March saw the American Rescue Plan’s passage, designed to accelerate vaccine development and administration, stabilize state/local governments, extend federal unemployment insurance benefits, and provide additional direct payments to individuals and families. Following the Rescue Plan, the Biden Administration and Democrat congressional leaders have turned their attention to a broad, $2.2+
The first quarter of 2021 has been extremely active on many policy, economic, and industry fronts. In many ways, the HFA Government Relations Action Team (GRAT) had a front-row ‘virtual’ seat to the discussions on Capitol Hill and across the country as policymakers, and local leaders continued efforts in the
Traditionally every May, members of HFA head to Washington for what we refer to as “The Fly-In.” It’s a chance to meet with key members of Congress both on the Senate side and the House side of the Capitol. Generally, it’s an effective way of introducing ourselves to key leaders,
On February 24th, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO), creating a broad, government-wide supply chain review. One of the order’s main drivers is the semiconductor chip shortage, impacting the technology and automobile sectors. While that was an area of focus, the EO directs many federal agencies to review various
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but it’s almost impossible to talk about any significant subject these days without the discussion ending up in a partisan conversation. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen it quite like this where there is such a high level of divisiveness that springs up
At the end of January 2021, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its annual ‘Product Instability or Tip-Over Injuries and Fatalities Associated with Televisions, Furniture, and Appliances: 2020 Report.’ The furniture tip-over report takes an in-depth look at the injuries and fatalities related to tip-overs, which can involve appliances,
Updated OSHA Guidance on Mitigating COVID-19 Spread in the Workplace On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an Executive Order directing the Department of Labor, through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to release updated guidance for employers on COVID-19 safety in the workplace. On January 29, these updated
Home furnishings products are one of the largest imports to the US. It is no surprise that when the United States imposed tariffs on exports from China, manufacturers got creative on ways to keep prices low for their customers. Many manufacturers responded by relocating their operations from China to Vietnam
Early Agenda for President Biden Following his inauguration on January 20th, President Biden has signed several dozen executive orders to bolster the U.S. COVID-19 pandemic response and accelerate economic recovery. Many of these actions are supported by broad stakeholder groups that share the urgency of confronting and ending the spread
One of the more consequential impacts of the Trump Administration had been its focus on reducing federal regulation. The administration accomplished this through agency rulemaking and Executive Order; the Republican House and Senate participated via the Congressional Review Act (CRA), which allows for a simple majority vote in the Senate
Sales and optimism are running high for our industry right now, and the latest HFA/Piper Sandler Furniture Retailer Survey bears
2020 to Finish Strong In early October, many home furnishing retailers were feeling confident about a relatively strong fourth quarter.
Jacob Shevin was ahead of the Small Business Administration. The SBA recently published new guidance allowing businesses more flexibility in
Cabinets and buffets sold for as much as $16,000 by Herman Miller have been recalled as “serious tip-over and entrapment”
Furniture stores should get a second chance if the Paycheck Protection Program is extended, the Home Furnishings Association has told
Congress and the Trump administration are preparing another Covid-19 relief package. The Home Furnishings Association’s Washington representative, Chris Andresen, and government relations liaison Doug Clark
Everyone is trying to figure out what the “new normal” will look like when your stores reopen. What will recovery look like to you and
