Last week, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in voting to approve a FY 2022 budget resolution which starts a process known as budget reconciliation in Congress. Budget reconciliation is a legislative process which allows Congress to pass legislation related to spending and taxes with only a simple majority of the vote in each chamber. President Biden and congressional Democrats are hoping to use the reconciliation process to produce a bill that includes several of their legislative priorities, primarily social programs. It is important to note that this potential reconciliation bill is separate from the bipartisan infrastructure bill which recently passed the Senate.
Today, NLBMDA sent a letter to House and Senate leaders and their legislative committees urging them to protect the interests of lumber and building material dealers as they draft provisions for the budget reconciliation bill. NLBMDA highlighted its positions on several critical policy proposals that will have a direct effect on LBM dealers across the country.
NLBMDA stressed the importance of rejecting all tax increases on LBM dealers and other burdensome one-size-fits-all mandates that will inhibit economic growth and the ability of small businesses to create new jobs. NLBMDA called on Congress to carefully consider the impact that the budget reconciliation bill will have on small businesses and the overall health of the U.S. economy.
In addition to the letter, NLBMDA has been doing outreach on Capitol Hill to key offices and committees in both the House and Senate on behalf of LBM industry priorities. NLBMDA has also created a new grassroots alert which allows members to contact their lawmakers to echo these priorities. NLBMDA encourages members to utilize this alert and reach out to their elected officials.
NLBMDA FY 2022 Budget Reconciliation Priorities
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Tax Increases: Reject all tax increases on LBM dealers.
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Labor: Oppose provisions from the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.
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Workforce Development: Prioritize workforce development and job training, including access to Pell Grants, career and technical education programs (CTE), and apprenticeship programs.
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Housing: Strengthen the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) and other affordable housing programs.
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Paid Leave: Oppose proposals to expand the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and impose a mandatory paid sick leave program.
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COVID-19: Oppose any extension of COVID-19 supplemental unemployment benefits.
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Immigration: Support a robust temporary guest worker program to recruit legal, foreign-born individuals when there is a shortage of domestic workers to fill available positions.
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Forest Management: Support reforms to encourage responsible federal forest management that maintains access to domestic wood and supports the health and viability of our public forests.
