Government Affairs: Immigration Talks Are Heating Up! Words: Stephen BorgPhotos: Jeff Buczkiewicz, Stephen BorgFor some of you, I might be starting to sound like a broken record (nice that “vinyl” is coming back in vogue, so even our younger masons know what a record is!)…WE NEED YOUR HELP ON DIGNITY ACT…WE NEED YOUR HELP ON DIGNITY ACT…WE NEED YOUR HELP ON THE DIGNITY ACT! When I was a kid growing up listening to records at my grandparents’ house, I actually loved it when a scratched record started jumping on a great stanza, and I could just have my favorite song parts on repeat. And like that short, skipping soundtrack, I am going to keep my message short and sweet. Hearing WE NEED YOUR HELP ON DIGNITY ACT on repeat needs to get you out of your chairs and dancing to your Member of Congress’s door.The reason this is so pertinent at the moment is that Immigration talks are starting to heat up again in the Halls of Congress. On November 13th, MCAA President Jeff Buczkiewicz, Incoming Board Chairman Kent Huntley (NC), former MCAA Board Chairman and current Legislative Committee Chairman Mackie Bounds (TX), MCAA Member Joe Bonifate (PA), and MCAA Member Heath Holdaway (UT) came into DC to hit the Halls of Congress and push for support and cosponsorship of the Dignity Act. We spent the day conducting over 20 targeted meetings, touching base with members of Congress from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. We received great feedback from a number of offices, but also learned that the issue of immigration as a whole is starting to percolate on Capitol Hill again, and numerous other pieces of immigration related legislation are likely to be introduced before the end of the year. While this is great on one hand, we also don’t want these conversations moving in directions that will not ultimately benefit MCAA members.We are confident that our meetings will result in more members signing onto the Dignity Act, but we cannot rest on our laurels and cannot take for granted the need to have a constant voice on Capitol Hill pushing for the Dignity Act to Members of Congress from every state! We must ensure that immigration bills being drafted and talked about on Capitol Hill will actually help the masonry industry and not promote programs or “solutions” that leave the construction industry on the sidelines. If we are not up here on Capitol Hill telling our stories, someone else will be up here telling them for us…and that is never a good thing.We would love for you to join Jeff Buczkiewicz and me out in Washington, DC, to hit the Hill for productive, needed meetings with members of Congress from your state as well. It is so important that we continue to show the White House, Leadership in the House of Representatives and Senate, and members of both political parties in Congress, the need for this important piece of legislation and bipartisan immigration reform that actually helps the construction industry. We all know that we are the literal and figurative foundation of the US economy, and we need to continue to be a broken record on Capitol Hill until as many members of Congress on both sides of the aisle hear our call and understand our needs. About: Legislative