Scorecard, 118th Congress (2023-2024)

Strips away workers’ free choice in union elections and their privacy rights, interferes with employers’ ability to secure legal advice on complex labor matters, expands joint employer liability, prohibits the use of arbitration for employment matters, and strips away “secondary boycott” protections among other provisions. NRF Position: OPPOSE

The legislation will maintain economic stability and avoid any potential disruptions that could negatively impact our members and the broader economy. The consequences of failing to raise the debt ceiling would be severe, causing substantial disruptions in the financial markets and potentially leading to a downgrade of the United States' credit rating. Such outcomes would raise borrowing costs for businesses and consumers alike, resulting in reduced access to credit, higher interest rates, and dampen consumer confidence. These factors would directly impact retail sales, business investments, and job creation; creating a ripple effect throughout the entire economy. Read NRF's Key Vote letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT. 

This legislation would provide much—needed relief to retailers and consumers by injecting competition into the credit card routing market. Interchange or “swipe” fees totaled a record $160.7 billion in 2022, a $22 billion increase from the previous year. In fact, American retailers and merchants pay the highest swipe fee rates in the world, which has led to swipe fees being most retailers’ highest cost after labor. Read NRF's Key Vote letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT. 

By reversing more than a quarter-century of legal precedent by fiat, the NLRB rule will increase liability for businesses of all sizes. The rules as finalized, however, are particularly harmful for small businesses. Larger businesses will be hesitant to contract with smaller businesses, particularly new and unproven market entrants. Over time, larger, more established firms will avoid currently common arms-lengths agreements between themselves and small businesses, including vendor contracts, franchise agreements, and licensing arrangements. If they do contract with small businesses, larger businesses will be reluctant to offer services and guidance out of fear of triggering increased liability. Read NRF's Key Vote Letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT.

This legislation will maintain economic stability and avoid any potential disruptions that could negatively impact our members and the broader economy. Restoring immediate expensing of domestic R&D expenses, enhancing interest deductibility, and 100% accelerated depreciation will have a profound impact on investment, economic growth, and job creation in the retail sector. Read NRF's Key Vote letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT.

This legislation would help counter rising organized retail crime, which costs retailers billions in stolen merchandise and threatens the safety of retail workers and customers. Retail loss prevention teams and state and local law enforcement have active efforts to investigate ORC groups and build cases but are frequently hampered by a lack of visibility into the scope of retail crime groups’ broader activities, nationally and internationally. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023 would help remedy this issue by creating an interagency ORC Coordination Center at Homeland Security Investigations. Click here to view the Key Vote Letter. NRF  POSITION:  SUPPORT.