Federal
Our team at the Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce will continue to work over the coming year with our Congressional members advocating for business industry, their employees and our community. Together we can create economic activity, advance business interests and enhance the quality of life for those who call Irving-Las Colinas home.
The Chamber’s 2020-21 federal legislative priorities include:
Data Privacy
- Support unified, national privacy legislation that protects consumers and provides regulatory certainty to businesses.
Education & Workforce
- Support enhancement of financial aid programs, private sector financial options and public-private partnerships that improve access and affordability to higher education options.
- Support quality and affordable childcare enabling parents to participate in the workforce and aiding in children long-term academic success.
- Support employer-led earn and learn, apprenticeship opportunities.
- Support public and private sector diversity, equity and inclusion programs for workforce.
Energy
- Support energy policies that strengthen U.S. energy security and help allies reduce dependence on foreign oil and natural gas.
- Support sensible regulations that reduce energy emissions and improve environmental performance.
- Support ending the ban on oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters.
- Support permitting for liquified natural gas (LNG) export terminals.
- Support improving and streamlining the permitting process for domestic energy infrastructure.
Healthcare
- Support continued renewal and cost containment of Medicaid, Medicare and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
- Support improving and increasing access to mental and behavioral health programs and coverage of these programs through insurance.
- Support expansion of telehealth services.
- Support addressing the rising costs and instability in the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
- Support expanded access and enhancement of Health Savings Accounts.
Immigration
- Support protection of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status recipients.
- Support increased access to H-1B, H-2B Visas, STEM Visas and the EB-5 program.
- Support a workable national employment verification system.
- Support improved border security.
Infrastructure
- Support full implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Support additional infrastructure revenue sources including vehicle miles traveled, electric car tax, user fees.
- Support privatized high-speed rail in Texas.
- Support development of federal policy for autonomous vehicle technology.
- Support streamlined approval of discretionary grant applications to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
Tax
- Support the passage of SECURE Act 2.0 to allow more employees to participate in employer-sponsored retirement plans and save for retirement.
Trade
- Support rules-based trade that prioritizes U.S. manufacturers.
- Support a fully operational United States Export-Import Bank.
- Support Fair Trade practices while opposing non-tariff barriers (NTB).
