Author: Trey Jackson

Pandemic Aid, Biden Administration Agenda and Other National Policy Issues Addressed in Roundtable Discussions

Posted on by Trey Jackson

DC-JF-JD-2021-SOI-x475w

The Real Estate Roundtable’s 2021 State of the Industry (SOI) meeting this week featured discussions with three incoming Senate Committee chairs who oversee banking, energy, housing, and tax legislation – along with other national leaders on a wide range of policy matters. The Roundtable’s policy advisory committees also met virtually to discuss these matters as well as the Biden Administration’s COVID response initiatives, the prospects for legislating in a 50-50 Senate, and homeland security concerns in the aftermath of the January 6 attack on the Capitol. (Watch all SOI videos on The Roundtable’s YouTube Channel.)

  • Roundtable Chair Debra Cafaro (Chairman and CEO, Ventas, Inc.) launched the SOI meeting on Jan. 26, acknowledging the health, economic and equality crises that have engulfed the nation over the past year. (video)
  • Cafaro also emphasized how The Roundtable was one of the first industry groups to denounce the attack and suspend political support for any members of Congress not interested in seeking bipartisan solutions to the nation’s significant challenges. (Roundtable Weekly, January 15)
  • Cafaro was joined by Roundtable Chair-Elect John F. Fish (Chairman & CEO, SUFFOLK) and Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer (photo above) in announcing that the organization’s 2021 National Policy Agenda will soon address issues in the areas of tax, capital and credit, energy and climate, homeland security, infrastructure and housing.

Policy Issues & Featured Speakers

The SOI meeting attracted nearly 300 participants and included the following speakers: 

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV)

  • Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – Incoming Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee – spoke about the national eviction moratorium and ensuring citizens have access to affordable housing (video). [Roundtable President and CEO testified before the Senate Banking Committee in Sept. 2020 about policy recommendations that could encourage a national recovery from the economic effects of the pandemic.]
  • Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), photo above – Incoming Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee – is one of the key centrist Senators who is expected to play a significant role in forging bipartisan legislation in the 117th Congress, as the Biden Administration moves swiftly on its pandemic aid plan and clean energy initiatives to boost job creation. (video)
  • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) – Incoming Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee – will have a principal role on Capitol Hill on tax, trade, and spending. He welcomed fact-based reports showing the link between real estate, the pandemic and tax policy. (video)
  • Dr. Scott Gottlieb – 23rd Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – spoke with Roundtable Chair Debra Cafaro on the emergence of vaccines, concerns about coronavirus variants, and the prospects for fuller re-opening of the economy.
  • Penny Pritzker – 38th Secretary of Commerce (2013-2017), Founder and Chairman of PSP Partners and former Roundtable Board Member – provided her insight on leadership, international trade agreement, the climate crisis and racial inequity. (video)
  • Steven Pearlstein – Business and Economics Columnist, The Washington Post – discussed the challenges ahead for bipartisan policymaking in a split Senate with The Roundtable’s Board of Directors, reflecting his recent column, “Five (somewhat) upbeat predictions for 2021.” (video)

Roundtable Policy Advisory Committees

SPAC x475w image 1-27-20

The Roundtable’s policy advisory committee meetings analyzed national issues impacting CRE in detail with the following high-level congressional and agency staff:

  • Research and Real Estate Capital Policy Advisory Committees (RECPAC)
    Rep. French Hill (R-AR) provided his insights on the 117th Congress from his perspective as a member of the House Financial Services Committee. Additionally, D. Michael Van Konynenburg (Eastdil Secured), Brian Kingston (Brookfield) and Michael Bilerman (Citi) provided their perspectives on the market cycle. (video)
  • Tax Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC)
    Tax legislative priorities affecting CRE were a focus of a discussion moderated by Russ Sullivan (Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck) with Tiffany Smith, chief tax counsel for Senate Finance Committee Democrats and Andrew Grossman, chief tax counsel for House Ways and Means Committee Democrats. (video)
  • Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Risk Management Working Group (RMWG)
    This joint meeting was briefed on potential post-inauguration threats from a representative of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. Additionally, Brian Michael Jenkins, a senior adviser to the president of the RAND Corporation, addressed the attack on the U.S. Capitol and the implications for real estate.
  • Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), photo above
    U.S. Energy Information Administration speakers updated SPAC on the Commercial Building Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS), the only federal data that takes stock of U.S. commercial real estate. Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance (ESG) trends were also discussed, as well as the need for voluntary federal standards to help unify a patchwork of state and local laws addressing buildings and their carbon footprint. (video)

Next on The Roundtable’s FY2021 meeting calendar is the Spring Meeting on April 20. This virtual meeting is restricted to Roundtable-level members only.

