Accomplishing the goal of adequate U.S. infrastructure funding has been a critical talking point in recent months on Capitol Hill. One of President Biden’s major legislative accomplishments was the American Rescue Plan. It was a $2.2 trillion bill that extended federal unemployment bonuses through early September, provided $300+ billion to
The Home Furnishings Association invited High Point Representatives Kathy Manning (D) and Ted Budd (R) to visit High Point Market. HFA CEO Mark Schumacher discussed with them the furniture industry and the issues that retailers face such as supply chain, tariffs, and more.
Throughout the supply chain crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic, HFA’s Government Relations Action Team has been working diligently with our lobbyist in Washington to put forward all the concerns affecting every furniture retailer’s livelihood. The broken supply chain, with its systemic cost increases, is slowing the recovery of our
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at the Department of Labor recently released its long-anticipated Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on ‘Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace.’ Labor Secretary Marty Walsh led this effort while President Biden’s nominee for OSHA Administrator, Doug Parker, is still working
Crumbling infrastructure is a common problem across the United States, impacting our global competitiveness and directly impacting furniture retailers trying to receive, process, and deliver in-demand goods to consumers. For the last several years, the running joke in Washington, DC, has been the never-ending ‘Infrastructure Week.’ Previous administrations and congresses
The furniture industry is no stranger to regulation – we have adapted to comply with hundreds of state and federal regulations. But despite political gridlock at the federal level often slowing down legislative and regulatory efforts, more chemical regulations for furniture manufacturing are on the way. Aggressive regulatory efforts have
The first 100 days is an important milestone for any President, and Joe Biden recently completed his 100th day in office. This period within a four-year term can set the tone for the remainder of the presidency, and President Biden can point to key successes and see some areas for
Sometimes a simple answer can turn out to be the most complex. There are times when a seemingly easy solution ends up complicating matters. That truly is the case right now in the conversation about raising the corporate tax rate as a way of paying for much of the stimulus
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
As I write this, people throughout the country are dealing with crippling winter storms and need a helping hand. My
Furniture retailers wear lots of hats – from supply chain manager to merchandiser to designer to salesperson. Having a reliable,
Home Furnishings Association members who borrowed $50,000 or less through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) received good news last week.
COVID-19 has forever changed the way consumers shop for furniture. Just within the past few months, furniture retailers have responded
If the furniture industry has a prophet of prosperity, it’s Keith Koenig. “I think this is home furnishings’ golden era,”
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
