The Washington, DC policy news publication The Hill on Dec. 12 released its annual Top Lobbyists list, whioh includes The Real Estate Roundtable’s President and CEO, Jeffrey DeBoer.

• The list recognizes several Washington industry representatives for their 2019 advocacy efforts and recognizes “the people who wielded their clout and knowledge most effectively on behalf of their clients,” according to the publication.
  
  
• The Hill  list also notes, “The ranks of Washington’s policy experts and influencers run deep, but these are the players who stand out for delivering results for their clients in the halls of Congress and the administration.”
  
  
• The Roundtable’s DeBoer commented, “I am proud to work for an organization of industry leaders and with a staff of effective advocacy professionals who are all committed to a fact-based, non-partisan approach to economic growth policies – an approach that benefits the country, its communities and commercial real estate markets.  This recognition by The Hill is appreciated and is a compliment to all those who work with The Real Estate Roundtable.”
  
  
• DeBoer was also quoted Dec. 12 in Bisnow on “5 Policy Issues That Could Affect Commercial Real Estate In 2020.”
  
  
• During a whirlwind policy month in DC that saw the passage of a $1.4 trillion spending deal with many positive policies affecting CRE – and the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement – DeBoer participated in a discussion that addressed the USMCA and other national issues.
  
  
• On the USMCA, DeBoer noted, "If you're in the real estate business, you want the underlying economy to be as healthy as possible, and the lack of an agreement here had been a drag on overall economic activity in the country."  He added. "This agreement will both be a direct benefit in terms of the trading of materials that are used to construct assets, but also an indirect benefit because the underlying economy and businesses that trade goods will benefit from this."
  
  
• DeBoer also addressed the issue of affordable housing and GSE reform in the upcoming year.  He stated, "We want to see a positive debate where people talk about the real problems of housing availability in America, which has to do with the permitting process, the ability to develop dense properties, the ability to use the Section 8 and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit programs, and maybe those things should be expanded." DeBoer also said, “"GSE reform is not going to solve the housing problems, but it's going to be an aspect of housing reform in the country along with a variety of other things that need to be done."

These policy issues and others that will comprise The Roundtable’s 2020 National Policy Agenda will be discussed during the organization’s State of the Industry Meeting on Jan. 28-29 in Washington, DC.

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