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MECACC's Door Knock 2011 Washington DC. April 3rd – 8th,2011 Summary Report
Introduction
The MECACC annual Door Knock Event took place at Washington DC during the period of April 3rd, to 8th ,2011.Twenty five(25) delegates representing MECACC's chapters of Saudi Arabia,Dubai,and Kuwait.ABCK was represented by 3 delegates ;Gregg Stevens,Kathryn MacNeil,and Fred Shuaibi.
Door Knock 2011 Headline Issues
1-American Abroad = US Export = Jobs At Home
2-Trade Delegations to Enhance the Economy
3- Sponsorship for Re-Introduction of the FEIE for Section 911 Tax Revision Bill.
Door Knock 2011 Meetings Program
The MECACC Delegates were engaged in over 300 meetings on Capitol Hill for the duration of the Door Knock campaign .The Delegates were divided into teams(10) Lobbying daily utilizing the headline issues that the MECACC Steering Committee had approved earlier in January of 2011.
Teams visited the targeted Congressmen, and Senators offices to address the issues on hand.
The meeting stared as early of 9:00am ,and ending 4:30pm.
Each Day the delegates meet early morning for briefing,and at the end of the day for debriefing on the reporting results/discussion of the day's meetings.
Other MECACC Meetings
MECACC held other meetings in support of the Door Knock Program,and these are as follows;
1-The US Chamber of Commerce(USCC)
MECACC was hosted by the USCC"The Middle East and North Africa Division." MECACC presented the available business development opportunities summaries in the GCC countries and MECACC's chapters role in the process.
2-MECACC Held a meeting at the Department of Commerce with the Middle East Section .The meeting was held regarding the MECACC Trade Delegation Program,and the supporting role of the Department of Commerce through its various office in the USA.
ABCK's Noted Activities at Door Knock 2011
The Following were conducted on behalf of ABCK
A-Distribution of the ABCK Correspondent Magazine at various locations on Capitol Hill such as;
1-The US Chamber of Commerce
2-The Department of Commerce(At two(2) different sections)
3-At the Congress and the Senate offices
4-The National US Arab Chamber of Commerce.
5-The MECACC Door Knock 2011 delegates.
B-Held Meetings at the Department of Commerce
1-The Middle East North Africa Section (With the Section's Deputy Head )
Presented a brief about ABCK role in Kuwait ,and future business development and opportunities available in the future in the State of Kuwait. Presented the Department with two Copies of the ABCK Correspond at the end of the meeting.
2-The Commercial Law Development Plan (CLDP)(With the Section's Head)
Presented a request on behalf of the Legal Issues Focus Group to have a guest speaker to attend the Group's meeting in October 2011.Briefed the Head Section ,and his associates about the ABCK activities,and the role of the Legal Issues Focus Group in summarizing the concerns for improvement with respect to the Local legal process in Kuwait.Left behind two copies of the Correspondent.
3-Meeting with Congressmen Joe Wilson of South Carolina, Jim Moran of Virginia, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, and with Chief of staff of Senator Ensign of
Nevada.
Left Correspondent Copies at each office after a brief presentation about ABCK role as an AMCHAM organization and current and future business opportunities available in Kuwait.
4-Submitted to MECACC's Chairman a power point brief background presentation with respect to Kuwait's current ,and future business opportunities.This is for the purpose of presenting it at the USCC
Results and Conclusion
The MECACC Door Knock 2011 was concluded with optimistic hopes that the lobbying efforts,and issues addressed will bear positive results in the near future.The Delegates expressed their daily views on the meetings held on Capitol Hill,and highlighted the followings;
1-Efforts exerted daily in expressing the views of MECACC as related to the issues presented to the targeted Congressmen, and Senators offices, shall not be left without a must follow-up with the targeted offices.All delegates have recommended that the MECACC present consultant Capitol Capital Group (CCG) at Washington DC shall be liable to follow-up with such offices on Capitol Hill ,and the City. CCG shall report to MECACC periodically on the progress of such follow-up, and to note in the process any break through on the issues of concern(Sponsorship in Congress and the Senate for FEIE Section 911 Revision Bill,Trade Delegation Interest at Congressional Districts, and the supporting role of the Department of Commerce, and the US Chamber of Commerce to such a program).
