry. She oversees PRINTING United Alliance’s legislative, political, and grassroots advocacy initiatives, and has served in executive leadership of multiple successful advocacy campaigns, such as Coalition for Paper Options, Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service, and Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers Coalition.
Prior to representing PRINTING United Alliance, Lisbeth served in similar roles at Printing Industries of America, US Telecom, and the National Federation of Independent Business. She also spent three years as a K-12 teacher in the Chicago Public Schools system, where she was on the forefront of urban education reform in the mid-1990s.
Lisbeth is Midwestern born and bred, having grown up in the St. Louis metropolitan area and attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, before starting her career in Washington, DC. She holds a B.A. in English/Sociology and a professional graduate certificate from The George Washington University School of Political Management. She lives in the historic Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, DC.
An avid leader and learner in professional development, Lisbeth was a founding member of the Government Relations Leadership Forum, and is an active participant in organizations such as Council of Manufacturing Associations, Women in Government Relations, and National Association of Business PACs, among others. Lisbeth is often a featured speaker at premier industry conferences; she has spoken to Boards of Directors, corporate executive management teams, and state and regional trade associations across the country from coast to coast.
