The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) is asking Congress to reauthorize the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund with some recommended amendments to the allocation of program funds. The Trust Fund, which is funded by $600 million collected annually from taxes on fishing tackle, import duties on boats and equipment, and a […]

The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA), BoatUS and the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) met with key staff members in Rep. Candice Miller’s (R-MI) office March 28 to discuss the history and potential impact of the expanding Asian carp threat in the Great Lakes. Miller introduced H.R. 4001, the Defending  Against Aquatic Invasive […]

The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) is inviting American Boating Congress (ABC) attendees to attend a pre-conference issues briefing webinar on Wednesday, April 23 from 2 to 3 p.m. ET. During this one-hour webinar, NMMA government relations staff will review the recreational boating industry’s most important policy issues and how to best communicate them to […]

Over the past few months, Congress has been making headway when it comes to breaking up the gridlock of previous years in the House and Senate and finally getting some much-needed legislation passed. In December, the House and Senate easily passed a budget bill for Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015. Then, in January, Congress passed […]

Tax reform will be hotly contested in Washington this year, as groups campaign to retain valuable tax breaks for their clients and respective industries. Partisan divide over the goals of tax reform may be even more controversial in 2014, with Democrats seeking to raise revenues and Republicans advocating for a revenue-neutral reform bill. MRAA remains […]

MRAA supports this year’s reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the primary law governing U.S. commercial saltwater fisheries. The, named after former U.S. Senators Warren Magnuson (Washington) and Ted Stevens (Alaska), was originally enacted in 1976 and has been reauthorized several times. It’s due for reauthorization again in 2014. Over the years, […]

MRAA joined several other pro-business trade associations under leadership of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce by signing a letter of support for H.R. 2804, the Achieving Less Excess in Regulations and Requiring Transparency (ALERT) Act. The letter was sent to all members of the House of Representatives. H.R. 2804 includes major principles of accountability, transparency […]

On February 5, Rep. Candice Miller (R-Michigan) introduced H.R. 4001, the Defending Against Aquatic Invasive Species Act, to authorize swift preventive action to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The bill has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, where no action has yet been scheduled. H.R. 4001 has […]

In 2013, the American Boating Congress (ABC) was co-hosted by 31 industry organizations who worked together to create a dynamic and engaging program, that met the needs of the entire recreational boating industry. This year, driven by 2013’s success, 36 industry partners have agreed to co-host ABC, answering the call to strengthen the industry’s collective advocacy impact. ABC will be […]

The anti-ethanol DC coalition, Smarter Fuel Future, which MRAA is a member, generated over 10,000 comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in support of its recent proposal to maintain 2013 blend volumes for corn-based ethanol. The marine industry contributed over 1,800 of those comments. During January, the coalition led a campaign that was strongly […]