Real Estate Roundtable members on Oct. 5 engaged national lawmakers on compelling policy issues impacting commercial real estate, economic growth and job creation – including tax revenue proposals in the infrastructure reconciliation bill, the debt ceiling, housing, climate change and cybersecurity legislation – during The Roundtable’s 2021 Fall Meeting.

Urgent Policy Issues

• Roundtable Chair John Fish (Chairman and CEO, Suffolk), right, and Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer, left, launched the meeting and led discussions with members of Congress, including:
  
  
  • Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT)

    This discussion focused on colliding policy issues that have been front-and-center this week in Washington, including the debt ceiling and infrastructure. Sen. Romney was part of a small group of leading policymakers who negotiated the bipartisan “physical” infrastructure bill that passed the Senate in August. (Roundtable Weekly, Aug. 13)

  • Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)

    Sen. Warner noted his priorities in the areas of child care and workforce development. He also addressed the need for more affordable housing investment and cybersecurity reporting, described climate change as an “existential threat,” and discussed tax measures such as raising the top marginal rate on many pass-through owners.  

  • Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
    A discussion with Roundtable Chair Emeritus Randy Rowe (Chairman Green Courte Partners LLC) focused on Rep. Gottheimer’s crucial leadership role with congressional moderates as the Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, who are key to passage of the bipartisan “physical” infrastructure framework and the evolving “human” infrastructure bill. 

  • Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)
    Ways & Means Committee Ranking Member Brady discussed the menu of revenue options that Democrats are considering to pay for the “social infrastructure” reconciliation package. (Accounting Today and MSNBC, Oct. 6)

  • Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL)
    Rep. LaHood, a member of the Ways & Means Committee, provided his views on the numerous converging policy deadlines affecting the decision-making process on Capitol Hill through a video interview with DeBoer released ahead of Tuesday’s meeting.   

Interactive Town Hall

• Roundtable members also participated in an open-mic Town Hall session featuring four members of Congress who play leading roles on national tax, energy and housing issues. The dialogue covered a wide range of topics, including transit investment, EB-5, carried interest and capital gains, climate-related measures and energy-efficiency provisions related to greenhouse emissions.
  
  
• Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Peter Welch (D-VT) participated in the Town Hall.
  
  
• Videos of the discussions with policymakers are available to Roundtable members upon request. 

Policy Advisory Committees 

• Chairs of The Roundtable’s Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), Tax Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC) and Real Estate Capital Advisory Committee (RECPAC) provided updates of the organization’s policy priorities. (See The Roundtable’s Policy Issues Toolkit and Executive Summary) 
  
  
• Members of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I) Committee reported on Roundtable-supported research currently underway, exploring the creation of a potential online marketplace that would connect real estate companies with minority-and women business enterprises that might serve as contractors, suppliers, and venture partners in CRE’s “supply chain.” (ED&I Mission Statement) 

The policy committees will gather next during the all-member Roundtable State of the Industry meeting, scheduled for January 25-26, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Roundtable Meeting Calendar) 

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