American Hotel & Lodging Association Secures All-Star Speaker Lineup for Fifth Annual Legislative Action Summit

One scheduled LAS speaker is United States Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. When President George W. Bush nominated Chao, he described her as an individual with "strong executive talent, compassion, and commitment to helping people build better lives." Her experiences and skills as an executive and leader in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors uniquely qualify her to head the U.S. Department of Labor. During the LAS, Chao will give attendees the latest news and strategies from inside the Department of Labor on ergonomics and other important workplace issues.

Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs Nicholas E. Calio, President Bush's chief lobbyist, also is scheduled to speak. As the President's principal liaison to Congress, a position he previously held during the former Bush Administration, Calio works closely with members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives and has the primary responsibility for formulating and implementing White House strategy on all legislative issues. The New York Times has described him as a "forceful broker...not only between the White House and Congress, but also among Cabinet officials...." while Roll Call noted that "he has a reputation as a prodigious lobbyist and one of Capitol Hill's best vote counters." Calio will give LAS attendees an insider's view of the President's legislative priorities for the second session of the 107th Congress and tips on effective lobbying techniques.

Another scheduled LAS speaker is Rep. Roy Blunt. As the Republican Chief Deputy Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives, Blunt sits on the exclusive leadership committee of the Speaker of the House and has the daily responsibility of finding the votes to get the majority party's agenda passed through a closely divided Congress. Blunt's job as Chief Deputy Majority Whip is described by Roll Call newspaper as "the most influential appointed leadership post inside the GOP Conference" and was last held by the current Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.).

Blunt is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which has jurisdiction over almost half of all legislation that moves through the Congress, including many of the most important legislative issues for the lodging industry.

Senator Chuck Hagel also is slated speak. He has served as a deputy whip for the Republican majority since 1996. Hagel sits on some of the most powerful Senate committees: Foreign Relations; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Energy and Natural Resources; and Budget.

Congressional Quarterly magazine named Hagel one of the "Congressional power players" of 2001. National columnist David Broder referred to Hagel as "the freshman who probably has made the deepest impression on his colleagues." The Financial Times described Hagel as "a Vietnam War hero with an independent streak, a flair for foreign policy, and a passion for campaign finance reform." NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw has called Hagel "a rising star in Washington." And columnist Mark Shields wrote that Senator Hagel "embodies honor and duty" as "an independent and a reformer."

Tony Snow, current events analyst for FOX News Sunday, also will speak. Snow is one of the most visible political journalists; he writes a nationally syndicated column that appears in more than 200 newspapers. Formerly, Snow worked as a speechwriter and deputy assistant to the president for media affairs for President George H. W. Bush. During his presentation, Snow will address the most pressing current issues as he discusses Washington politics from the inside out.

A schedule for the 2002 Legislative Action Summit and a registration form are available online at www.ahla.com. For additional registration information, contact AH&LA's conventions and meeting department at (202) 289-3117 or [email protected].

AH&LA is a 92-year-old federation of state lodging associations throughout the United States with some 13,000 property members worldwide, representing more than 1.7 million guest rooms. AH&LA provides its members with assistance in operations, education, and communications, and lobbies on Capitol Hill to provide a business climate in which the industry can continue to prosper. Individual state associations provide representation at the state level and offer many additional cost-saving benefits.