Throughout 2024, The New England Council’s policy committees and cross-sector working groups continued to work with our members to advocate for federal policies that support economic growth and a high quality of life in the region. These groups also provided forums for networking and information sharing, and hosted a variety of informative meetings and discussions with key federal policymakers and subject matter experts.
Energy & environment Committee
- Regional Energy Forum – On April 5, 2024, the Council hosted a Regional Energy Forum featuring keynote remarks from ISO-New England CEO Gordon van Welie. The program also featured a panel discussion with Council members in the energy sector who discussed their own efforts to ensure reliable and affordable energy for the region, while also working toward ambitious climate goals. The event was attended by some 150 people and was sponsored by National Grid.
- Meeting with BOEM – The Energy & Environment Committee had the opportunity to meet with a key Biden Administration official for offshore wind development during the May 2024 Washington Leaders Conference. The committee met with David B. Diamond, Deputy Chief for Atlantic Operations, Office of Renewable Energy Programs for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), who briefing members on his agency’s work to support the development of offshore energy resources.
financial services committee
- eDelivery –Legislation to make electronic delivery (eDelivery) the default method for providing investors with financial statements and disclosures was a top priority for the Financial Services Committee in 2024. Building on earlier advocacy in 2023, the Council sent a letter to the New England House delegation in March 2024 urging them to support including eDelivery legislation as an amendment to a larger capital markets passage, which did eventually pass the House. In September 2024, the Council sent a letter of support for similar legislation in the House, and convened a Hill Day where a group of members met with a variety of Senate offices to advocate in support of the legislation. Read the Letter.
- Establishment of Subcommittees – In March, the Committee established subcommittees focused on the four main sub-sectors represented in the larger Financial Services Committee. The purpose of the subcommittees is to foster increased member engagement on specific policy issues and bolster content and programming on specific issues impacting the financial services industry. The four subcommittees are Asset Management, Banking, Credit Unions, and Insurance. Learn More.
- Committee Meetings & Guest Speakers – In order to keep Council members updated on the latest policy developments impacting the financial services industry, the Financial Services Committee hosted a variety of informative meetings with key members of Congress and Congressional staff, including:
- U.S. Representative Bill Huizenga (R-MI)
- U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
- Chief of Staff to House Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer (R-MN)
- Senior Democratic Staff to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee
healthcare committtee
- SUPPORT Act – In April 2024, the Council sent a letter to the New England Senate delegation urging them to support reauthorization of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act. The Council stressed how critical the SUPPORT Act has been in addressing the mental and physical challenges facing our region, and emphasized that reauthorizing and expanding upon the SUPPORT Act was essential for bolstering the comprehensive federal response to the opioid crisis. Read the Letter.
- New England Innovates: Tackling Rare Disease – In April 2024, the Council hosted an event highlighting regional innovation to develop treatments for rare diseases as part of the New England Innovates series. The event featured keynote remarks by U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-MA), a champion for the region’s life sciences industry, and was followed by a panel discussion with representatives of New England Council members who are leaders in rare disease innovation. Watch the event or View the Event Program.
- ORPHAN Cures Act – Drawing on challenges discussed at the New England Innovates event, in May 2024, the Council sent a letter to the New England Congressional delegation endorsing the Optimizing Research Progress Hope and New (ORPHAN) Cures Act. This bipartisan legislation would reserve the orphan drug status of medications that treat one or more rare diseases, exempting them from the Medicare drug price negotiation outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act. Building on this advocacy in September 2024, the Council convened a Hill Day where a group of members met with a variety of House offices to advocate in support of the legislation. Read the Letter.
- Telehealth – In December 2024, as flexibilities for Medicare coverage of telehealth services were due to expire at the end of the year, the Council wrote to the New England Congressional Delegation urging them to take action to extend these important flexibilities. The Council noted the important role of telehealth in the region, particularly as it related to expanding access to much-needed behavioral health services, as well as enhancing health equity. Read the Letter.
- Committee Meetings & Guest Speakers – During the Washington Leaders’ Conference in May, Healthcare Committee members met with health policy staffers to Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), as well as with Elizabeth Fowler, the Deputy Administrator of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, and Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Later in the year, the committee met with U.S. Representative Lori Trahan to discuss her work on the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health.
higher education committee
- FAFSA Implementation – Throughout 2024, the Committee closely monitored the U.S. Department of Education’s implementation of a new FAFSA form, which created a number of challenges for students and institutions alike. In April, the Committee sent a letter to Secretary Miguel Cardona urging the Department to delay implementation of the Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment rules due to the impact of the FAFSA implementation delays. Read the letter.
- Pell Grant – Building on the Council’s longtime support for the Federal Pell Grant program, which helps low-income students pay for college, the Council wrote to the New England delegation in May. The Council thanked the delegation for maintaining level funding for the program in FY 2024, but stressed the importance of increasing funding for this program in the future to ensure that all students have access to quality and affordable higher education. Read the letter.
- Economic Impact Fact Sheets – In May 2024, the Council partnered with the New England Board of Higher Education to release a series of fact sheets highlighting the economic impact of the higher education sector in the region. These resources highlight the economic impact that colleges and universities have in each state, as well as aggregate data for the entire New England region. They were shared with New England Congressional Offices, as well as with Council members for use in their own advocacy efforts. Learn more.
- Senate Staff Meeting – During the Washington Leaders’ Conference in May, Higher Education Committee members met with education policy staffers to Senators Ed Markey (D-MA) and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), both of whom serve on the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee to discuss current issues before the committee and to highlight the Council’s priorities.
