By Clark Poppert
March was a busy time for the NAICC with its yearly trip to Washington, DC. for visits to Capitol Hill, USDA, and EPA. Each year, the Government Affairs Committee and the Executive Board venture to our nation’s capitol to visit our representatives, Senators, Agency policy-makers, and the commodity groups in the DC area.
I will be the first to admit that I was not the most excited person in the world to venture to DC to lobby on behalf of agriculture. Not that I did not believe in what we stood for in agriculture, but more so the word “lobby.” At the time I envisioned the word lobby, meant that you would travel to “The Hill” and state your position to people that already had made their decision. “Money Talks” was another phrase that I heard from others when I discussed spending time in DC. My opinion was that we were wasting our time and that we were to small and insignificant to weigh in the decision that affected us and our clients. This attitude persisted until I met with my first Senator in 2018.
As I was setting up meetings with the Representatives from Nebraska, a sense of dread was hanging over my head. This feeling was prevalent until I met with Senator Fischer from my home state of Nebraska. We spoke with her Legislative Aid for 10 minutes until the Senator arrived. After a short time, I realized that we were not actually lobbying, we were teaching. Not only teaching but exchanging ideas, views and information. My attitude changed dramatically, 180 degrees to be exact. I found Senator Fischer as down to earth, thoughtful, and willing to listen and learn.
I also found that it is improbable if not impossible for a Senator or Member of Congress to know every detail of all of the bills that are presented or voted upon. I was very impressed with the knowledge of the Congressional aids and staffers possess and the reasoning they have for advising the Representatives the way they do. They are truly knowledgeable and do not receive the accolades they deserve. I have been in meetings with Representatives from other states that were not familiar with our positions as the voice of consultants, researchers, and QAs. The Legislative Aid explained our position to them in a very detailed way and then explained the Representatives’ position, and why they were positioned the way they are. It was at this time I understood that it takes far more than one person to come to a consensus and vote a certain way.
As we prepare for our 2023 visit to Washington, DC, I am excited to represent our industry and our positions to our elected leaders. Teaching, not lobbying, is our focus and I am proud that I will be in Washington, DC to assist in educating our elected leaders on the needs of agriculture.
