Mission Statement
The mission of the OOIDA PAC is to educate lawmakers on issues important to small business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers.
How does a PAC work for you?
OOIDA is just one of hundreds of representative groups vying for the attention of lawmakers and candidates. In recent years, OOIDA’s Washington office staff has made great progress in reaching out to members of Congress and their staffs, educating them on the needs of professional truckers and securing their support.
The association follows a strategic plan that concentrates on those lawmakers who are members of the important transportation and infrastructure committees.
A key element of those activities is supported by the OOIDA Political Action Committee (PAC). The OOIDA PAC is a valuable resource that gives OOIDA’s representatives the opportunity to see key Washington lawmakers at their campaign events and discuss our positions on important issues.
In conjunction with our lobbying and Call-to-Action grass-roots efforts, the OOIDA PAC raises the visibility of truckers’ views, interests and concerns among influential lawmakers. With increased visibility, OOIDA has a greater opportunity to educate lawmakers on issues important to truckers and a greater opportunity to impact what happens in Washington, DC.
How do politicians use PAC money?
Politicians cannot use official congressional resources (i.e. your tax dollars) towards their campaigns, so they rely on money contributed by individuals and PACs for campaign funds. PAC contributions are used to pay for campaign staff, commercials, signs, handouts etc. All campaign money is heavily regulated and policed by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
The importance of a strong OOIDA PAC
Every year, special interest groups contribute millions of dollars from their PACs to politicians and political parties. In fact, when it comes to politics, the greatest advantage that large trucking corporations, the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and other political opponents have had over small-business truckers and professional drivers is the amount of money they contribute to political campaigns. They are well-funded and have agendas that are often counter to the interests of OOIDA members. The OOIDA PAC is comparatively smaller than many of our opponents.
It is important that our OOIDA PAC have the resources available to help counter the message of those other groups. By combining the individual contributions of OOIDA members in the OOIDA PAC, the association is able to create increased awareness of your concerns and ensure that they get the attention they rightly deserve.
By federal law, the OOIDA PAC is not allowed to accept funding from the OOIDA trade association. The PAC must raise its funds separately and only from members. One hundred percent of contribution goes directly to candidates’ campaigns to promote the visibility of your issues in Washington.
Contributions to the PAC are completely voluntary. Members are free to contribute any amount or no amount without reprisal. OOIDA PAC uses member donations to help elect individuals to Congress who will support OOIDA’s goals.