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IPC Forms a PAC

Archived column by Ray Rasmussen

IPC just announced they’re forming a political action committee. Here’s their reasoning for creating a PAC:

Political action committees (PACs) have become an important tool for any group that wants to be heard when laws and regulations are written. Given the growing number of government regulations that influence the electronics supply chain, having clout in Washington, D.C. is something that can no longer be ignored. As a result, IPC’s Board of Directors has decided to join the many trade associations and large companies that have established PACs.

I have reservations about IPC’s new direction in D.C. There’s some history.

In the early ‘90s, I was a huge supporter of prodding the industry to be more active in local and national government. Rules and regulations were constantly being developed without any input from our industries. The onslaught of environmental regulations coming from the EPA, the state regulators, and local municipalities left the industry frustrated and seemingly powerless. Something had to be done and the logical approach was for our national association, IPC, to take the lead. They had the industry clout to present the issues to the regulators or those in the Congress who would listen. They could tell the story and make the case for or against specific requirements.

When approached, IPC’s position was that they were a standards organization, and that lobbying and politics wasn’t their game. That stance changed as pressure mounted and newer, more open-minded board members began to see the importance of telling our story and having a seat at the table when new requirements on our industries were being proposed. Most in Congress, we found out, had no idea who we were or what we did. They didn’t know the role we played in everything electronic. They only knew of the big guys. And in their minds, anything to do with the electronics industry was “big business.”

Read the full column here.


Editor's Note: This column originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of SMT Magazine.