BA Members Meet on Hill in Support of Small Brewers Bill; Participate in NBWA

Written By Pete Johnson , State & Regulatory Affairs Manager

State & Regulatory Affairs Manager

Pete Johnson serves as the State & Regulatory Affairs Manager for the Brewers Association (BA). He joined the BA at its inception in 2005, having previously worked as Programs Director for the Brewers Association of America. Before coming to the small brewing industry in 2001, Pete worked for 14 years with both state and federal elected officials in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

November 2, 2011

On the first day of November Brewers Association (BA) Chief Operating Officer Bob Pease lobbied on Capitol Hill along with BA members, Pat Conway of Great Lakes Brewing, Greg Hardman of Christian Moerlein Brewing and Jim Koch of Boston Beer on behalf of the small brewers excise tax reduction bill, HR 1236 (PDF). The group started the day with an early morning planning session with members of the BA’s DC Counsel McDermott, Will and Emery. Later the group met with Senator Rob Portman (R) of Ohio and then with Speaker of the House John Boehner.

In addition to the two leadership level meetings, the group visited with six additional members of the Ohio delegation, including Representative Chabot (OH-R) who came on as a co-sponsor of HR 1236 this morning.

Additional meetings on November 2nd, included drop in visits to Representatives La Tourette (OH-R) and Stivers (OH-R), as well as Fudge (OH-D) and Austria (OH-R). Pete Johnson of the Brewers Association and Dan Kopman of Saint Louis Brewery (Schlafly) will be meeting with a number of NC delegates November 2^nd and 3^rd.

HR 1236 picked up 4 new co-sponsors on November 2^nd reaching a current total of 134 surpassing the total of last congresses’ HR4278, which also set out to create American jobs by reducing the burden small American brewers pay on barrels of beer produced.

The visiting brewers were in the Nation’s Capitol prior to a Hill tasting event, put on by the National Beer Wholesalers Association, where BA members’ beers were on display. Brewers Association members who featured their craft beers included:

Allagash Brewing Co. (ME)

American Brewing Co. (WA)

Boston Beer Co. (MA)

Brewers Alley (MD)

Brewery Ommegang (NY)

Deschutes Brewery (OR)

Diamond Bear Brewing Co. (AR)

Dogfish Head Craft Brewery (DE)

F.X. Matt Brewing Co. (NY)

Florida Beer Company (FL)

Flying Dog Brewery (MD)

Flying Fish Brewing Co. (NJ)