The Voice of Missouri Business® visits Missouri congressional delegation in Washington, DC
- AIM Team
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
July 2, 2025 - Last week, several members of the AIM Board of Directors visited the Missouri congressional delegation in Washington, DC, to discuss a variety of issues affecting Missouri businesses.
"This annual trip to Washington, D.C., provides a significant opportunity to advocate for the interests of business in Missouri and to gain an understanding of the perspectives of our Federal legislators," said Mark Miles, president and CEO of Orscheln Industries and Second Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Associated Industries of Missouri.
Topping the list of discussion points was support for extension of the tax cuts originally contained in the Tax Cut and Jobs Act in 2017. H.R. 1, the bill containing those extensions, passed the Senate yesterday (see more HERE). The group told the delegation members that failing to extend the tax cuts would subject Missouri businesses to a tax increase, which would stifle economic growth.
"Our business has been family-owned for 53 years," said Rod Reid, co-owner of Shepherd Hills Cutlery. "H.R. 1 will enable small family-owned businesses and farms to remain family owned. Many could be forced to sell all or part of their businesses to pay taxes unless the estate tax exemptions in the bill are passed. We urge Congress to pass H.R. 1 and help our family-owned businesses."
Matt Landwehr, partner, Thompson Coburn law firm, discussed the importance of increasing the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction and/or allowing pass-through entities to pay and deduct taxes at the entity level before distribution to partners/shareholders. This was a component of the bill passed by the Senate.
The group met with House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith in the House Ways and Means Committee room where details of every tax bill since 1907 has been discussed. Chairman Smith discussed details of H.R. 1 and the importance of extending the tax cuts to all Americans and American businesses.
Top L to R: Matt Forck (Ameren), Gail Hinshaw (The Mountain Complex), Matt Landwehr (Thompson Coburn), Ray McCarty (AIM), House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, Mark Miles (Orscheln Industries), Matthew Smith (AIM), Austin Walker (Boeing), Rod Reid (Shepherd Hills Cutlery). Bottom pictures are of the House and Ways Committee Room.
Another component of H.R. 1 includes repealing some existing regulations. Mark Miles led a discussion about the importance of cutting red tape and the impact guidance documents issued by agencies may have on businesses when such documents are used by federal agencies instead of issuing regulations (open to public comment) or passing legislation (subject to hearings, public comment, and votes by elected representatives and senators).
Austin Walker, The Boeing Company, thanked Missouri congressional members for their support of the company's critical mission to properly arm our nation's defense forces. He noted Boeing is the largest manufacturer in Missouri and discussed upcoming expansion plans for the St. Louis site.
Matt Forck, Ameren, and Gail Hinshaw, The Mountain Complex, discussed the importance of energy credits and national support for clean energy, including nuclear energy, to meet the growing needs of every Missouri business. Hinshaw pointed out the increase in electricity needed to power data centers with the advent of artificial intelligence technology. Forck discussed specific language in H.R. 1 dealing with the timing of energy credit reductions.
The group discussed recent proposals to implement government price controls of prescription drugs and the negative impact such a proposal would have on research and development of new drugs and improvement of existing drugs. "Just because other nations use government price controls to artificially lower drug prices does not mean the United States should follow suit, but rather we should preserve the free market," said Ray McCarty, president and CEO of Associated Industries of Missouri.
McCarty also discussed recent efforts regarding the PFAS group of chemicals, suggesting the government should be sure replacement chemicals and technologies exist before outlawing the use of such chemicals and urging caution in requiring reporting of such chemicals until reliable and affordable technology exists to properly remediate the effects of such chemicals.
Finally, Rod Reid, Shepherd Hills Cutlery and National Chairman of the Route 66 Centennial Commission, discussed the issues the bipartisan, multi-state commission has faced trying to implement a directive from the White House and Congress to establish a commemorative stamp memorializing the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Springfield, Missouri is the birthplace of Route 66. The numerical designation 66, according to Wikipedia, was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route on April 30, 1926, in Springfield, Missouri. A placard in Park Central Square was dedicated to the city by the Route 66 Association of Missouri, and traces of the "Mother Road" are still visible in downtown Springfield, along Kearney Street, Glenstone Avenue, College, and St. Louis streets and on Route 266 to Halltown, Missouri. Reid asked for the congressional delegation's assistance with the U.S. Postal Service in carrying out the directive to establish the commemorative stamp. Rod is also Chairman of the Missouri Transportation and Development Council, the transportation arm of Associated Industries of Missouri.
The group had dinner with senior leadership of the Missouri Department of Labor, including Director Anna Hui, and also saw leaders from the Missouri Association of Counties and the Missouri Department of Transportation during the visit.
Here are some additional pictures from the 2025 visit of The Voice of Missouri Business® to Washington, D.C.
Comments