OHI Leaders Meet With Key Legislators on Capitol Hill

Members of OHI (formerly National ARVC) leadership attended meetings on Capitol Hill last week, advocating for RV parks and campgrounds and focused on legislation that will lower taxes and fees levied on small businesses.

Following 17 successful meetings on Wednesday, the OHI team met face-to-face with 11 more members of Congress on Thursday, including:

• Patricia Murray (D-Washington); Sen. Mike Braun (R-Indiana)
• Shelley Capito (R-West Virginia); Sen. Ted Budd (R-North Carolina)
• Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee); Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho)
• Michael Bennet (D-Colorado); Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina)
• Jeanne Shaheen D-New Hampshire); Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska)
• Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming)

The team continued its focused discussions surrounding support of the Credit Card Competition Act, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act and the Death Tax Repeal Act as well as legislation that would provide a 90-day cure period that would allow small businesses to remedy website-based ADA compliance issues before a lawsuit could be filed.

Wednesday’s meetings included discussions with:

• Katie Britt (R-Alabama); Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho)
• Ted Cruz (R-Texas); Sen. Steve Daines (R-Montana)
• Dick Durbin (D- Illinois); Sen. Tammi Duckworth (D-Illinois)
• Joni Ernst (R-Iowa); Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee)
• Josh Hawley (R-Missouri); Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colorado)
• Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Mississippi); Sen. John Kennedy (R-Louisiana)
• Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota); Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida)
• Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri); Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia)
• Todd Young (R-Indiana)

These were in addition to discussions on the impact of the outdoor hospitality industry the OHI team had with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia); Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Montana); and Rep. Katie Porter (D-California); as well as Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Arkansas) and Gov. Doug Burgum (North Dakota) at the National Outdoor Recreation Executive Forum on Tuesday.

All totaled, the OHI team has held successful in-depth discussions with more than 30 influential legislators in the past three days.

“As the national voice of the outdoor hospitality industry, our focus this week has been to advocate for legislation that will help our industry be more successful and to showcase the positive impact our industry has on the nation’s economy,” said OHI President and CEO Paul Bambei. “We are and always have been the watchdog for RV parks and campgrounds, and we’re honored to give our valued members a powerful voice in Washington.”

The OHI team gained significant traction on these issues, the organization said, and is actively planning a series of follow-up meetings for later this summer in order to keep these important pieces of legislation moving forward for the betterment of the industry.