Joint Lexington, Louisville Delegation Travels to Capitol Hill for D.C. Fly-In

Members of Commerce Lexington and One Louisville on the U.S. Capitol steps.

On July 22-24, 2026, Commerce Lexington hosted the annual Greater LEX Washington, D.C. Fly-In co-presented by Columbia Gas of Kentucky and BrightSpring Health Services to our nation’s Capital.  This year’s trip was unique.  Approximately 80 business leaders from both Commerce Lexington and One Louisville joined together to meet with policy experts, members of Kentucky’s federal delegation, and key officials in the Trump Administration, especially with ties back to Kentucky, to advocate for policies and investments to improve economic competitiveness for both regions. It was the first joint endeavor for both Chambers and turned out to be a successful trip for networking, policy engagement, and demonstrating we are better together as a region and a Commonwealth. In case you missed the visit, here is brief recap of the meetings and important policy topics discussed by federal policy leaders. 

Day 1: July 22, 2026

​On our first day in Washington, a small group of policy ambassadors met with federal agency officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to highlight two key priorities – the Blue Grass Airport Terminal Expansion and federal regulatory flexibility to support affordable housing initiatives like the new statewide Kentucky Affordable Housing Investment Partnership modeled after the Lexington Transformational Housing Partnership (Transylvania University baseball field project).  

Blue Grass Airport / Future LEX:
A key federal priority heading into this Fly-In focused on the Blue Grass Airport terminal expansion project entitled Future LEX. Blue Grass Airport is launching this initiative to begin a multi-phase development program designed to enhance the passenger experience and support long-term growth. An essential part of this program includes a relocation and update of the airport’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control tower. This tower is owned and operated by the FAA, which will require approval and funding from the federal government before relocation can occur.

During our Fly-In, Eric Frankl, President & CEO of the Blue Grass Airport, along with key business leaders met with senior officials at the U.S. Department of Transportation to elevate the need for this project. In addition, business leaders met with U.S. Representative Andy Barr and U.S. Representative Hal Rogers, a senior member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, to request support and approximately $120 million in federal funding to relocate and update the FAA tower.  

Eric Frankl, President & CEO of the Blue Grass Airport, and Commerce Lexington members at the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Affordable Housing:
The Kentucky Bankers Association is seeking commitments from banks across the Commonwealth to participate in the Kentucky Affordable Housing Investment Partnership. This statewide initiative builds upon the successful Lexington Transformational Affordable Housing Partnership and creates a collaborative framework for banks to invest in affordable housing developments across Kentucky.

Under the statewide partnership structure, participating banks would receive Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) credit based on their proportional investment amount, regardless of whether a project is located within the bank’s traditional assessment area. This year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) approved CRA consideration for banks collaborating on investment in affordable housing projects.

A joint group of Commerce Lexington and Kentucky Bankers Association members visited the FDIC during the Fly-In to note appreciation for the CRA credits and highlight the work being done to tackle the housing shortage in Lexington and the Commonwealth.

watch video

Commerce Lexington members at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

​In the evening on day one, U.S. Representative Andy Barr and U.S. Representative Morgan McGarvey addressed business leaders at the opening night’s reception, hosted by Cornerstone Government Affairs. Congressman Barr provided updates on activities in Washington that tie directly to key federal priorities including the recent passage of the 21st Century Road to Housing Act and the Main Street Capital Access Act out of the U.S. House. In addition, the Congressman will be hosting senior Trump Administration officials in Kentucky over the next few weeks including a visit to Blue Grass Airport with U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and in western Kentucky with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright.  Rep. Barr also noted passage of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the Bluegrass region’s focus on attracting and growing the defense sector. 

Cornerstone Government Affairs & the University of Kentucky hosted the opening night reception for the joint Fly-In group.

Day 2: July 23, 2026

​The Fly-In’s main programming took place on day two at the Capitol Hill Club with both Commerce Lexington and One Louisville members present to hear from a full slate of policymakers.

