NAHB Chairman Ed Brady and First Vice Chairman Granger MacDonald this week conducted two days of meetings with Democratic and Republican leaders in both chambers of Congress to urge lawmakers to pursue a strong national agenda for housing. The NAHB Senior Officers reiterated the importance of housing and homeownership to the economy and stressed that a vibrant housing market is necessary in order to maintain robust job and economic growth.

From left, NAHB Chairman Ed Brady, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy
and NAHB First VIce Chairman Granger MacDonald

On Capitol Hill, Brady and MacDonald met with several influential lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.); Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.); House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.); House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.); House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas); and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
 

Discussions focused on the need to enact policies that would provide a stable and affordable supply of credit for home buyers, home builders and rental housing and to reduce or eliminate unnecessary regulations to make homeownership more affordable for firefighters, teachers, police officers and other middle-class families. Lawmakers were also urged to address soaring health care costs by allowing the use of health reimbursement arrangements and to adopt sensible workforce development and immigration policy that will help our industry fill open jobs and boost our nation’s economy.
 

Amidst this presidential election year, when so much hangs in the balance for the housing industry, these meetings will help to lay the groundwork for a successful Bringing Housing Home™ NAHB Legislative Conference during the week of March 7-11 when our members will hold in-district meetings with their lawmakers.
 

Builders are encouraged to log on to BringingHousingHome.com now and register to attend the industry’s most important lobbying event of the year.
 

For more information on Bringing Housing Home, email Michael Persaud at NAHB or call him at 800-368-5242 x8542.