Election results benefit boating industry

WASHINGTON – The results of last week’s general election will benefit the boating industry and business community as a whole, according to a special edition of the Washington Wave newsletter published Friday.

The newsletter is a joint publication from the Washington, D.C. offices of the National Marine Manufacturers Association, Marina Operators Association of America and Personal Watercraft Industry Association, which provides political and regulatory news updates for the industry.

“On Tuesday, the American people made a choice, and that choice will have a positive impact on the boating industry,” NMMA Vice President of Government Relations Monita W. Fontaine wrote. “America elected pro-business Republicans and Democrats, and we are challenged to go beyond where we have been in advocating for our industry in this legislative and regulatory environment.”

NMMA said its political action committee, NMMA PAC, was able to raise over $207,000 during the election cycle, shattering all previous records. The fundraising enabled NMMA PAC to contribute a record $187,600 to federal candidates and committees.

Eighty-eight percent of the candidates NMMA PAC supported won their races, and the contributions to those races gave NMMA government relations staff the “necessary access to lawmakers to effectively fight for your business interests on Capitol Hill,” the newsletter’s publishers wrote.

The Washington Wave predicted that the industry could expect four more years of pro-business policies from the White House and said the boating industry “should be able to maximize production and job growth and continue to increase sales as boaters enjoy increased access to America’s beautiful waterways.”

The newsletter reported that NMMA is preparing to lend its support to a variety of legislative issues expected to arise during the 109th Congress, including:
–Clean Water Act reauthorization.
–Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act reauthorization.
–Various business tax/regulation issues, including extension of certain expiring tax provisions.
–Trade issues such as the growing list of proposed free trade agreements; WTO rulings; and trade balance particularly with respect to China.
–The many oceans bills that address recommendations of the Oceans Commission.

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