A coalition of 88 trade groups that includes associations, societies and coalitions from several sectors – automotive, retail, education, trucking, construction, small business and more – sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell asking them to end efforts to pass a bill that would include a multi-trillion-dollar tax increase.

The Build Back Better (BBB) Act is President Joe Biden’s promise to “rebuild the backbone of the country – the middle class,” according to the White House. “This framework will set the United States on course to meet its climate goals, create millions of good-paying jobs, enable more Americans to join and remain in the labor force, and grow our economy from the bottom up and the middle out.”

On Jan. 16, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) said during a CBS “Face the Nation” interview with host Margaret Brennan that while the most recent version of the bill is “dead,” the core of the bill could still pass.

“… I think the core is education and workforce and things like reduced childcare and education expenses, workforce training, and then support for the workforce in areas like health care,” Kaine said. “There are other pieces of the bill that are more controversial. I still believe we’re going to find the core of this bill, whatever we call it, we’re going to find the core of the bill and pass it and it will deal directly with some of these inflation concerns.”

The coalition hopes to get Congress to “focus instead on the challenges confronting American families and businesses today – rising prices,
labor shortages, and ongoing supply chain constraints,” according to the Jan. 12 letter.

They wrote that the recently reported highest Consumer Price Index since 1982 is “alarming” to the group as the rising prices make it difficult for businesses of all sizes to purchase inventory and supplies and pay for utilities. “In many cases, our members are unable to pass these higher costs on to their customers. Some customers are unable to pay higher prices, while others are locked into long-term contracts that preclude price changes. These challenges are amplified by today’s constrained labor markets.”

Noting the National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB) member surveys ranking the ongoing worker shortage as the No. 1 challenge workers face, the group wrote that isn’t the only issue – higher wages are often offered to entice employees to come to work, but because of inflation real wages are actually down this year, according to the letter.

“The Administration argues that the Build Back Better bill will help to reduce prices, but those arguments are simply not credible,” the group wrote. “Our members believe the primary causes of the reemergence of inflation are the Federal Reserve’s continued easy money policies, massive amounts of deficit spending by Congress, and continued supply constraints, some tied to the Administration’s economic and COVID policies.”

The move to raise taxes on America’s family businesses “moves us in the wrong direction,” the letter states.

The following trade groups signed the letter:

Air Conditioning Contractors of America
American Building Materials Alliance
American Farm Bureau Federation
American Foundry Society
American Lighting Association
American Mold Builders Association
American Rental Association
American Supply Association
American Trucking Associations
Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA)
Associated Builders and Contractors
Associated Equipment Distributors
Auto Care Association
Brick Industry Association
Ceramic Tile Distributors Association
Coalition of Franchisee Associations
Construction Industry Round Table
Convenience Distribution Association
Customized Logistics and Delivery Association (CLDA)
Education Market Association
Energy Marketers of America
Family Business Coalition
Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association
Franchise Business Services
GAWDA
Glass Packaging Institute (GPI)
Global Cold Chain Alliance
Hardwood Federation
Heating, Air-conditioning, & Refrigeration Distributors International
Independent Bakers Association
Independent Electrical Contractors
Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association
Industrial Fasteners Institute
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc
International Association of Plastics Distribution
International Foodservice Distributors Association
International Fresh Produce Association
International Sign Association
International Warehouse Logistics Association
Main Street Employers Coalition
Manufactured Housing Institute
Material Handling Equipment Distributors Association
Metals Service Center Institute
National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Electrical Distributors
National Association of Home Builders
National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors
National Beer Wholesalers Association
National Community Pharmacists Association
National Fastener Distributors Association
National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
National Franchisee Association
National Grocers Association
National Independent Automobile Dealers Association (NIADA)
National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association
National Marine Distributors Association
National Onion Association
National Ready Mixed Concrete Association
National Roofing Contractors Association
National Small Business Association
National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association
National Tooling and Machining Association
National Waste & Recycling Association
North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM)
North American Die Casting Association
Outdoor Power Equipment and Engine Service Association
Pacific West Fastener Association
Petroleum Equipment Institute
Plastics Industry Association
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors–National Association
Policy and Taxation Group
Precision Machined Products Association
Precision Metalforming Association
PRINTING United Alliance
Retail Bakers of America (RBA)
S Corporation Association
Service Station Dealers of America and Allied Trades
Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS)
Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association
Southwest Cable Communications Association
Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance
Subchapter S Bank Association
Textile Care Allied Trades Association
Tile Roofing Industry Alliance
Tire Industry Association
Western Equipment Dealers Association
Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America

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United States Capitol Building (Credit: Douglas Rissing/iStock)