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Senate Finance Committee Approves Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary; BisNow Webinar Features Roundtable’s DeBoer on Industry Policy Agenda and Biden Administration

Posted on by Trey Jackson

Janet Yellen during Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing

The Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 22 voted unanimously to advance President Biden’s nomination of Janet Yellen for Treasury secretary to the full Senate for a vote. Yellen, who formerly served as chair of the Federal Reserve, would become the first woman to hold the position. (The Hill, Jan. 22) 

  • Yellen testified before the committee earlier this week that “the world has changed,” encouraged policymakers to “act big,” and addressed fiscal relief, potential tax increases and the growing budget deficit. (Bloomberg and Wall Street Journal, Jan. 19)
  • “Neither the President-elect, nor I, propose this relief package without an appreciation for the country’s debt burden,” she said. “But right now, with interest rates at historic lows, the smartest thing we can do is act big. In the long run, I believe the benefits will far outweigh the costs, especially if we care about helping people who have been struggling for a very long time.” (Yellen testimony, Jan. 19)
  • In follow-up written Q&A with the committee, Yellen addressed a wide variety of policy issues including tax policy and climate change. Among her answers in the document:

    “Both the President and I believe we can turn the threat of climate change into an opportunity to boost our economy and reinvigorate old and new industries to create high paying middle class jobs across America. President Biden has a comprehensive plan to invest in the United States, create a clean energy economy, and address the crisis of climate change. I am focused on the President’s agenda, including investments in the clean energy economy, to address climate change and create good paying jobs and energy efficiency technologies, as well as clean electricity standards that will achieve carbon-pollution-free electricity by 2035.”

  • Yellen also said she planned to start a new Treasury “hub” that would examine financial system risks arising from climate change and on related tax policy incentives, POLITICO’s Zachary Warmbrodt reports.
  • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), who is poised to chair the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement after the hearing, “As we continue to deal with the worst economic crisis in a century, it’s critically important that she be leading the Treasury Department as soon as possible.” 

Roundtable’s DeBoer & Policy Priorities 

Jeffrey DeBoer, upper left, during Bisnow Webinar

Real Estate Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer commented in the media this week on the Biden Administration and policy priorities ahead.  

  • In Commercial Property Executive’s Jan. 22 article, Industry Responds as Biden Kicks Off Tenure (cpexecutive.com), DeBoer states, “There are many serious issues facing the nation, but job number one is winning the ongoing battle against the health and economic consequences of the pandemic.”  He added, “In addition, we expect robust debate and activity around housing availability, infrastructure and immigration reform and expanding opportunities for all Americans.”
    • The Roundtable and 12 national real estate organizations on Dec. 16, 2020 congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their historic election and submitted detailed policy recommendations to the incoming administration on COVID-19 relief, sustainability, housing, immigration, tax policy infrastructure, and other policy issue areas. (Roundtable Weekly, Dec. 18, 2020)
      • The industry letter acknowledges the many economic and social challenges confronting the country and the Biden Administration, including the national response to COVID-19. The letter and supporting policy memo were also sent to every congressional office on Capitol Hill.
      • DeBoer also participated in Jan. 19 BisNow webinar with Roundtable Member Steven Witkoff, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Witkoff, and W. Edward (Ed) Walter – Global Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Land Institute and current co-chair of The Roundtable’s Research Committee – that focused on future economic stimulus proposals from the Biden Administration and industry priorities.
      • DeBoer said, “What Biden has suggested already is very positive. We need to go bold and big. So when we look at this next wave of legislation, we’re going to be looking for how does it distribute the vaccine because until that occurs it is going to be difficult for cities and states and businesses to regain their footing. We have also worked hard on the concept of rent assistance and we have urged that impacted businesses also be able to get some rental assistance.”
      • He added, “We are also very hopeful that in the next bill we can get some additional clarity on liability concerns for businesses. And going forward, we’re concerned that for leasing and refinancing, there may be a need to have a program along the lines of what was established after 9-11 for terrorism insurance. There may be a need for a pandemic risk insurance federal program that would allow people to help mitigate the risk of a future pandemic and that insurance would be available to any kind of business.” 