​The day kicked off with U.S. Representative James Comer, Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, providing updates on his work to combat federal waste, fraud and abuse across federal government programs in collaboration with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.  Commerce Lexington urges Congress and the Administration to engage in a thorough review of existing regulations and guidance documents across all agencies, specifically those involved in regulating commerce, financial services, energy, environment, broadband and labor to identify policies that need to be clarified, eliminated, or modified to increase economic competitiveness for businesses. 

watch Rep. Comer video

Watch Neil Bradley video

​The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Policy Officer, Neil Bradley, addressed the joint Fly-In group to provide an update on what the Chamber is focused on to help the business community and increase economic growth, including permitting reform for expedited energy production, overdue reform of the U.S. immigration system and laws, and infrastructure investments. The unifying policy priority for the U.S. Chamber is getting the U.S. economy back to 3% GDP growth. Since 2010, the U.S. economy has averaged 2.4% GDP growth, with lower projections moving forward. However, positive growth trends have recently developed with 5.6 million new business applications nationally and 64,000 new business applications in the Commonwealth last year, a new record. 

Senator Rand Paul speaks to the joint Fly-In group at the Capitol Hill Club.

U.S. Senator Rand Paul addressed the joint Fly-In group on the critical link between national security and the health of the economy and business community. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Senator Paul offered attendees an inside look at the Committee's oversight of the federal government, including its work on border security, cybersecurity, and government accountability. 

U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie, Chair of the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, addressed the joint group and provided updates on energy affordability and independence, Medicaid reform through H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and continued discussions regarding a federal policy framework for data center development. 

Watch Rep. Guthrie Video

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Francis Brooke, speaks to the joint Fly-In group at the Capitol Hill Club.

To conclude day two, one of the key highlights of the Fly-In’s main programming involved a briefing with the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Francis Brooke. Deputy Secretary Brooke previously worked for U.S. Representative Andy Barr in his D.C. office and is now a senior official serving directly under Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant.

The Greater LEX Policy Group advocates for free and fair trade, boosting domestic production of critical goods, investments in innovation, fair and open trade policies with markets abroad and efforts to remove barriers that shut U.S. exports out of foreign markets. The joint Fly-In group held a substantive discussion with Deputy Secretary Brooke regarding continued concerns on trade negotiations with Kentucky’s top international trading partners: Canada, Mexico, China, and the European Union. Deputy Secretary Brooke also provided updates on the Treasury’s work to combat inflation and implement tax reforms made by H.R.1. 

Day 3: July 24, 2026

Ellie McGowan, Senior Advisor, U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Blake Deeley, Special Assistant to the President & Deputy Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council.

On the final day of the Fly-In, Commerce Lexington members heard from two senior officials within the Trump Administration: Ellie McGowan, Senior Advisor on National Security to the Secretary of Agriculture, and Blake Deeley, Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Executive Director of the National Energy Dominance Council. Both speakers are Kentucky natives, and they shared their personal stories of finding their way to Washington. Ellie discussed how the international trade of agricultural products impacts the Commonwealth across crops, cattle, and the equine industry, noting that food and agricultural security remain a key priority of the Administration.

Blake shared insights into the Administration's vision for U.S. energy independence and data center development, including the power infrastructure these projects will require. One of the Administration's key goals is to increase national energy output—particularly coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy—which holds direct relevance for Kentucky. As state and local leaders across the Commonwealth continue to weigh regulatory frameworks for data center development, Blake emphasized that national leadership in establishing a federal framework will be critical to meeting the nation's growing energy demands.

As a region, we continue to strengthen our collaborative approach to economic development, talent recruitment and retention, and shared policy priorities. Leading this regional effort — and advocating for federal support in Washington — remains a core goal of Commerce Lexington. This trip would not have been possible without our key sponsors, including our Greater Lexington presenting sponsor, Columbia Gas of Kentucky.