Government relations in Washington, sometimes feels like walking and chewing gum at the same time… while juggling, on a unicycle herding cats, and September is one of those months we are doing all that. Just one week away from an impending government shutdown and there is certainly a chance they will miss the deadline. By now businesses are used to congressional inaction, but with all the outside politics combining with fiscal politics this one will be a nail-biter. On the bright side, the demands by both parties seem clear, meaning if Congress does fail to get a bill to the President’s desk, there seems to be an exit route and a policy path to make it a short-term glitch. While that debate moves to center stage there is plenty happening off-camera both in Congress and with the White House. The Administration has moved past the first wave (and what a wave) of executive actions and is soliciting information to build into a phase two of executive actions. NAW has been busy responding to these requests, including next steps for a renegotiated trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. Several committees in Congress are also moving on legislation that could impact NAW members in the data security space, and a reintroduction of the Warehouse Worker Protection Act. We are not bored.

-Brian Wild