- Breakfast with NCAA President Charlie Baker – In October 2024, the Higher Education Committee hosted an event open to all Council members featuring remarks from former Massachusetts Governor and current NCAA President Charlie Baker. In remarks to over 100 Council members, including the representatives of dozens of colleges and universities in the region, President Baker highlighted the NCAA’s efforts related to such topics as Name, Image and Likeness (NIL), and pay-to-play. Watch the Program.
housing working group
- Low-Income Housing Tax Credit – In January, as the House of Representatives considered comprehensive bipartisan tax legislation, the Council wrote to the New England House delegation to highlight a specific provision of that bill that would help address the affordable housing shortage in the region. Specifically, the Council urged the delegation to support the Low Income Housing Tax credit included in the bill, which ultimately did pass the House, but not the Senate. Read the Letter.
- Working Group Launch – In February 2024, the Council formally launched its new Housing Working Group. The goal of the working group is to bring together Council members from across different industries in all six states to educate Council members about the impact of housing shortages and work collaboratively to advocate for policy that will address the housing crisis. Over 100 Council members expressed interest in participating in the working group, with over 50 joining the inaugural meeting. Learn More.
- Event with HUD Regional Leadership – Learn More. In May 2024, the Housing Working Group hosted a meeting with Juana Matias, the New England Regional Administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Ms. Matias and her senior staff outlined the Biden Administration’s various programs and initiatives aimed at addressing housing shortages, and provided an overview of some of the resources her agency offers. The program was well-attended by members representing a wide array of industries.
- Post-Election Policy Outlook – Following the 2024 election, the Housing Working Group hosted a Post-Election Policy Outlook virtual program featuring a presentation by David Gasson, Principal and Co-Founder of MG Housing Strategies. Mr. Gasson provided members with his expert analysis of how the election may impact housing policy in the new year, including the incoming Trump Administration’s priorities, as well as Congressional Republican leadership’s priorities. Watch Here.
technology & innovation working group
- Affordable Connectivity Program – In January 2024, the Council wrote to the New England Congressional Delegation urging them to renew funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), as it was due to run out of funds in the first half of 2024. Established by the 2021 bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the ACP provided a monthly broadband subsidy to income-eligible households to help close the digital divide. Since its launch, the program provided assistance to over 800,000 households across New England. After Congress did not act and the ACP did indeed run out of funds in June 2024. In November, the Council again wrote to the delegation to highlight the impact of this program and to urge them to support the inclusion of funding for it in any year-end spending package. Read the November Letter.
- R&D Amortization – Advocating for a change to the federal tax code to promote research and development (R&D) continued to be a top priority for the Council. The 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act included a provision that went into effect in 2022 and requires businesses to amortize R&D expenses over five years, rather than fully deduct the expenses each year, as they were able to do prior to the law’s passage. This change has had a significant impact on a wide array of industries, stifling innovation and making the US less globally competitive. In January 2024, the Council wrote to the region’s House delegation to express support for a bipartisan tax bill that would reverse this harmful change in the tax code. Read the Letter.
- AI Legislation Tracker – Due to significant new developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Congressional leaders have been actively exploring approaches to the regulation of this new technology, which presents a variety of opportunities, as well as many risks. To help Council members navigate the array of legislative proposals introduced during the 118th Congress, Council staff prepared a comprehensive overview of current proposals that that was released in late 2023. In June 2024, the Council released an updated report highlighting 48 new pieces of legislation that had been introduced. Learn More.
- New England Innovates: Leading the Way in Robotics – In October 2024, the Council hosted “New England Innovates: Leading the Way in Robotics,” in Boston, with over 100 guests attending. The program featured keynote remarks from U.S. Representative Jim McGovern, co-chair of the Congressional Robotics Caucus. Following the Congressman’s remarks, a panel of Council members in both academia and industry discussed challenges and opportunities for continued growth and innovation in the robotics sector in the region. Watch the Event or View the Program.
Trade working group
- Committee Meetings & Guest Speakers –Throughout 2023, the Trade Working Group hosted a series of meetings with key Congressional staff to help keep members updated on the latest policy developments related to international trade issues, including staff to Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), U.S. Senate Maggie Hassan (D-NH), U.S. Representative Jake Auchincloss (D-MA).
- Post-Election Policy Outlook – In December, the Trade Working Group hosted a Post-Election Policy Outlook virtual program featuring presentations by Sally Liang, a Partner at Akin Gump and former Chief International Trade Counsel to Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Kelly Ann Shaw, a Partner at Hogan Lovells and former Deputy Assistant to the President for International Economic Affairs under President Donald Trump. Ms. Liang and Ms. Shaw provided members with his expert analysis of how the election may impact trade policy in the new year, including the incoming Trump Administration’s priorities, as well as Congressional Republican leadership’s priorities.
transportation & infrastructure Committee
- FAA Reauthorization – In February 2024, the Council sent a letter to all members of the New England Senate delegation to express support for legislation to reauthorize the policies and programs of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The Council stressed the importance of the five-year reauthorization to ensure safe, modern, and reliable air transportation that is vital to the region’s economic well-being. Read the Letter.
- New England Innovates: AI in Transportation – In November 2024, the Council hosted another installment of its popular “New England Innovates” series, this time exploring the use of artificial intelligence in the transportation and infrastructure sector. The program featured keynote remarks from Luisa Paiewonsky, Director of the Center for Infrastructure Systems and Technology at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center. Following Ms. Paiewonsky’s remarks, a panel of Council members highlighted how their organizations are leveraging AI technology in the transportation industry. View Event Program.
- Committee Meetings & Guest Speakers – Over the course of the year, Council members had the opportunity to meet with several key transportation policy staffers to members of the New England Congressional delegation, including staff to Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).