      The Roundtable’s policy agenda and the Biden Administration’s proposals will be discussed during both The Roundtable’s business meeting and policy advisory committee meetings during the organization’s State of the Industry Meeting on Jan. 26-27 (all virtual).

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      Roundtable Members Participate in Nationwide Illumination of Buildings to Honor COVID-19 Victims

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      Denver's City and County Building was lit as part of the

      Real Estate Roundtable members on Jan. 19 joined other building owners and operators around the nation to illuminate private and public buildings in a “national moment of unity and remembrance” to honor those Americans who have fallen to COVID-19. (Photo: Denver’s City and County Building, credit: Patricia Duncan )

      • Dozens of Roundtable member organizations responded to a request for participation from the Presidential Inaugural Committee.  Their building illumination efforts coincided with a lighting ceremony around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., and the ringing of bells in churches and towns nationwide to commemorate the moment of remembrance.
      • The Roundtable on Jan. 19 issued the following statement about the memorial event, which was held as part of the inauguration of President Joseph R. Biden and Vice President Kamala D. Harris:
        • “The Real Estate Roundtable encourages all Americans to support the peaceful transfer of power to the new Biden-Harris Administration, and urges that the 117th Congress unify across party lines to address the critical health, economic and social challenges now facing the American people. 
        • “This evening, in association with the inauguration of the Biden-Harris administration, our nation will recognize the nearly 400,000 fellow citizens who have died over the past year due to COVID-19.” 
        • “Building owners are proud to join national policy makers, religious leaders, business figures and others commemorating tonight’s event by lighting many of our buildings nationwide as part of the #COVIDMemorial.”
        • “The Roundtable is committed to work positively with our elected officials to help our nation stabilize and rebuild from the severe hardships caused by the pandemic — and to do so in a manner that affirms and more fully realizes the ideals of equality and opportunity upon which our great nation is founded.”

      Photo compilations of illuminated buildings in towns and cities nationwide who participated in the tribute were posted on media outlets such as Axios, the San Jose, CA publication The Mercury News and ABC News.

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      Joe Biden Takes Oath as 46th President, Signs Executive Orders on Pandemic Response, Evictions, Climate, Immigration and Racial Equity

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      U.S. Capitol Biden-Harris Inauguration

      On January 20, the peaceful inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th president of the United States and Kamala Harris as vice president took place on the steps of the Capitol, where two weeks prior a violent mob attempted to overturn the electoral process.

      • President Biden in his inaugural address emphasized themes of national struggle and unity. He stated, “We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. To overcome these challenges – to restore the soul and to secure the future of America – requires more than words. It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy: Unity.”

      • Vice President Harris – who is the highest-ranking woman of color in U.S. history – stated during a post-inaugural event, “This, too, is American Aspiration. This is what President Joe Biden has called upon us to summon now. The courage to see beyond crisis. To do what is hard. To do what is good. To unite.” (New York Times, Jan. 21)

      Coronavirus Response

      The new administration’s top priority is to develop and manage a coordinated, national public health and economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On its first two days in office it issued:

      Additional “Day One” Orders

      President Biden signs Executive Orders on

      In addition to addressing COVID-19, the Biden Administration moved swiftly on “Day One” with 17 Executive Orders (EOs) covering a range of issues.  (New York Times and CQ, Jan. 20) These actions include: 

      • Extending the federal residential eviction moratorium (scheduled to expire on January 31) through the end of March – with a request to HUD and other agencies to allow forbearance on payments of federally-guaranteed mortgages; 
      • “Restoring science” and “tackling the climate crisis,” such as by rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, and directing the EPA and the Energy Department to reassess Trump-era rules on building energy codes as well as standards for appliance and motor vehicle fuel efficiency;
      • Advancing racial equity and support for underserved communities; and
      • Restoring protection for “Dreamers” under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, ending the ban on travel to the U.S. from primarily Muslim countries, and other immigration-related matters. The Roundtable joined an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court last year urging that DACA protections should be re-instated for immigrants brought to the United States as children. (Roundtable Weekly, June 19, 2020 )
      • (Biden has also proposed a legislative immigration overhaul that would provide a path to citizenship for the undocumented, which has already been met with some GOP opposition and “underscore[s] that the measure faces an uphill fight in a Congress that Democrats control just narrowly.” (AP, Jan. 19).

