Regional Approach Needed In Congress
As the 112th Congress returned to Washington this month, the New England region has seen significant changes in the level of clout it’s congressional delegation holds.
Several of New England’s most senior and respected senators—Connecticut’s Chris Dodd and New Hampshire’s Judd Gregg—have retired. Both were known for their ability to build consensus on critical legislation and for their tireless work on behalf of the entire region. These retirements come not long after the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy, one of New England’s fiercest advocates on Capitol Hill.
With the change in party control of the House of Representatives, New England’s predominately Democratic House members find themselves in the minority in Washington. With this comes the loss of numerous influential committee and subcommittee chairmanships.
New England is fortunate to still have an accomplished group of representatives in Washington, however with these significant changes to the power structure in congress, regional collaboration becomes all the more important. Economic challenges do not recognize state lines, and we cannot afford to approach these problems as six individual states.
Regional collaboration needs to happen on several levels. First, members of New England delegation must continue to work collaboratively on issues that impact our regional economy. Thirty-four voices fighting together as a united team are much stronger than six smaller groups.
Second, the New England business community must unite to tackle the issues that affect businesses’ ability to grow and thrive in this region. Collaboration is necessary not only within certain industries, but across all of the industries that play a role in the regional economy.
And third, government leaders and business leaders must listen to one another. Businesses alone cannot grow and create jobs without support from the government in the form of a regulatory climate that promotes such growth. And government cannot craft policies that will boost the economy and without input from the experts—the employers.
There are several important areas where regional collaboration could have a meaningful impact on our region’s economy in the year ahead, including in implementation of landmark reforms in the health care and financial sectors. A regional approach is also important in the areas of trade and job creation.
Despite the challenges of the past several years, New England is fortunate to have very capable government leaders and a vibrant, diverse business community. If they continue to work together in a productive way, the region is well positioned for growth.
James T. Brett is the President & CEO of the New England Council, the nation’s oldest regional business organization.
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