Forward Janesville - TheReport - Second Quarter 2018

From Ryan to Huckabee Sanders, FJI D.C. trip offered unprecedented access 12 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M Observations & Edifications Hollywood…for Ugly People: Back in my days as a Capitol Hill staffer, I often heard Washington described as “Hollywood for Ugly People,” as you never know who you’ll run into in the halls of Congress or in the White House. We were fortunate to have most of our Capitol Hill meetings on the third floor of the Dirksen Senate Office Building, which also happens to be near Senator Bernie Sanders’ Congressional office. We did experience a Bernie sighting, to the delight of several trip participants. During our White House tour, I swear I was standing right beside actor Ted McGinley of Happy Days, The Love Boat, and Married…With Children, but I don’t think anyone else saw him. Also, I heard that the lead singer of Nickelback was in the White House while we were there, but I missed him and his frosted tips. This is part of the fun of Washington; Hillary Clinton could be right around the next corner. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a Normal Person: We were fortunate to have a 20-minute meeting with White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who is about as normal as she can be while holding down one of the most challenging jobs on earth. Before you groan, just know that she has THREE children under the age of five. I have one child under the age of five, and I spend 90 percent of my time trying to devise strategies to get to work on time. In all seriousness, it was great to hear from her about the demands of the job and her approach to it. We work hard to secure meetings like this, as it is so important for people to look beyond the media caricatures of those in the Trump Administration— and remember that most of them are regular people in big jobs. Look Beyond the Tweets: Despite the Tweets and personal drama that accompanies the President, business lobbyists and many Republicans are thrilled with the overall direction of government and the American economy. In their view, President Trump has taken the Obama Administration’s regulatory brakes off our economy, and it has taken off like a rocket ship. The recent stock market downturn is no surprise, given the fact that bull markets really don’t know how to end—they just go higher and higher until they crash. The current bull market may have gone too high and may continue, the market continues to correct itself. Our Capitol Hill Day kickoff speaker, Beloit College Alum and Washington Lobbyist David Goodfriend, noted that Democrats and others who simply deride the president without looking for reasons for his 2016 victory are missing the boat. President Trump was a shot across the bow for a public that was extremely dissatisfied with status quo politics. Those who believe that the President is in line for a big defeat in 2020 no matter who the Democrats offer up are viewing things too simply. While there is some frustration about the president’s style in Washington, the results are what really matters. A Different Way Forward ? I’ve said it for years—the rise of broken, partisan Washington can be traced directly back to party extremists (on both sides) getting elected to Congress. If you elect enough Tea Partiers or raging socialists, you shouldn’t be surprised when governing is difficult. Though many in our country consider themselves to be unaffiliated moderates, our recent political history has left moderates out in the cold. One of our meetings featured a little chicken soup for the moderate soul, as Neal Simon, an independent candidate for the U.S. Senate in Maryland, told us about his candidacy and about Unite America, a movement to look for moderate, independent candidates who will work together to get things done. Wolves at The Door: Love it or hate it, the tax reform package that passed last year was a transformational piece of legislation that will forever alter the American tax landscape. The bill has changed the world economic picture and has left companies in other countries wondering how they will compete with their American counterparts. The American labor market is essentially full. There are no looming economic bubbles like those we saw in the tech and housing sectors. Dan Cunningham - Vice President Government Relations & Education On March 7, 2018, a vibrant cross-section of 45 business, civic, and community leaders journeyed to Washington D.C. as part of Forward Janesville’s fifth annual three-day trip to the nation’s capital. This year’s visit featured some extraordinary events and meetings—from a private dinner with House Speaker Paul Ryan to an exclusive briefing with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders—perhaps making it our most successful trip yet. We would like to extend a sincere thanks to the sponsors who made the trip possible: