Tracy Mulqueen
Publisher, FEDA News & Views
CEO, FEDA
[email protected]
Around the time of this issue’s publication, a dedicated group of FEDA members will be in Washington, D.C., meeting with one of FEDA’s advocacy partners, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to prep for individual and group meetings with U.S. senators and reps. Advocacy group presentations will include briefings on FEDA’s top policy priorities related to regulatory threats, equipment, labor and taxes, as well as a “Lobbying 101” training to guide members on how to be effective when meeting with their elected officials. As we talk with legislative and advocacy leaders, FEDA’s message will drive home our stance on the following policy priorities:
Regulatory Threats
Emerging policies that would layer on bureaucracy and regulation include a Biden administration proposal to put the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in charge of the ways businesses might use or expand technology. The FCC proposal, called the “digital discrimination rule,” covers almost every aspect of how businesses and local governments access broadband and the pricing that is applied. Also, a congressional proposal, the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act, would require the FTC to follow congressionally mandated pricing structure requirements, superseding the fact-based consumer welfare standard that all 50 states and U.S. courts have used as the basis for antitrust decisions for the last 40 years.
Another example is the development of a new government commission that would have concurrent jurisdiction with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) to regulate online platforms and implement rules related to antitrust enforcement, based on standards set by the commission. This commission would not only control “Big Tech,” but also have the authority to decide how businesses, more broadly, compete, set prices and pursue mergers.
Counterfeit Equipment
One positive trade-related bill is the bipartisan Customs Modernization Act, which would “modernize U.S. customs laws to meet the demands of modern trade and combat the flow of illegal and counterfeit goods into the United States.” Foodservice equipment manufacturers have shared concerns about the increasing amount of counterfeit equipment entering the country and the impact of that on the industry. The act adds to customs monitoring the “examination and testing of merchandise that infringes intellectual property rights and seizure, forfeiture and disposition of, and expanded liability for, merchandise bearing a counterfeit mark or infringing a copyright.”
Immigration
FEDA joins other business advocacy groups to urge Congress to continue to work toward enacting measures this year to improve the border and our legal immigration system by:
- Increasing the human, physical, and technological resources along the southern border and at our ports of entry
- Sensibly reforming our nation’s asylum laws
- Instituting modern, effective and efficient employment verification reforms
- Significantly increasing the annual quotas for employment-based immigrant and nonimmigrant visas
- Expanding the scope of essential worker programs, specifically allowing employers to meet temporary labor needs in non-seasonal jobs
- Creating new visa options for international students, entrepreneurs, and other high-demand workers to help American employers meet their critical workforce needs.
Tax Policy
Another much-needed bipartisan bill put forth this year is the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024, which includes provisions for jump-starting domestic capital investment and economic growth. If enacted, the law would reduce domestic research and experimental expenditures; extend the allowance for depreciation, amortization, or depletion in determining the limitation on business interest; and extend the 100 percent bonus depreciation.
For an updated list of FEDA’s complete policy priorities, including information on artificial intelligence regulations, please visit feda.com and select “2024 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities” under the “Advocacy” menu.