2025-2026 Regular Session (119th)

Retailers are deeply invested in policies that fuel consumer spending, support small businesses and create the certainty needed for long-term investment. This legislation delivers on several key
priorities for pro-growth tax policy, including: 1) Maintaining the corporate tax rate at 21%, ensuring U.S. businesses remain competitive globally. 2) Permanently restoring immediate expensing for domestic R&D expenses, with retroactive provisions for small businesses and accelerated deductions for larger firms. 3) Permanently reinstating the EBITDA-based limitation on business net interest deductions, which is vital for maintaining cash flow flexibility. 4) Permanently restoring 100% bonus depreciation for short-lived investments, incentivizing growth and innovation. 5) Making the Section 199A pass-through deduction permanent, enhancing tax equity for small businesses and ensuring robust support for America’s entrepreneurial spirit. Click here for the Key Vote Letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT

The FY2025 budget resolution (H.Con.Res.14) sets the process for budget reconciliation to permanently extend the pro-growth tax reforms that have driven investment, job creation and economic stability for American businesses and workers. The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) created a tax environment that fostered economic expansion, raised wages and provided families with relief in the face of rising costs. However, without congressional action, key provisions of the TCJA are set to expire, creating uncertainty for the retail sector and jeopardizing the progress made over the past several years. Click here for our Key Vote Letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT. 

This legislation would end the record-long federal government shutdown that has created significant economic uncertainty for retailers, workers and consumers. As the nation’s largest private-sector employer, retail contributes $5.3 trillion to annual GDP and supports 55 million U.S. jobs. A fully operational federal government is vital to retail businesses, the workers they employ and the communities they serve. Click here for the Key Vote Letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT

Organized retail criminal (ORC) activity continues to increase in frequency, complexity and scope across the country. NRF defines ORC as large-scale theft of retail merchandise with the intent to sell for financial gain. ORC is occurring across the retail enterprise — supply chains, bricks-and-mortar stores, warehouses and online — with stolen product sold for a profit, often to fund other crimes. ORC is also prevalent in sophisticated retail financial crimes involving gift cards, return schemes and other frauds. The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 would help address these issues by creating greater coordination and providing increased resources for law enforcement at all levels. Click here to see our Key Vote letter. NRF POSITION: SUPPORT.

The Credit Card Competition Act would remedy a broken and unfair market by requiring credit card-issuing financial institutions with $100 billion or more in assets to enable at least two unaffiliated networks to route credit card transactions. Competition in the credit card routing market is estimated to save businesses and consumers $17 billion a year in swipe fees. Click here to view the Key Vote Letter. NRF Position: SUPPORT.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act would fundamentally alter federal labor law by allowing the government to impose the terms of a first collective bargaining agreement if the parties do not reach agreement within 120 days. Under the bill, a government‑appointed arbitration panel could dictate wages, benefits, workplace policies, safety rules and other core terms of employment for up to two years. Government mandated contracts will harm both workers and employers. Click here for the Key Vote Letter. NRF POSITION: OPPOSE