The Electronic Security Association (ESA) and the Security Industry Association (SIA) celebrated 2025 Security Hill Day in Washington DC on March 5. Members from across the country traveled to Capitol Hill to share the concerns of the industry with congresspeople and their staff.
Additionally, prior to the Joint Address to Congress by President Trump, members heard from NBC/MSNBC political analyst Brendan Buck and Tom Wheeler, who serves as the principal deputy general counsel with the U.S. Department of Education. Our friends at The Monitoring Association (TMA) also joined us and AICC hosted a meeting with everyone on March 6. The way the industry has continued to present a united front is fantastic!
While many issues were brought up in congressional meetings much of the focus was on workforce development, renewal of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), school security, tariffs and NextNav’s FCC petition.
Grassroots Campaign in Conjunction with 2025 Security Hill Day
Congressman Ezell of Mississippi meeting with Tommy Whisnant of CPI Security Inc. Photo courtesy of ESA.
ESA launched a grassroots campaign in conjunction with Security Hill Day, encouraging industry advocates to contact their congressmen and urge them to pass the Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act (H.R. 1151 and S. 756).
This important legislation came up just short last year but there remains a lot of optimism to get it over the finish line this year.
Thankfully, there appeared to be a lot of interest in the workforce development legislation and in supporting school security and tax relief. If the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act were to expire at the end of the year, most small businesses would see a significant tax increase. This is because most small businesses pay the income tax rate, not the corporate tax rate.
Most of ESA’s members are small businesses and we know the commercial market is critical for them. If they experience a tax increase along with their customers, we will experience a harsh shock in the industry.
Congresswoman Harbarger of Tennessee (center) with Kirk MacDowell (center left) of MacGuard Security Advisors, Heather Torrey of Honeywell (center right), Jake Braunger of ESA (right) and the congresswoman’s legislative assistant, Joe Gollinger (left). Photo courtesy of ESA.
The tariff issue was interesting. Democratic staffers shared concerns about the tariffs, but primarily on the process of how they were being implemented. Republican staffers and members of Congress expressed concerns with the lack of certainty in the marketplace.
ESA members were notified of tariffs being implemented Tuesday, followed by a pause on tariffs for automakers later in the evening, and then they were informed there would be several more exemptions that would last for another month.
One thing was made clear: Manufacturers and integrators want to know what the strategy is so they can make plans accordingly.
It is always important to take advantage of the opportunity to impact legislative policy. When our members take the time to engage with their lawmakers we see overwhelmingly beneficial outcomes. Hopefully, this Security Hill Day will be another building block for strengthening our relationship with those who are at the governmental controls. Because if you aren’t at the table, you could be on the menu.
Jake Braunger is vice president of advocacy and public affairs with the Electronic Security Association (ESA).
