Almost six months into the 119th Congress and the second Trump administration, the government relations (GR) team in the Flexible Packaging Association (FPA) has refined its approach and settled into a new and refocused cadence for industry advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C.
The dynamic environment and pace of activity in the legislative and executive branches have surpassed all expectations. Appropriate adjustments have been made, and the GR team continues to advance the flexible packaging industry’s interests.
FPA’s GR team has met the challenge of sorting through all of the extraneous noise and bluster and has engaged with Congress and the Trump administration, which are focused on change.
This political climate has kept FPA’s GR team busy.
Congressional Outreach
The 119th Congress has many new members and numerous changes to the membership of the committees that have jurisdiction over FPA’s federal priority issues. This has been coupled with the opportunity to introduce Dan Felton to Capitol Hill as FPA’s new president and CEO.
Because of his previous role at AMERIPEN—American Institute for Packaging and the Environment, Felton is well-known to many on the Hill. That experience has allowed us to spend a lot of time briefing members of Congress and their staff on our industry and issues of interest.
Our meetings with first-term members, in particular, have been a great opportunity to bolster FPA’s support base on Capitol Hill.
By making a point of engaging with them early, we have had a chance to provide input on policy solutions before legislation began making its way through the legislative process.
The dynamic environment and pace of activity in the legislative and executive branches have surpassed all expectations. Appropriate adjustments have been made, and the GR team continues to advance the flexible packaging industry’s interests.
Working With the Trump Administration
On the executive side, the second Trump administration came in with a flurry of executive orders and presidential actions.
The administration moved quickly on to everything from taxes, tariffs, and regulatory concerns to federal spending initiatives.
FPA has engaged accordingly through direct advocacy and in a coalition with other industry groups to provide input.
So far, there have been challenges and opportunities for FPA’s GR team to address, and we anticipate the second half of 2025 will be much the same.
As you may know, FPA prides itself on its efforts to work with policymakers on both sides of the aisle to offer sound solutions on issues for its members.
We urge you to join us in these efforts.
Please visit FPA’s advocacy page for detailed information on all priority issues at www.flexpack.org/advocacy.
Also, consider joining us for a Washington fly-in that will take place in September. During this event, FPA members from across the United States travel to Washington, D.C., and meet with leaders or their staff members. Detailed information will be provided once the dates are confirmed.