Restaurateurs seek economic stability solutions

Economic stability is among key policy issues critical to the restaurant industry’s continued growth and success, National Restaurant Association President and CEO Dawn Sweeney said before the President's State of the Union address. The economy is the expected focus of the speech.

 

“While the restaurant industry is expected to grow in 2013, operators continue to face a wide range of challenges, chief among them concerns about consumer confidence and the economy,” Sweeney said. “On behalf of our members, the National Restaurant Association urges policymakers to provide long-term, sustainable solutions necessary to keep our economy moving.”

As an industry of about 13 million people, one million locations and $660 billion in sales, restaurants are affected by many legislative and regulatory decisions. For example, reform of the immigration system, tax policy and the 2010 health care law are key to continued restaurant industry job growth, Sweeney said. The restaurant industry is the second-largest private employer in the United States.

The NRA supports federal immigration reform that includes an accurate and reliable employment verification system. But it’s only a first step: Eventually, work site enforcement must be accompanied by provisions that recognize employers' efforts to hire Americans. Those provisions should give employers who make every reasonable effort to hire Americans a way to hire legal foreign workers to keep their businesses open and contribute to the U.S. economy, she said.

As for tax reform, the NRA supports policy that recognizes the restaurant industry's organizational diversity. Congress should examine corporate and individual tax reform simultaneously because a majority of restaurant businesses are built on small partnership arrangements. The NRA has urged Congress to enact a permanent 15-year depreciation schedule for restaurant buildings and improvements and make permanent the Work Opportunity Tax Credit.

Another policy priority is health care. As health care regulations accelerate, policymakers are recognizing challenges that require reform. The NRA has worked for more than two years to highlight the industry’s challenges in complying with the health care law. It has filed volumes of comments with regulatory agencies to answer operators' questions and ensure they have maximum flexibility as the rules are written so they can meet the legislation's goals and continue to create jobs.

"Restaurants provide quality jobs in every state and every Congressional district, and the National Restaurant Association will continue advocating for policies that create an environment conducive to job creation and growth for our industry," Sweeney said.