Auctioneers Take Their Voice to Congress During National Auction Advocacy Week
National Auction Advocacy Week is officially in the books, and the follow-up reports from participating members tell an encouraging story.
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Matthew Sandmann with Sen. James Lankford |
Perhaps one story from Oklahoma captures it best. Matthew Sandmann met with a field representative for Senator James Lankford. Before the meeting, someone in the Senator’s office had asked a pretty fair question: “What do auctions have to do with federal issues?” After a conversation about online marketplaces, AI, data privacy and NAA’s recent work with ATF, the staff member’s response was: “Wow, I have some homework today.” That exchange gets to the heart of why NAA created National Auction Advocacy Week. The auction industry intersects with federal policy in more ways than most people outside of it realize. And there is simply no substitute for an auction professional sitting across the table from a member of Congress or congressional staffer and explaining firsthand how those decisions affect their business. |
Across the country, NAA members did exactly that.
In Kansas, Alec Horton met with Congressman Tracey Mann’s district staff to discuss concerns with the INFORM Consumers Act. The office agreed to monitor H.R. 8413, stay in touch and look for opportunities for NAA to engage in Washington.
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In Nevada, Melissa Giorgi met with Senator Jacky Rosen’s office. The staff member took extensive notes and committed to bringing NAA’s concerns—and Melissa’s perspective as someone working in the industry—back to the Senator’s team. In South Carolina, Rob Knight met with Senator Tim Scott’s staff, who agreed that several of the issues NAA raised deserved attention and committed to sharing NAA’s materials with the Senator. And in California, Suzannah Underwood met directly with Congressman Salud Carbajal. He thanked her for bringing the issues to his attention and asked his staff to look further into the INFORM Consumers Act. The meeting even included a phone call with Billy Long and a little auctioneering—a fitting introduction to the industry. |
Melissa Giorgi with Ashley Martinez, Regional Representative and State Community Development Coordinator for Sen. Jacky Rosen |
Similar reports came in from meetings in Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado and Ohio.
Phillip Traylor, Addison Russell, Jay Cash, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Drew Williams, Daniel Pruitt, and Matt Russell
No one expected a week of meetings to immediately change federal policy. That wasn't the measure of success.
The goal was to make introductions, educate policymakers about an industry they may know very little about and begin building relationships that will matter when legislation affecting auction professionals is being considered.
The follow-up reports suggest that is exactly what happened.
Congressional offices asked questions. Staff took NAA’s materials back to their legislative teams. Members were invited to stay in touch. And in several states, NAA members now have relationships with congressional offices that did not exist before National Auction Advocacy Week.
That foundation is important. Effective advocacy cannot begin only when an industry needs something from Congress. Relationships have to be built before the issue arises, and policymakers need to understand an industry before they are asked to make decisions that affect it.
Most importantly, they need to know who to call when they have questions about auctions.
Thank you to every NAA member who participated in our first National Auction Advocacy Week. Members made the appointments, learned the issues, shared their own experiences and represented the auction industry exceptionally well.
There are still plenty of policymakers in Washington who don't fully understand the size, scope and complexity of the auction industry. After National Auction Advocacy Week, more of them do.
And building that presence requires more than one week of meetings.
The NAA PAC is another important part of that work, giving the auction industry an opportunity to support federal candidates who understand the issues affecting auction professionals and small businesses.
If you believe the auction industry should have a stronger voice in Washington, consider making a contribution to the NAA PAC. Advocacy Week showed what can happen when our members get involved. The PAC helps us continue building those relationships throughout the year.