      References:

      The Biden Administration’s initial actions and policy agenda will be a focus of The Roundtable’s Jan. 26-27 State of the Industry Meeting (held virtually).  Speakers will include:

      • Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – Chairman, Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee
      • Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) – Chairman. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
      • Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) – Chairman, Senate Finance Committee
      • Dr. Scott Gottlieb – 23rd Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration

      • Penny Pritzker – 38th Secretary of Commerce (2013-2017); Founder and Chairman of PSP Partners

      The Roundtable will also unveil its 2021 National Policy Agenda publication soon, which will address policy issues in in the areas of tax, capital and credit, energy and climate, homeland security, and infrastructure and housing.

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      The Real Estate Roundtable Joins Biden-Harris Inaugural Event Honoring Americans Who Have Fallen to COVID-19

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      The Real Estate Roundtable issued the following statement regarding this evening’s nationwide event to illuminate buildings and landmarks, as part of the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris:

      The Real Estate Roundtable encourages all Americans to support the peaceful transfer of power to the new Biden-Harris Administration, and urges that the 117th Congress unify across party lines to address the critical health, economic and social challenges now facing the American people.  

      This evening, in association with the inauguration of the Biden-Harris administration, our nation will recognize the nearly 400,000 fellow citizens who have died over the past year due to COVID-19.

      Building owners are proud to join national policy makers, religious leaders, business figures and others commemorating tonight’s event by lighting many of our buildings nationwide as part of the #COVIDMemorial. 

      The Roundtable is committed to work positively with our elected officials to help our nation stabilize and rebuild from the severe hardships caused by the pandemic — and to do so in a manner that affirms and more fully realizes the ideals of equality and opportunity upon which our great nation is founded.

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      Inauguration Activities to Include Nationwide Illumination of Buildings to Honor COVID-19 Victims; Roundtable Members Asked to Participate

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      The Presidential Inaugural Committee has announced it is hosting a memorial to illuminate buildings in cities and towns across the country next Tuesday evening, as part of a series of online and virtual events for the Biden-Harris inauguration.  The building illumination is intended as a “national moment of unity and remembrance” in honor of the American people who have fallen to COVID-19.  (Inaugural Committee fact sheet and Building Owner Participation Form)

      • The nationwide memorial to illuminate buildings will start at 5:30 p.m. EST on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. The lighting ceremony will then roll westward from time zone to time zone, taking place at 5:30 pm local time in each zone.
      • The Inaugural Committee has requested support from Roundtable members to participate in the memorial to honor those who died from the coronavirus. Participation in the event is voluntary. 
      • Building owners and managers willing to illuminate their assets are asked to complete this short Google docs form to be submitted to the Inaugural Committee.
      • The Committee also requests that owners and managers who participate in the event record or photograph their building illuminations to share on social media platforms.
      • Further questions can be emailed directly to the Presidential Inaugural Committee at publicengagement@bideninaugural.org.
      • The ceremony will be timed with a lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting pool in Washington, D.C., and the ringing of bells in churches and towns nationwide to commemorate the moment of remembrance.

      Roundtable members who opt to participate on January 19 are kindly requested to inform our staff by email (Duane Desiderio, Senior Vice President and Counsel, ddesiderio@rer.org) and (Abigail Grenadier, Communications Director, agrenadier@rer.org).  We would like to keep track of the building square footage participating in this voluntary event and our organization’s collective involvement.

