June 29, 2026
Q : What’s the difference between death and taxes? A: Congress doesn’t meet every year to make death worse.
In this edition of BoxScore, I thought I would give you a glimpse of the sausage-making process that occurs in Washington and some insight into how AICC endeavors to support your interests there.
AICC participates in numerous informational meetings and policy reviews for both small businesses and the industry with partners such as the Small Business Legislative Council, the American Forest & Paper Association, and several others. Most of these result in dozens of letters going to Capitol Hill leadership, as opposed to lobbying, outlining positions that are important to you alongside similar associations representing common interests.
Here is the text of a letter sent to the Hill in late April from the National Association of Independent Business with AICC as a signatory:
“The undersigned organizations, representing small businesses and businesses in a variety of industries across the country, write in support of your legislation, the Heat Workforce Standards Act. The important legislation would shield businesses across the country from massive new regulatory burdens and compliance costs by preventing the finalization of the Biden administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings, or OSHA Heat Standard, and prevent a future administration from undertaking a similar rulemaking.
“The proposed OSHA Heat Standard is a one-size-fits-all approach that would add onerous new mandates on businesses across the country without regard to regional climate differences or industry-specific job functions. Specifically, the rule would require employers in general industry and construction, maritime, housing, and agricultural sectors to identify heat hazards, implement engineering and work practice heat control measures, implement a heat illness and emergency response plan, train personnel, retain extensive records, actively supervise employees, and add new paid break mandates.
“We recognize that excessive heat can adversely affect the health of an individual. That’s why business owners across the country are already taking steps to prevent these types of incidents. Yet the proposed Heat Standard ignores the measures businesses take to keep workers safe and instead imposes new unworkable one-size-fits-all mandates and paperwork requirements.
“That’s why your legislation, the Heat Workforce Standards Act, is so vital. This bill would eliminate the threat of this burdensome regulation being finalized and prevent a future OSHA Heat Standard from being pursued by future administrations. Congress must act to clarify that OSHA cannot undertake this rulemaking and in doing so prevent onerous regulatory compliance burdens from being imposed on American businesses.
“The undersigned organizations are grateful for your leadership to eliminate this burdensome rule and prevent increasing compliance burdens and red tape on millions of America’s job creators.”
Many of the initiatives supported by AICC have been successful in the previous and current Congress. Participation such as this is an important, yet unsung and unseen, aspect of an AICC membership.
Eric Elgin is owner of Oklahoma Interpak and chairman of AICC’s government affairs subcommittee. He can be reached at 918-687-1681 or eric@okinterpak.com.
