Almost 10 years ago, the Board of Directors approved my recommendation
to have the association assume a more activist role in promoting
the need for a strong national defense and technology base, with
particular attention to the nation’s industrial preparedness.
My reasoning was that is one of the fundamental reasons why our
founders decided to create the association back in 1919: to speak
out on behalf of the industrial base.
The Board’s endorsement of that recommendation sparked a
decade-long evolution by NDIA into the active advocacy role we now
play.
Often, when people learn that we advocate for specific issues,
their first reaction is almost a whispered, "But you don’t
lobby, do you?" That common reaction led me to believe that
many of our members may not be familiar with NDIA’s participation
in advocacy activities. It seemed appropriate that we should fully
explain our policy on advocacy, because it does include some forms
of lobbying.
Fundamentally, NDIA is an educational, charitable, non-profit association,
exempt from federal taxation. The organization is composed of individual
members and businesses, all of whom share a common purpose: working
to raise awareness of the importance of a strong national defense
and the need to sustain a healthy industrial base. We represent
a broad-based constituency of individuals-both in the public and
private sectors. In fulfilling these roles, it often is necessary
to interact with members of Congress and the Executive Branch. While
much of what we do in these areas is educational, we also are allowed
to lobby, albeit with certain restrictions.
Educational Is Primary
At least 90 percent of everything we do in the area of advocacy
falls under the definition of educational activities. Those activities
include distributing information, furnishing technical advice, or
providing expert witnesses before government proceedings.
On the other hand, lobbying means communicating with a legislative
body or government employee, focusing on a specific piece of legislation.
Lobbying activities in which NDIA participates include individual
contacts with congressional staff members, as well as Executive
Branch officials. We provide testimony and prepare statements for
hearings. We submit data regarding member positions and views on
legislative and regulatory matters. Any or all of these functions
can include grass-roots activities, which generally take place within
our chapters or as joint efforts with other associations.
One hard and fast rule is that NDIA advocates only on broad, industry-wide
issues, never on any individual or company-specific program.
As a non-profit association exempt from federal taxation, there
are certain statutory restrictions on any lobbying activities we
might undertake:
So yes, we do advocate. We think you want us to support and encourage
national defense efforts. And yes, we do lobby–but very rarely.
Currently, we are "lobbying" against the blacklisting
regulation which allows government contractors to be disqualified
from competing for government contracts on the basis of a complaint
(not proven, but alleged) that they have not complied with a federal
law or regulation.
We are also lobbying for prompt payment of defense companies by
the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), and against a
moratorium on government outsourcing. We believe that all of these
positions are in the best interest of national defense, and you,
our members. Please let us hear from you on this important subject.
For an update on NDIA’s Government Policy activities, please
browse our Web site at www.ndia.org.