Myrika and Steve had a very busy, and productive visit to Washington, DC June 9-11. Here are some highlights:
Three major take-aways
1. “Minnesota today is not the Minnesota I grew up in”- Rep. Brad Finstad. Also, according to Bill Guidera, Deputy Undersecretary, International Trade Administration of the Department of Commerce (former Minnesotan)- “Minnesota is on the national and international radar, and not in a good way.”
2. “We thought we were the US’ best friend, but it no longer feels that way” – Carlos Vanderloo, Economic Minister of the Canadian Embassy
3. According to the Department of Commerce, from 1950 to 2010, the US economy grew at an annual rate of 3.4%, from 2011-2023 at 2.2%, and since then 1.4%. Tariffs went from 2% to 10%.
Key activities:
Briefings from: DC Lobbyists, US Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers
Visits with our Minnesota Delegation:
Representatives Morrison, Fischbach, Finstad, Stauber, Craig, and Emmer
Senator Klobuchar
(Senator Smith was sick, and Rep Omar was MIA)
Note that a key highlight of these visits, was a hug between Representatives Craig and Emmer. Sadly, this picture made it onto social media to be political fodder for both Whip Emmer, and Representative Craig’s Senatorial opponent, Lt Governor Flannigan. We enjoyed the sentiment, however!
Previous to our trip, I reached out to our manufacturing members and received feedback and questions that we were able to ask directly of our delegation, related to raw materials, immigration, taxes, rural technical education, international trade, support for Minnesota, and more.
Immigration Reform was the most consistent topic in these conversations. Every politician agreed that control of our borders is necessary, but that reform is needed, so that we can expand America’s workforce, especially in Manufacturing. Senator Klobuchar even applauded President Trump’s improvements at the borders! The Government Relations folks at NAM said that even Democrats may work with President Trump on this topic, because he may be the only President for a while that will be forceful enough to push for reform.
International Trade and the USMCA was also a hot topic of the day, as hearings were happening at the Capitol, and President Trump was Tweeting his shift from USMCA being the best deal ever, to being the worst, and not needing our partners across the boarders! Most everyone we met with in DC, shared a fairly strong level of support of the existing USMCA plan. This of course was a key focal point for our conversations at the Canadian Embassy, where the Canadians assured us that they are not holding up progress, very much want to continue and expand trade relations with the US.
Through our conversations with MPMA members, many understand the prospective benefit of the Administration’s Tariffs, but most manufacturers have been frustrated with the volatility and uncertainty of implementation. According to the Department of Commerce, there were 33 tariff policy changes in 2025, and so far as the courts attempt to nullify many of the tariffs, only 20% of IEEPA refunds have been processed, as the Administration tries to pass through some of the same tariffs, in a different manner.
Other key topics were the Ground Transportation Bill, as well as regulation of Ai, where the administration’s goal was to curb the zealous activities in 50 states, to allow for a uniform approach.
Lastly, Myrika and I had a great chance to sit down with Apprenticeship staff at the US Department of Labor, where we laid out plans for our Multi-Employer Registered Apprenticeship. They were excited to hear our plans, and had several suggestions on how to manage Minnesota vs Federal resources, and even suggested growing our Apprenticeship nationally once it’s up and running.
Overall, our goals for this trip were to learn about updates and progress at the National level, build relationships within DC as well as Minnesota Leadership, and leave some lasting impression and voice of Minnesota Manufacturers with our national leadership.
Most certainly, we’ll be heading back in 2027, so make sure to share your thoughts and questions with me as the time approaches.
Here’s to a healthy and prosperous Q3 and Q4 for all our Minnesota manufacturers!