[ ADVOCACY CONNECTION ] BLD Connection & NLBMDA Converge on D.C.

On April 17, 2024, members of BLD Connection joined more than 75 other members of the National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association and the Window & Door Manufacturers Association in Washington, D.C., to lobby members of Congress on issues impacting the industry.

Members from Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin joined dealer and supplier members from across the country and met with more than 50 congressional members to discuss the following issues:

• Affordable Housing Tax Credit: These government-funded credits provide land developers with necessary funding to offset the cost of developing affordable housing in America. Without these credits, the cost to develop these types of housing is not profitable or worth the investment of resources to pursue these types of housing.

• The LICENSE Act: Efforts are being made to attract truck drivers by peeling back some of the burdensome requirements/regulations of the FMCSA Entry Level Driver Training Rule while also providing new truck drivers with training and tax-related incentives to pursue careers in the truck driving field. There is presently an 80,000-driver shortage in the trucking industry, which continues to grow due to burdensome testing, training and regulatory requirements.

• Death Tax Repeal: This bill seeks to repeal the Death Tax to allow family-owned businesses to transfer ownership following the death of a family owner without paying significant taxes.

Top left: Cody Nuernberg, Adam Hendrix and Melinda Hendrix from Chic Lumber Co. in O’Fallon, Missouri, met with Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri).

Top right: Chris Routhe of Millard Lumber in Omaha discussed policy issues with Rep. Mike Flood (R-Nebraska).

Bottom left: BLD Connection Board Chairman Brian Wendt of Anita Supply Center in Anita, Iowa, presented the industry’s national policy agenda to Rep. Zach Nunn (R-Wisconsin).

• Credit Card Competition Act: Although Visa and MasterCard have agreed to a $30 billion settlement that will also require them to hold their processing fees charged to merchants for five years (no increases), the competition in the credit card processing industry remains a “virtual” duopoly. Visa and MasterCard control over 80% of the credit swipe fee market. This legislation seeks to bring additional processors into the market to level the playing field and create competition for merchant swipe fee business.

• Passage of the House Tax Bill: The House of Representatives passed the Tax Relief for American Families & Workers Act by a vote of 357-70 and has been awaiting Senate action. This key piece of legislation restores the 100% bonus depreciation for businesses that invest in machinery, equipment and vehicles through 2025 and strengthens the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (noted above as the Affordable Housing Tax Credit). Members also discussed workforce development initiatives dedicated toward the construction industry and the trades, and encouraged members of Congress to support any legislation that would help the construction industry build a sustainable workforce for the future.

BLD Connection thanks and congratulates its members for their participation and hard work to ensure that our industry and our members’ voices are heard.

The 2025 Legislative Conference is scheduled for April 1-2, 2025, at The Westin Washington, D.C., City Center Hotel. Contact BLD Connection President Cody Nuernberg at (888) 544-6822 if you are interested in attending the 2025 Conference.