On May 15, 2025, members from all facets of print gathered on Capitol Hill to lobby for the industry. PRINTING United Alliance welcomed more than 40 attendees to Washington, DC, to meet with the staffs of senators, congressmen, and various political representatives. The goal: educate and vouch for the viability of print – now and in the future.

The PRINTING United Alliance Legislative Fly-In is a biannual signature government affairs invite-only event. The gathering saw print industry leaders coming together for a powerful program of public policy education, issue advocacy, interaction with members of Congress, and networking.

“Every meeting you have you’re making a connection and building a relationship,” said Julie Philp, senior partner, ACG Advocacy.

Printing represents a major part of the US economy. Currently, there are more than 400,000 printing employees in the country. The event allowed attendees to discuss numerous hot-button issues with government representatives. The topics included sustainability, the impact of tariffs on small converters, trade, workforce development and labor shortages, economic uncertainty, and the impact on labels/overall print.

Representing print

The PRINTING United Alliance represents more than 21,000 individuals across all segments of print. “We’d like to see that number double in the next 3-5 years,” stated Dave Leskusky, president, PRINTING United Alliance. “We want to be an umbrella association for the printing industry, either on the Hill or in other endeavors. We want all printers to have access to data, research and economics, training, and more to help inform your decisions and make your operations grow. We want to make sure your issues are heard and addressed.”

In the US, print ranks third amongst all manufacturing industries in terms of number of establishments. Print also ranks 10^th in total number of employees and 15^th in total sales.

“We should be really proud of our industry, how big we are, and the economic impact we have at both the state and federal level,” exclaimed Leskusky. “We want to showcase the value your brand brings to the US economy and show that print is everywhere. We want to advocate for the entire industry and build relationships with your elected officials.”

The event also provided an opportunity for print industry members to advocate for plant tours from their elected officials, along with touting the Printing Caucus. In many cases, elected officials are not deeply acquainted with the work the industry does. Meanwhile, the Printing Caucus has grown from four to 17 members in a short time span.

Expert speakers on Capitol Hill

The Legislative Fly-In also included expert speakers from a wide range of organizations such as National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and ACG Advocacy, PRINTING United Alliance’s DC lobbying firm. NAM’s Mike Davin joined the event to explore the benefits of Capitol Hill action.

“Tax legislation must pass to provide manufacturers with certainty for planning for years to come,” said Davin. “We need to strengthen supply chains and boost American manufacturing. Trade uncertainty is our members’ top concern. We want to minimize tariff costs for manufacturers investing in the US and secure better terms for manufacturers negotiating for American-made products.”

From a sustainability standpoint, NAM has been locked into new legislation. “We’re optimistic about the direction the EPA is going,” remarked Davin. “Our members want certainty with regulation – we want clean air, water, and to be responsible members of the communities in which we operate. We feel we can make transformational investments to strengthen the way we operate in the US. We’ve received positive feedback from the administration, and we’re going to continue to have these discussions.”

From a labor perspective, the meetings enabled members to advocate for the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act. The goal is to use funds for career and technical training, and currently it has bipartisan support.

“We’re trying to attract the next generation of industry talent,” added Leskusky. “We’re offering free membership for students – and the number has jumped from 294 to almost 1,300 students.”