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      President Trump Faces Second Impeachment Trial as President-elect Biden Proposes $1.9 Trillion Pandemic Aid Package

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      House Democrats, joined by 10 Republicans, on Jan. 13 voted 232-197 to impeach President Trump for a historic second time on charges that he incited last week’s insurrection at the Capitol that left five people dead, including a Capitol Hill police officer. (NBC News and Fortune, Jan. 13)

      • No date has been set yet for Trump’s second impeachment trial in the Senate, although it could begin on the day of the inauguration of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris. The timing is uncertain as two new Democratic Senators from Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, await state electoral certification early next week. Vice President-elect Harris’s replacement—California Secretary of State Alex Padilla—is expected to be sworn in shortly after the inauguration.
      • Some Democrats want a later trial date to give the incoming Administration time to establish their policy agenda and work on immediate COVID-19 priorities. (Wall Street Journal, Jan. 14)   
      • “We are working with Republicans to try to find a path forward,” said a spokesperson for Sen. Chuck Schumer, who will become majority leader. (AP, Jan. 14)
      • As the Jan. 20 Biden-Harris inauguration approaches, 21,000 National Guard troops have been authorized for deployment to Washington, which is approximately three times the total number of American troops deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Syria. Troops have not been stationed in the Capitol since the US Civil War in the 1860s. (Washington Post, Military Times, Jan. 14 and New York Times, Jan. 13)
      • The Roundtable’s Homeland Security Task Force and Real Estate Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RE-ISAC) has been working with groups who are preparing and planning for potential related protests which may occur in the District of Columbia and in State capitals across the United States. (Homeland Security Today, After the Capitol Riot, What Is Your State of Preparedness?, Jan. 14)
      • As the combined force strength of National Guard military personnel and federal and state law enforcement agencies continues to expand in Washington, DC, the attention is shifting to making sure that State capital complexes, government facilities (owned and leased) and adjacent properties are on alert, well-defended and are supporting this effort, as intelligence continues to be collected.

      Biden’s “American Rescue Plan”

      • President-elect Biden last night proposed a $1.9 trillion pandemic aid package that may attract Senate Republican opposition over Democratic priorities, such as aid to state and local governments. (Bloomberg Law, Jan. 14)
      • The latest COVID-19 stimulus proposal—called the “American Rescue Plan”—would build on earlier relief packages and provide emergency measures to meet immediate health care and economic needs. The incoming Administration is expected to unveil a broader plan in February before Biden’s first appearance before a joint session of Congress that will focus on long-term goals such as infrastructure and climate change. (B-Gov and The Washington Post, Jan. 14)

      A summary prepared by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Shreck (Jan. 14) describes Biden’s proposed American Rescue Plan as including: 

      • $350 billion for state and local governments
      • $160 billion in funding for a national program of vaccination, testing and other coronavirus containment efforts
      • $30 billion in rental and utility assistance for low- and moderate-income households, with an extension of the federal residential eviction moratorium (currently set to expire on Jan. 31) until Sept. 30, 2021
      • $1,400 per person stimulus checks for qualifying individuals (in addition to the $600 approved in December)
      • $400 per week in supplementary unemployment benefits through September
      • $130 billion to help schools reopen
      • $25 billion for childcare providers
      • $20 billion for hard-hit public transit agencies
      • $15 billion in directs grants to small businesses, and a $35 billion investment in state and local small business financing programs to leverage additional lending
      • The proposal would also raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and expand food assistance, child tax credits, and medical and family leave. (Washington Post, Jan. 14)
      • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) on Jan. 14 supported Biden’s stimulus package proposal. “The emergency relief framework announced by the incoming Biden-Harris administration tonight is the right approach,” Pelosi and Schumer said in a joint statement. “We will get right to work to turn President-elect Biden’s vision into legislation that will pass both chambers and be signed into law.” (Reuters, Jan. 14)
      • Biden’s proposal follows the most recent COVID relief package that Congress passed before the holidays, part of omnibus legislation that funds federal operations through September 30, 2021. (Roundtable Weekly, Dec. 22, 2020)

      SBA Reopens Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

      • The U.S. Small Business Administration, in consultation with the U.S. Treasury Department, will re-open the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan portal today, Jan. 15, to PPP-eligible lenders with $1 billion or less in assets for First and Second Draw applications. (SBA news release, Jan. 13)
      • The portal will fully open on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 to all participating PPP lenders to submit First and Second Draw loan applications to SBA.
      • SBA granted initial PPP access earlier in the week for lending in low-income and underserved communities, and to allow “second draw” loans for qualifying small businesses that received credit under earlier phases of the lending program. (Journal of Accountancy, Jan. 13)

      The deadline for Second Draw PPP loan applications has been extended to March 31, 2021. (NexTech, Jan. 12 and SBA Interim final rule). Updated PPP Lender forms, guidance, and resources are available at www.sba.gov/ppp and www.treasury.gov/cares.

