On May 5, approximately 265 IREM and CCIM Institute members joined together to directly lobby their federal legislators in the 8th annual Capitol Hill Visit Day. Members representing 40 states and the District of Columbia participated in over 230 visits to the offices of their senators and representatives, voicing their concerns and seeking support from lawmakers on key issues facing the commercial real estate industry.
Issues that IREM members presented to lawmakers include carried interest, capital gains, leasehold improvements, credit union lending, accelerated depreciation, term extensions, and mortgage insurance.
Additionally, IREM and CCIM Institute members named US Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL) as Legislator of the Year. Representative Biggert has demonstrated her support of the real estate industry through a variety of legislative activities. This year, Rep. Biggert signed onto the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) letter, held a commercial roundtable meeting in her district, and is currently working on scheduling a commercial real estate field hearing in Chicago. Prior to being elected to Congress, Rep. Biggert served as a real estate attorney. She is currently a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and serves as the ranking member on the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee. Randy Woodbury, IREM president, and Frank Simpson, CCIM Institute president-elect, presented Rep. Biggert with the Legislator of the Year Award in appreciation of her support of the commercial real estate industry.
IREM legislative staff would like to thank everyone who participated in this year's Capitol Hill Visit Program. The program was enormously successful because of your efforts. Following the Hill visits, legislative staff has received a variety of requests from legislators and their staff for more information on the issues presented, as well as many offers to support our issues in future collaborations. Again, thank you to all who participated and contributed to the program's success.