The Gwinnett Chamber’s Washington D.C. Fly-In returned to its original Spring schedule when fly-in season is at its peak. The program, presented by Jackson EMC, gives chamber members the opportunity to meaningfully engage with Gwinnett’s Congressional Delegation and key stakeholders at our nation’s Capital.

The Fly-In opened with briefings by representatives from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Presentations included an update on federal transportation and infrastructure funding, the economy, and what to expect in the coming months as Congress negotiates the debt limit.

Wednesday concluded with a visit to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office where our delegation connected with Deputy United States Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi, a Georgia native, who oversees Asia, Africa, Investment, Services, Textiles, and Industrial Competitiveness. Ambassador Bianchi shared that amidst growing tensions with China, businesses should look to allies of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) as attractive, alternative investment opportunities. The twelve IPEF countries make up roughly 40% of the world GDP.

The Chamber spent Thursday meeting with Members of Congress. Among the distinguished Members were U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Reverend Raphael Warnock, and U.S. Representatives Buddy Carter, Andrew Clyde, and Lucy McBath. Every Member reassured our delegation that, despite a divided Congress, the nation will not default on our debt.

The Chamber’s top federal policy issue raised with our Congressional Delegation was the need for immigration reform. With the current immigration laws not meeting the workforce needs of businesses of all sizes across all industries, a bipartisan solution is needed to increase annual quotas for employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, adequately fund the Department of Homeland Security to effectively enforce our immigration laws, and modernize the legal immigration process to help our employers meet their critical workforce needs. All our Members agreed that a bipartisan solution is necessary and that the voice of the business community is essential in making this a reality.

Throughout each year, the Gwinnett Chamber welcomes our elected officials in Congress to connect with us locally. We appreciate the time our Congressional Delegation and their staff lend when we travel to meet with them in Washington D.C. to foster a partnership that champions business.