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      The Real Estate Roundtable Suspends Political Support to Members of Congress Who Objected to Electoral College Certification

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      The Real Estate Roundtable announced on Tuesday that it “will suspend all political contributions to Members of Congress whose votes attempted to subvert the validly expressed will of the American people in selecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the nation’s next president and vice president.” (Roundtable statement, Jan. 12)

      • The Jan. 12 statement continued, “In the time since this armed insurrection, we have become even more appalled and our anger is amplified by the dismissive reaction of many of our national leaders, beginning with the votes cast by a band of Senators and Representatives who continue to fuel baseless claims of election fraud by refusing to certify the clear results of last November’s election.”
      • The Roundtable’s statement suspending political support follows its denunciation last week of the January 6 attack on the Capitol and its commitment to “support[ ] efforts to bring about more measured tone and civility in policy debates at all levels of government, and policy actions that are balanced and sustainable.”
      • In the Jan. 8 statement, Real Estate Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer also noted, “We will continue to work with policymakers representing the full spectrum of political views. However, we do not intend to help advance initiatives proposed by policy makers uninterested in seeking bipartisan consensus.” (Roundtable Weekly, Jan. 8) 
      • GlobeSt reported on The Roundtable’s suspension of certain political contributions, noting that “the industry—as well as the larger business community—has not only voiced disgust with what happened but backed those sentiments with hard actions.”
      • CoStar reported, “While Trump’s business is now a focus of the fallout, the politically focused repercussions are still coming. The Washington., D.C.-based Real Estate Roundtable, commercial real estate’s most prominent national lobbying group, suspended all political contributions to members of Congress” who objected to certifying the vote of the Electoral College.

      Industry and Private Sector Response

      • According to The Real Deal, (TRD) Nareit stated, “As a result of these recent events… Nareit’s political action committee, REITPAC, will immediately suspend political contributions to all members of Congress who voted to deny certification of electoral votes cast by the Electoral College.”
      • TRD also reported that the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) stated it has paused all PAC disbursements, not only those connected with legislators who objected to the electoral votes and that NMHC added, “We will undertake a thorough review of our strategy for the 117th Congress.”
      • The Mortgage Bankers Association told the publication, “MBA has decided to pause disbursements from its political action committee, MORPAC, and will undertake a careful review with our member leadership of our giving strategies for the 117th Congress.” (The Real Deal, Jan. 15)
      • International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) CEO Tom McGee announced on Jan. 11 that the organization will be “suspending all ICSC PAC donations for the next three months.” McGee stated that “during this historically challenging period…the focus of politicians should be on governing and uniting our nation, not campaigning and raising money.”
      • The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) on Jan. 6 stated, “We urge for calm and fully support the U.S. Capitol Police and the National Guard to restore safety to the city of Washington, D.C.”  On Jan, 12, The Hill reported that NAR “paused its federal political disbursements and will monitor events in Washington in the days and weeks ahead.”
      • Cushman & Wakefield told The Washington Post this week, “Cushman & Wakefield has made the decision to no longer do business with The Trump Organization.”
      • Axios (Jan. 14) summarized the corporations that have “cut off political donations after the Capitol siege – including Marriott International, which will “pause donations ‘to those who voted against certification of the election.’”

      The repercussions of the political transition and the industry’s 2021 policy agenda will be a focus of discussion during The Roundtable’s Jan. 26-27 State of the Industry Meeting (virtual attendance).

