Memorial Day is one of those political landmark days, signaling the beginning of the final sprint of policymaking before legislators turn their attention full-time to the business of getting reelected. You can feel the pace of legislating speed up, as members jockey to have their bill move to the front of the line to be considered in the two-month span between Memorial Day and the August recess. Bipartisan legislation that has been worked on behind closed doors for months starts to move. As evidence, there are several bills NAW has been supporting, including cracking down on organized cargo theft and reauthorization of a highway bill to provide needed infrastructure support. It also means we are pushing back on union-supported legislation including the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which would dramatically change how initial labor contracts are approved. Unions have been building support through a procedure called a discharge petition in an effort to force a vote in the House before Election Day. Add it to the list of issues facing wholesaler-distributors, as this very small Republican majority heads into the midterms.

-Brian Wild