Build Back Better Congressional Democrats and the White House spent the last several months of 2021 working to enact President Biden’s signature legislative priority, the Build Back Better Act. This proposed legislative piece is key to advancing the Administration’s economic recovery agenda. The House passed its version before Thanksgiving in
When I look at 2021 through the lens of advocacy, I must tell you that it was a game-changer for our industry and the home furnishings association. That’s something I say on many different levels. First, the sheer volume of issues we weighed in on, the positions we presented, and
On the surface, the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth (STURDY) Act, which passed the House in June 2021 and is under consideration in the Senate, seems straightforward. It heralds strict new mandatory requirements to address furniture tip-overs. Unfortunately, the intentions of the STURDY Act simply don’t translate
*Disclaimer: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit (based in New Orleans, LA) has issued a temporary, national injunction (pause) against the OSHA vaccine mandate. Republican Attorneys General in 26 states and other stakeholders have challenged the rule in federal court. The ruling and subsequent lawsuits put the
The supply chain crisis is nothing new for furniture retailers – it’s been an unfortunate reality for our industry over the last several years, with many inefficiencies exacerbated by the effects of COVID-19. In several instances this year, President Biden has focused on the supply chain, either by Executive Order
For most of the summer, President Biden and congressional leaders have been working on the two main components of the President’s legislative agenda – implementing the American Jobs and Families Plans. Early on, a bipartisan working group in the Senate carved out physical transportation/infrastructure assets to develop the Infrastructure Investment
Consistency in advocacy engagement has been the main pillar of HFA’s Government Relations Action Team (GRAT) throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced a Section 301 investigation into alleged misconduct in Vietnam related to currency manipulation and illegal logging. The announcement jolted the furniture
We saw something that we haven’t seen in quite some time, a compromise on Capitol Hill. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, supported by the Biden Administration, was debated in the Senate, passed with a strong bipartisan vote, and sent to the House. For years, there’s been talk about the
I’ve noticed an interesting shift in meetings we’ve had with key staff in Cabinet departments like Commerce and Transportation or with members of Congress. Before I get to that shift, you need to know that we have increased the frequency of the meetings with influencers intentionally. We have got to
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
I’ll spare you the run-up to how we wound up in Switzerland over the Thanksgiving holiday. Still, my family and
Often, talking to staff cannot only let you know what’s working but also what’s not. There might be things that
After spending most of the past month doing sales meetings every morning, I’ve been exposed to tons of different kinds
Our conditioning is for four major furniture markets each year—one every quarter. The pandemic messed that all up. Each furniture
Oh good, you’re still here. You survived the quarantine and figured out how to keep the business going and serve
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