Recommendation For ABCK
1-Initiate its own Trade Delegation Program in line of support to the MECACC proposed general plan.
2-Initiate a coordination program for luring the US Chamber of Commerce visits to Kuwait in the future.
Prepared By
Fred A. Shuaibi
Chairman of External Affairs,
ABCK Door Knock Volunteer Delegate
April 25th,2011
Kuwait.
MECACC's April 2010 Export Promotion and Door Knock Mission
Successful Washington D.C. Advocacy Trip By MECACC Chapter Members Promotes Increased Presence of Working Americans in Middle Eastern Markets
MECACC's Mantra "Americans Abroad = U.S. Exports = Jobs At Home" Is Warmly Welcomed Across the Halls of Congress and Within the Obama Administration
Introductory Comments From MECACC's Chairman
Continuing a public advocacy tradition spanning decades, MECACC successfully conducted the 2010 edition of its annual Export Promotion Mission and Door Knock in Washington, D.C. from April 25th through April 30th. Dozens of MECACC supporters from both the Gulf region and the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area visited Congressional representatives and Obama Administration officials to deliver a strong message in support of job creation through export promotion by advocating policies that make it easier to employ American workers in jobs in Middle Eastern markets.
MECACC's annual Mission was again planned and coordinated by MECACC's Washington, D.C. representative, The Capitol Capital Group ("CCG"), headed by its President Michael Jones. Excerpts from Mr. Jones' Special Report on the achievements of the Mission are included below in this e-mail. Special MECACC thanks go out to the U.S. – U.A.E. Business Council, led by its President Mr. Danny Sebright (www.usuaebusiness.org), which co-sponsored a private sector networking reception during the week attended by several dozen "pro-export" large companies, government officials and small business entrepreneurs focused on the markets of the Middle East.
One of the week's highlights was MECACC's lengthy meeting with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the Honorable Gary Locke. Secretary Locke, former Governor of the export-juggernaut state of Washington, candidly described the special emphasis the Obama Administration has been placing on export promotion policies and activities since President Obama's widely publicized Executive Order launching the National Export Initiative. (http://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2010/02/04/comerce-sexretary-gary-locke-unveils-datails-nationalexport-initiat).
MECACC's successful swing through Washington, D.C. will be followed up in the coming summer months with advocacy and strategic alliance building activities to further MECACC's campaign to create a level playing field for U.S. businesses active in the global marketplace. Export activities generally are best conducted through companies establishing a local presence in the targeted international markets. The more "Commercial Ambassadors" working outside of the U.S. the better situated U.S. companies will be when competing with companies from other export-focused nations which have far better incentives for their nationals working in foreign markets.
MECACC welcomes all export-focused companies, trade groups and executives -- whether based in the U.S. or overseas -- to join the grass roots movement underway to unleash the U.S. economy's export engine by supporting the presence of Americans living in foreign markets.
Now more than ever, U.S. private and public sector leaders must join hands in a non-partisan effort to enact sensible legislation and policy directives driving U.S. exports – including policies that assist businesses seeking to station Americans in overseas operations.
The Capitol Capital Group
MECACC's Representative in Washington, D.C.
Special Report
2010 MECACC DOOR KNOCK
The 2010 Annual MECACC Door Knock convened on Sunday April 25, 2010 and lasted through Friday April 30, 2010. Door Knock 2010 included more than 20 MECACC Door Knockers from overseas, who gathered in Washington, D.C. for the event in order to conduct a massive lobbying push on Capitol Hill and with the Administration. Special thanks go to the MECACC Door Knock team that traveled from half-way around the world to successfully influence decision-makers in Washington.
2010 DOOR KNOCK ORIENTATION BRIEFING
The 2010 Door Knock orientation kicked off at 4:00 pm on Sunday April 25, 2010 at the Capitol Hill Suites. Each Door Knocker received a welcome package containing materials such as a week-long Door Knock agenda, specialized MECACC gifts, lapel buttons and visitor's information about Washington, D.C. MECACC Door Knockers also received a professional briefing manual and a seminar was conducted on the following topics: a description of the MECACC Door Knock delegation; a spatial orientation to Capitol Hill and D.C.; an overview of key Congressional Committees and their functions; ten points to more effective lobbying; an overview of MECACC's take away materials; an overview of numerous supportive materials to MECACC's lobbying arguments and training on MECACC's meeting results questionnaire.
