House Small Business hearing spotlights rising retail and cargo theft harming Main Street
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Summary
Witnesses and members told stories and cited data showing rising organized retail theft, repeat offenders, and cargo theft are imposing security costs and closures on small businesses; the U.S. Chamber urged coordination, aggregation, and prosecution and backed federal CORCA legislation.
Chair opened the hearing "Main Street Under Attack: The Cost of Crime on Small Business" by saying small businesses face an uptick in violent incidents, organized retail theft and cyberattacks, and introduced witnesses to testify on those impacts.
Tom Wickham, vice president and managing director of government affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, told the committee that retail theft and cargo crime are increasing nationwide and urged a three-part approach—improved coordination, aggregation of offenses and stronger prosecution—to protect businesses. Wickham cited a CargoNet figure showing a 13% increase in cargo theft incidents in 2025 over 2024 and said larcenies involving shoplifting have doubled since the 1970s, citing the nonprofit Council for Criminal Justice. He also said Texas, Illinois and California account for roughly 53% of cargo theft incidents.
Henry's House of Coffee's owner described more than 35 repeat thefts at his San Francisco shop, harassment of staff, and the limits of local enforcement. He said police recommended a restraining order that proved ineffective and that his shop has spent thousands on gates, shatterproof screens and replacement equipment—costs small businesses struggle to absorb.
Members pressed witnesses on prosecutorial thresholds and local laws. Several witnesses and members referenced California's Prop 47 and its $950 misdemeanor threshold as an example that can enable repeat low-value thefts. Wickham and members argued for aggregation—counting repeated small thefts across time and locations to reach felony thresholds—and supported the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) to create stronger federal coordination for multi-jurisdictional networks.
Committee members and witnesses pointed to state-level responses—organized retail crime offices and attorney-general initiatives—to illustrate successful enforcement models, while several members said underreporting remains a problem because business owners see little law-enforcement follow-up.
The hearing closed with members calling for intergovernmental cooperation, continued oversight of state laws and consideration of federal tools to address repeat and organized retail crime. Members gave the witnesses five legislative days to submit follow-up material for the record.
