In a move designed to educate members of Congress on the most pressing issues affecting the printing industry, about 40 print industry leaders assembled in Washington, D.C., on May 15 for the PRINTING United Alliance Legislative Fly-In.

Executives from all segments of the industry, including commercial, graphics, direct mail, book, label, apparel and promotional products, successfully met with members of Congress and their staff to discuss specific policy issues and invite representatives to tour their facilities. ASI was represented at the event by Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer, the company’s corporate vice president.

Stephanie Cohn Schaeffer (second from left), ASI’s corporate vice president, met with U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (third from left) during PRINTING United Alliance’s Legislative Fly-In.

“It was a fantastic experience,” said Schaeffer. “It was so valuable for me to not only help lobby for the future of the printing (and promo) industries but for me to network and learn from the many printing companies who attended.”

Schaeffer added that she and a small delegation from Pennsylvania first met with local Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, who was very familiar with ASI and supports small businesses. They also met with staffers from Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman’s offices and explained that “printing is the largest industry they’ve never heard of.”

“We helped them visualize that printing (and promo) is everywhere,” Schaeffer said, “from the printing on the orange juice carton you pour into your mug with a logo on it to the panel on your microwave where you heat up your coffee to the dashboard in your car to the signs you pass on the road to the baseball cap you wear on your head.”

During the PRINTING United Legislative Fly-In, print leaders met with Mark Pocan, the U.S. representative from Wisconsin’s second congressional district (center), to discuss issues of importance to printers. From left: Julie Philp (ACG Advocacy), Dave Leskusky (Printing United Alliance), Mark Pocan, Brian Adam (Olympus Group) and Eric Blohm (Freedom Graphic Systems).

The inaugural Legislative Fly-In and a similarly focused 2024 “Day on the Hill” event, during which the Alliance Board of Directors also met with federal policymakers, are examples of how the Alliance actively advocates for members and works to impact the policymaking process to benefit the entire printing industry. The Alliance’s pro-print legislative agenda supports policies that encourage industry growth and innovation, while combatting policies that would be detrimental to the industry’s overall success.

While printing associations have held similar events in the past, since COVID these activities had come to a standstill. The Alliance is now taking the lead in advocacy for the industry. From preserving the current federal tax treatment of print advertising as an ordinary and necessary business expense to modernizing how the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) tracks and reports on the printing industry, the Alliance is laser focused on promoting print as an essential product that supports critical manufacturing sectors and the U.S. economy.

Here are some key takeaways from the event:

• Broad Industry Representation: Dave Leskusky, president of PRINTING United Alliance, shared a presentation about the size and scope of the print industry, noting that it’s a $90.3 billion industry that encompasses more than 44,000 companies and makes significant contributions to both national and local economies.
• Championing Workforce Development: A central focus of the Fly-In was advocating for the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act, which would expand the use of 529 education savings accounts to include expenses for workforce training and credentialing programs, helping to address the skilled labor shortage in the print industry.
• Postal System Reform as a Priority: Attendees emphasized the importance of reliable and affordable mail services by supporting the USPS SERVES US Act. This proposed legislation aims to improve the performance and accountability of the U.S. Postal Service. “Being in the direct marketing industry, mail needs to be reformed,” said Joe Olivo, president of Perfect Communications in Moorestown, NJ.
• Support for Small Business Tax Relief: The group advocated for the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which would make the 20% small business tax deduction permanent. “Our members need certainty on their taxes so they can compete with larger companies and continue to hire and grow and invest in their companies,” Schaeffer said. “Small businesses are the fabric of the printing and promotional industries, and this deduction is essential to their future and continued health.”
• Reducing Regulatory Burdens: Attendees urged representatives to pass the PROVE It Act of 2025, which would require federal agencies to analyze and limit the impact of new regulations on small businesses, while enhancing transparency and accountability in the rulemaking process.
• Sustainability & Recycling Infrastructure: Improving the nation’s recycling infrastructure was another key issue. Participants discussed the need for better systems to handle paper and packaging waste. “Right now, recycling, there’s no market for it,” said Albert “Chip” Basse III, president of Albert Basse Associates in Massachusetts. Basse said he has to pay a recycling company to remove his company’s waste material to keep it out of a landfill.
• Tariff-Related Cost Pressures: Executives highlighted the financial strain caused by tariffs on imported materials such as paper, pulp, and printing equipment. They urged Congress to pass the Trade Review Act to reestablish limits on the president’s ability to impose unilateral tariffs without the approval of Congress.

PRINTING United Alliance is in a strategic partnership with ASI. Learn more about its Legislative Fly-In on its publication, In-plant Impressions.

Full story on In-plant Impressions.