Door Knockers were also briefed on the group's weeklong agenda and a role-playing and question and answer session followed so that Door Knockers could fine-tune the arguments that they used on Capitol Hill that week.
MORNING BRIEFING SESSIONS/AFTERNOON DE-BRIEFING SESSIONS
In order to attend all of the targeted meetings, the MECACC delegation was divided into teams of two or three Door Knockers and deployed across Capitol Hill each day of the week. Since there were so many new and energetic Door Knockers this year, new Door Knockers were paired with experienced Door Knockers so that they could learn from teammates who were familiar with getting MECACC's message across on Capitol Hill. CCG briefed each team every morning on the history of their meeting targets, the committees those targets serve on, the significance that each target has in MECACC's agenda and the outcomes from each meeting that MECACC hoped to obtain Daily de-briefings were also scheduled at the close of each day's Door Knocking activities. The de-briefings enabled
the teams to learn from one another's experiences and gage our progress throughout the week. The de-briefings also enabled MECACC to fine tune its lobbying strategy as information was gained.
SPECIAL EVENTS DURING DOOR KNOCK
MECACC conducted two special events in Washington, D.C. during Door Knock 2010.
DOWNTOWN D.C. RECEPTION
On Monday, April 26th, 2010, thanks to the generous support of the U.S. – U.A.E. Business Council and Mr. Danny Sebright, MECACC held a "DK launch reception" co-sponsored by the USUAE Business Council in downtown D.C. The reception was attended by new friends of MECACC as well as potential allies to our agenda on Capitol Hill. Mr. Sebright and MECACC Chairman John Habib delivered welcome remarks at the reception and introduced the guest speaker, Christopher Wilson, Assistant US Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East. Mr. Wilson commended MECACC for its role in generally promoting US trade with the GCC, and in specifically creating US jobs through narrowly focused export promotion activities such as the DK.
CAPITOL HILL RECEPTION
MECACC hosted a Capitol Hill reception in the Cannon House Office Building on Wednesday, April 28th, 2010. Guests included Hill staff, friends of MECACC and the Door Knock delegation. At the event, Chairman Emeritus Neal Johnson received an award for his hard work and leadership as MECACC's immediate past Chairman. Anne Jafery, MECACC's Vice Chairman, was honored for her tireless efforts in coordinating Door Knock 2010. Congressman Jim Moran received MECACC's Annual Patriot of the Expatriates Award for his steadfast support for our Capitol Hill agenda.
KEY MEETINGS DURING DOOR KNOCK 2010 - The House of Representatives
1) The Committee on Ways and Means: This committee is the most important House target for our work on the Foreign Earned Income Exception. Ways and Means is responsible for all revenue measures (Taxes). The Trade Subcommittee is responsible for trade related problems, such as market access and export policy and promotion. Our findings include:
• MECACC teams met with 20 Members of this Committee: Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8th/NJ), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-3rd/OR), Rep. Dean Heller (R-2nd/ NV), Rep. Wally Herger (R-2nd/CA) (also on Joint Taxation), Rep. Rick Larsen (D-2nd/WA), Rep. John Linder (R-7th/GA), Rep. Sander Levin (D-12th/MI) (Chairman), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-39th/CA), Rep. Jim McDermott (D-7th/WA), Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-17th/FL), Rep. John Tanner (D-8th/TN), Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-12th/OH), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-1st/CA), Rep. Artur Davis (D-7th/AL), Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-8th/MD), Rep. John Yarmuth (D-3rd/KY), Rep. Brian Higgins (D-27th/NY), Rep. Danny Davis (D-7th/IL), Rep. Peter Roskam (R-6th/ IL), and Rep. Dean Heller (R-2nd/NV).
2) Committee on Appropriations: This Committee funds all U.S. Government programs. It also oversees the federal and international trade commissions and to a lesser extent, some trade issues. Appropriations is an important target committee because it can be responsible for offering offsets to spending that may include elimination of the FEIE from foes of our agenda.
