NEWS

Executives in the home furnishings industry acknowledged that tariffs, higher interest rates, and cautious consumers are negatively affecting business. They also stated that these same pressures create opportunities for businesses that are willing to be more flexible and forward-thinking.

Rep. Scott briefed the Trump administration on the EU Deforestation Regulation, detailing how the EUDR is both unfair and burdensome for U.S. landowners and the forest industry. President Trump responded that Europe should not be telling the U.S. how to manage its land and requested a summary of the EUDR's impact on the forestry sector.

Watch Video: White House → 

The American Kitchen Cabinet Alliance testified at a hearing of the U.S. Trade Representative's Office on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement. The organization stated that "without strengthening the USMCA, the gains from the President’s new Section 232 tariffs on cabinets will leak straight through Canada and Mexico." DHA made similar points in our recent comments to the USTR, highlighting transshipment.

PHOTO © USCBP

The House has passed the PERMIT Act, legislation designed to clarify the Clean Water Act permitting process. The bill would cut red tape, reduce regulatory burdens, and streamline and expedite the permitting process while ensuring clean water protections. The bill is supported by homebuilders.

Read More: House Passes NAHB-Supported PERMIT Act → 

This week, the House Rules Committee advanced a bipartisan bill, the Standardized Permitting and Expediting Economic Development (SPEED) Act, designed to speed up the federal permitting process. This bill would streamline environmental reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It includes provisions to limit when federal agencies can revisit or undo prior environmental reviews and federal authorizations.