This Isn’t the Time to Sit on the Sidelines

Member engagement is critical to ELFA’s government relations strategy.

ELFA provides the platform for the equipment finance industry to advocate for public policy issues at the federal level. This platform effectively takes the interest of more than 575 member companies and creates one voice that strengthens our impact on policy issues.

Capitol Connections 2021 will be virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are disappointed that our members will not be able to walk the halls of Congress, we are thrilled that ELFA members will still be able to advocate on behalf of the equipment finance industry. Registration for Capitol Connections (May 19) will open soon at www.elfaonline.org/events. We will be announcing the programming for this event to include issues, webinar dates and special events in the coming months. 

Your Participation Makes a Difference

Over the last 10 months, ELFA staff and ELFA members have already participated in dozens of virtual meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs. While nothing can replace the shoe leather advocacy of walking the marble corridors of the Capitol, these meetings have been remarkably effective and, in many cases, we have experienced a greater level of actual interaction with Members of Congress in the virtual format rather than meeting solely with staff. This experience has been confirmed by other organizations that have been conducting virtual meetings during the pandemic as well. With all the issues at play this year, it’s not the time to sit on the sidelines. Your direct involvement in Capitol Connections could make the difference on significant tax and financial services policy matters. In the meantime, block off May 19 on your calendar. 

Capitol Connections is just one component of the association’s government relations strategy. This strategy is a three-legged stool of direct advocacy, grassroots mobilization and political involvement. By merging the three into our government relations strategy, we create a united voice for our industry.  

Direct Advocacy

Direct advocacy, often called lobbying, is the expression of our right to “petition the government” as stated in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. ELFA’s direct advocacy falls into two broad categories, education and advocacy. 

Our elected officials come from diverse backgrounds and they do not always know the subtle details that are essential to operating an equipment finance company. A majority of ELFA’s direct advocacy efforts focus on education about the industry. If elected officials and appointed officials don’t understand how equipment finance benefits the economy, they are unlikely to support changes that would help our industry. 

When the ELFA legislative staff determines whether or not to advocate for any given matter, the ELFA membership is the first place they turn to for invaluable insights that help determine how current policy is working for the equipment finance industry. Additionally, ELFA staff work with member companies to review proposals, laws, regulations and rules. 

Once a policy issue has been identified, ELFA staff, often in coordination with member company volunteers, engage directly with Members of Congress and their staff to educate them about the issue. Once that base level of education is achieved, we can advocate for the path that will lead to the best results for the equipment finance industry. 

Grassroots Mobilizations

Lobbying by the ELFA staff is not always enough to convince government officials that a policy is right or wrong for the industry. It takes a local voice or industry expert to relay the message. This is where ELFA’s grassroots network comes into play. ELFA’s grassroots program, Advocacy Champions, is geared towards bringing industry voices to elected officials by giving a firsthand account to policy on matters that affect the day-to-day of member companies. Sharing your voice with elected officials by inviting them to meet with your employees who work in their districts increases the volume and helps us stand out. 

Political Involvement

Political involvement is knowing which candidates understand and support the industry and helping them get reelected. Civic engagement goes beyond voting. It can be volunteering on a campaign or assisting a candidate in your area by introducing him or her to community members and specifically your neighbors. These activities can help push a candidate into an elected position and help the candidate recognize you as a valuable resource to them when they need to know how a policy will affect the local economy. 

Just like growing a business takes capital, so does running a campaign. A political campaign takes funding to pay staff, run political advertisements and travel around the district. To help create a united voice, ELFA has its own political action committee, LeasePAC, to collect voluntary contributions from hundreds of employees at ELFA member companies and pool those funds to contribute to candidates who share our values. The LeasePAC Committee is composed of employees from ELFA member companies and oversees all LeasePAC activities. To learn more about LeasePAC, please visit the LeasePAC website at www.elfaonline.org/advocacy/leasepac. 

We must engage with those who represent us so our policy priorities are known and acted on. Your participation is critical to helping us deliver the equipment finance message to policymakers. With that in mind, if you would like to begin building a relationship with your Members of Congress in advance of Capitol Connections, please reach out to ELFA’s Federal government relations team.