• MECACC teams met with 19 members of this committee: Rep. C.W. Bill Young (R-10th/FL), Rep. Ken Calvert (R-44th/CA), Rep. Norman Dicks (D-6th/WA), Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd/CT) (and Budget Committee), Rep. Jose Serrano (D-16th/NY), Rep. John Carter (R-34th/TX), Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-1st/RI), Rep. James Moran (D-8th/VA), Rep. David Price (D-4th/NC), Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger (D-2nd/MD), Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-34th/CA), Rep. John Abney Culberson (R-7th/TX), Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-8th/MO), Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-14th/OH), Rep. Tom Latham (R-4th/IA), Rep. David Obey (D-7th/WI) – Chair of Appropriations, Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-4th/AL), Rep. Dennis Rehberg (R-at large/MO), and Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-4th/TN).
3) Committee on Foreign Affairs: This committee is a key target because it is responsible for international trade and economic policies. The committee is also responsible for oversight over the State Department, expatiate rights and the protection of Americans abroad. The committee has jurisdiction over matters affecting political relations between the U.S. and countries in the GCC.
• MECACC teams met with ten members of this committee: Rep. Eliot Engel (D-17th/NY), Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-18th/TX), Rep. Albio Sires (D-13th/NJ), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-10th/TX), Rep. Russ Carnahan (D-3rd/MO), Rep. Joe Wilson (R-2nd/SC), Rep. Dan Burton (R-5th/IN), Rep. Keith Ellison (D-5th/MN), Rep. Bob Inglis (R-4th/SC), and Rep. Michael McMahon (D-13th/NY)
4) Committee on the Budget: The Committee on the Budget shall study on a continuing basis the effect on budget outlays of relevant existing and proposed legislation and report the results of such studies.
• MECACC teams met with five members of this committee: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-10th/NC), Rep. John Larson (D-1st/CT), Rep. Paul Ryan (R-1st/ WI) (Ranking Member on Budget, also on Ways & Means), Rep. James McGovern (D-3rd/MA), and Rep. Robert Latta (R-5th/OH).
5) Committee on Energy and Commerce: This committee has jurisdiction of interstate and international commerce issues for the House.
• Door Knock teams met with eleven members of this committee: Rep. Diana DeGette (D-1st/CO), Rep. Jane Harman (D-36th/CA), Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-7th/TN), Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-1st/NC), Rep. John Dingell (R-15th/MI), Rep. George Radanovich (R-19th/CA), Rep. John Shadegg (R-3rd/AZ), Rep. John Barrow (D-12th/GA), Rep. Jim Matheson (D-2nd/UT), Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-1st/KY), and Rep. Edward Markey (D-7th/MA).
6) Committee on Small Business: This committee addresses all issues related to small business and small business exports.
• Door Knock teams met with six members of this committee: Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-8th/IN), Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-5th/PA), Rep. Mike Coffman (R-6th/CO), Rep. Mary Fallin (R-5th/OK), Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-1st/AZ) and Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-12th/NY) (Chair of the Committee).
7) Other Committees/new Members/ Members MECACC had no previous information on:
• MECACC teams met with 34 additional House offices including: Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-9th/ MA), Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-10th/NY), Rep. Lynne Westmoreland (R-3rd/GA), Rep. Brian Bilbray (R-50th/CA), Rep. Joseph Cao (R-2nd/LA), Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-10th/OH), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Steve Cohen (D-9th/TN), John Conyers (D-14th/MI) (Judiciary Chair), Rep. Lamar Smith (R-1st/TX), Rep. Dan Lungren (R-3rd/ CA), Rep. Jerrod Nadler (D-8th/NY), Rep. Donna Edwards (D-4th/MD), Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-19th/TX),Rep. Paul Tonko (D-21st/NY), Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-30th/TX), Rep. Adrian Smith (R-3rd/NE), Rep. Brian Baird (D-3rd/WA), Rep. David Wu (D-1st/OR), Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-3rd/MN), Rep. Joe Baca (D-43rd/CA), Rep. Michael Capuano (D-8th/MA), Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th/NJ), Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-18th/CA), Rep. Larry Kissell (D-8th/NC), Rep. Mike Rogers (R-3rd/ AL), Rep. Tim Johnson (R-15th/IL), Rep. Betsy Markey (D-4th/CO), Rep. Steve Kagen (D-8th/ WI), Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-13th/TX), Rep. Bill Shuster (R-9th/PA), Rep. Howard McKeon (R-25th/ CA), Rep. Candice Miller (R-10th/MI), and Rep. James Oberstar (D-8th/MN)
For more information, Please contact the ABCK office at americanbusinesscouncil@gmail.com