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      House Ways and Means Democrats Release Legislative Framework, Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden Will Pursue Capital Gains Changes

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      Congressional tax-writing committees this week began unveiling their agendas for the 117th Congress, with Democrats poised to control the majority in the both House and Senate. [Photo: Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), left, and House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA), right]

      • In the House, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) on Jan. 11 released a 14-page legislative framework describes an agenda to address health and economic inequities in the United States, particularly those rooted in racial disparities. (Ways & Means news release, Jan 11)
      • The framework, entitled “A Bold Vision for a Legislative Path Toward Health and Economic Equity,” lays out the pillars and policy priorities that will steer the committee’s work in the new Congress.  The economic proposals focus on economic justice for workers, economic justice for children and families, retirement security, investment in communities, and environmental justice.
      • The committee’s staff report, “Something Must Change: Inequities in U.S. Policy and Society,” provides key context about committee members’ legislative priorities.
      • Specific proposals in the legislative framework include increasing the supply of affordable housing through the low-income housing tax credit; providing enhanced bond incentives to state and local governments to address environmental stressors; and expanding tax credits for families with children, child care expenses, higher education costs, and more.  
      • Chairman Neal writes in his foreword, “The framework we present here is Ways and Means Committee Democrats’ plan to make our nation a more just and equitable place. Some actions we can pursue almost immediately. Other advancements may take longer to become law. But inaction is not an option. Complacency cannot be tolerated.”

      Senate Finance Committee

      In the Senate, incoming Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) outlined his tax agenda during a Jan. 13 call with reporters, including plans to move forward with an increase in the corporate tax rate and major changes in the taxation of individual capital gains.

      • Wyden presented and released a detailed white paper outlining his plan to reform the taxation of capital gains in September, 2019.  (News Conference Video, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Sept. 12, 2019)
      • His proposal, entitled “Treat Wealth Like Wages,” would raise the top tax rate on capital gains (currently 20%) and create parity with the tax rate on wages and other ordinary income.  In addition, his plan would impose annual mark-to-market taxation of capital assets for taxpayers above certain income thresholds.  Both proposals represent dramatic departures from existing tax law. 
      • During this week’s press call, Wyden said, “If you are a nurse in America taking care of COVID patients, you don’t get to defer paying your taxes. If you’re a billionaire, you can defer, defer and defer some more and then pretty much never pay any taxes at all.” 
      • A mark-to-mark system would require taxpayers to pay tax on the annual appreciation of capital assets – regardless of whether the property has been sold and cash is available to pay the levy – or impose a “look-back charge” on illiquid assets when a sale occurs or certain revaluation events take place. It could greatly diminish the incentive to start a busines or invest in any asset with a long, productive life. Such a dramatic change in the basic rules for how capital is taxed could have severe unintended consequences for future economic growth and job creation. ( Roundtable Weekly, Sept. 13, 2019)
      • Wyden added he would also pursue raising the current 21% corporate tax rate and change the tax treatment of carried interest.
      • Any tax changes in the Senate will have to advance through a 50-50 chamber. How committees will work through their arrangements and procedures has yet to be determined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) 
      • More details related to Senate and House leadership positions and their respective committees can be found on JDSupra’s “Welcome to the 117th Congress” (Jan. 8).

      Sen. Ron Wyden is scheduled to speak with Roundtable members at the organiation’s upcoming State of the Industry business meeting on Jan. 26. Additionally, The Roundtable’s Tax Policy Advisory Committee meeting will address the 117th Congress’ tax agenda on Jan. 27 (all virtual).

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      The Real Estate Roundtable Suspends Political Support to Those Who Objected to Electoral College Certification

      Posted on by Trey Jackson

      All Members of Congress are Urged to Put Country Before Party in Coming Votes

      The Real Estate Roundtable last week strongly denounced the planning, acquiescence, and participation in the baseless January 6th attacks on the Capitol and our Republic itself. The images of rioters defiling the Capitol, putting members of Congress and their staff at grave risk of harm, and resulting in the deaths of five people, shock the conscience.

      In the time since this armed insurrection, we have become even more appalled and our anger is amplified by the dismissive reaction of many of our national leaders, beginning with the votes cast by a band of Senators and Representatives who continue to fuel baseless claims of election fraud by refusing to certify the clear results of last November’s election.

      In response, The Real Estate Roundtable will suspend all political contributions to Members of Congress whose votes attempted to subvert the validly expressed will of the American people in selecting Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as the nation’s next president and vice president.

      The Roundtable firmly backs the Senators and Representatives who put country before party and fulfilled their oaths to uphold the Constitution by certifying the Biden-Harris victory.  Furthermore, we implore congressional leadership to allow the members in their caucuses to freely vote their conscience in how to deal with the current president during his waning days in office.

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