As the Chairman of the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce Board of Trustees, I was privileged to join a delegation of 150 business and community leaders for the Washington, D.C. Fly-In 2019. This year, the Chamber partnered with Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA) for the first time, to bring even more Nevadans on this important trip to advocate for Nevada’s business interests in talks with national policy makers.

Throughout a week of meetings, our delegation promoted the business community’s federal agenda, educated policy makers about the unique dynamics of Nevada’s businesses, and promoted a federal agenda that would address issues important to our state. We engaged in dialogue with Congressional members, high-profile think tanks, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and national trade organizations.

It was an opportunity to learn more about important issues and find ways to collaborate on policies that address some of our challenges and capitalize on opportunities.

The Chamber’s policy priorities include:

• Funding for Interstate 11 between Las Vegas and Phoenix, the two largest cities in the U.S. not connected by an interstate
• Opposing nuclear waste storage at Yucca Mountain. Nevada should have a say in whether or not this project proceeds, rather than having the federal government make decisions for us. The new federal budget does not contain any funding for the Yucca Mountain project, which is a big win for Nevada.
• Supporting the passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement because of the economic impact it would have on Nevada
• Releasing public land systematically to help meet the needs of our rapidly growing population
• Increasing Southern Nevada’s share of Homeland Security funding
• Encouraging federal agencies to address the water challenges faced by the Colorado River Basin States
• Addressing transportation infrastructure needs, including widening of I-15 between Las Vegas and Southern California
• Increasing federal funding for graduate medical education to address the critical shortage of physicians and other healthcare professionals
• Increasing federal grant dollars in Nevada

The Chamber’s partnership with LVGEA shows that our business organizations are unified in their approach to solving the challenges shared by businesses throughout the state. I am proud of the Chamber, LVGEA, and the other members of our Fly-In 2019 delegation for taking an active role in advocating for policies that will ultimately benefit all Nevadans.

Best regards,