New York – Members of Jewelers of America (JA) headed to Washington, D.C. last month to discuss issues of importance to the jewellery industry with lawmakers. At the top of this year’s legislative agenda was the need to reduce crime, which has recently reached record levels.
“Crime against jewellery businesses and customers has skyrocketed,” said JA President and CEO David J. Bonaparte. “We wanted to ensure that lawmakers understand how this problem threatens jewellers’ safety and livelihoods.”
Members shared personal experiences, along with data from the Jewelers Security Alliance and Jewelers Mutual, to illustrate the sharp increase in crime, as rates saw some of the largest spikes in jewellery crime ever reported, JA said.
The delegation met with members of Congress who are already pushing for stronger measures to combat rising crime, including Rep. Young Kim, (R, CA-40), who is a sponsor of the bipartisan bill introduced earlier this year, “Improving the Federal Response to Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023”.
Kim, along with Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stefanik (R, NY-21), joined the group for lunch.
Rep. Darrell Issa (R, CA-48), who has also pushed for tougher crime legislation, was the guest of honor at Wednesday night’s dinner. Other prominent members of Congress with whom JA members connected included ：
Representative Pete Sessions (R, TX-17)
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)
Rep. Kim Schrier, M.D. (D, WA-08)
Representative Marilyn Strickland (D, WA-10)
Representative Claudia Tenney (R, NY-24)
Representative Kevin Kiley (R, CA-03)
Representative Carol Miller (R, WV-01)
Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R, IA-01)
Representative Andy Barr (R, KY-06)
Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R, OR-05)
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R, TX-24)
Rep. Ken Calvert (R, CA-41)
Rep. Mario Diaz Balart (R, FL-25)
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R, TX-13)
In addition to emphasizing the need for action to fight jewelry-related crime, the delegation also drew attention to other issues, including credit card reform.
The lack of competition, which is leading to the rise in credit card swipe fees year after year, costs American businesses and consumers an estimated $15 billion per year, JA said.
The group also discussed the need for pro-growth tax policy that makes U.S. companies “competitive in the global economy and provides a level playing field among all sectors of the economy and all sectors of retail.”
Lastly, the delegation emphasized the importance of protecting the last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory accounting method, which JA said is considered by lawmakers to be an “attractive revenue-raising option” and that a repeal would deal a “potentially fatal blow” to companies in the jewelry industry using the LIFO method.
The day before the fly-in, JA hosted a member meet-up in Washington DC, which included a tour of the Library of Congress and a cocktail party.
The event featured The Tarrance Group President and CEO and renowned political pollster Ed Goeas, who shared insights from “A Question of Respect: Bringing Us Together in a Deeply Divided Nation,” his book co-authored with Democratic Party political strategist Celinda Lake.
