Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.) (left) chats with Preferred Apartment Communities’ John Isakson before taking the podium during the 2017 NMHC Fall Board of Directors and Advisory Committee Meeting.
On Tuesday, the NMHC officers, as well as a number of New York-based NMHC members, took time in the afternoon to head to the Hill for a meeting with Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The group’s discussion focused on the importance of tax reform to the industry, and a number of other issues such as National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) reauthorization and housing finance reform.
On Wednesday, Congressmen Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) and David Scott (D-Ga.) kicked off the day’s lawmaker meetings with a discussion with the Bozzuto Group’s Chief Administrative Officer Julie Smith, focusing on the priorities of minority caucuses for the remainder of the year and whether bipartisan cooperation can be accomplished to fulfill their goals.
Alan George with Equity Residential introduced Representative Jim Himes (D-Conn.) who discussed the importance of the multifamily industry to solving the nation’s housing crisis.
NMHC Chairman Bob DeWitt hosted a talk with Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Mel Watt, who discussed his thoughts on GSE reform and his body of work so far during his tenure.
NMHC Vice Chair Sue Ansel introduced House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) who focused on tax reform, GSE reform and the reauthorization of the NFIP during his remarks.Marcus & Millichap’s John Sebree then presented Congressman Erik Paulsen (R-Minn.), who provided a download on the process and timing of tax reform.
Trammell Crow’s Ken Valach introduced Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), the fourth-ranking member in the Senate Republican leadership and current chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee-a group that essentially acts as a think tank for the Senate Republican Caucus. Senator Barrasso explained to the audience that his college education was due in large part to the multifamily industry as his father had owned a small apartment building which Senator Barrasso had helped keep up with chores and other projects.
In what was one of the more notable discussions of the week, Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.), former CEO of Fortune 500 companies Reebok and Dollar General, addressed the group as fellow business leaders and noted the importance of hard results in legislation and less of a focus on process.
Wednesday was capped off with two keynote talks from Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.). Ryan noted the importance of tax reform to the nation’s economy and underscored his commitment to seeing a package passed into law this year.
On Thursday morning, Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, discussed a number of international challenges with the group and commented on his relationship with President Trump. Following the official close of the meeting, a group of NMHC officers and members, which included Sue Ansel, Tom Moran, Jim Schloemer and Alan Pollack, continued the week of legislative back-and-forth with additional meetings on Capitol Hill with key Senate Finance Committee members, Senators John Thune (R-S.D.), Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.).
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