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NCBFAA Voices Opposition to New Federal Employee Attendance Limits

An amendment added to a government spending bill, HR-933, would limit federal agencies to sending at most 25 employees to any single U.S. meeting, potentially preventing important dialogue between the government and private industry, said the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) in a notice. The timetable on the amendment, introduced by Sens. Coburn, R-Okla., and John McCain, R-Ariz, isn't clear, though "the Senate leadership has expressed a desire to expedite the amendment process," said NCBFAA.

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The association urged its members to push back against the provision by contacting Senate offices regarding the concerns. "Dialogue that occurs at conferences between the federal government and the private sector is invaluable to the policymaking process," it said. "Public-private collaboration works best when there is a face-to-face exchange of knowledge and ideas." The amendment is (here).