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Happy New Year!
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Tax Extenders:Tax extenders are a mix of generally narrow interest tax
expenditures (breaks) that are only authorized for a year or two. Over the
years, the package has grown to include more than 50 provisions ranging from benefits
for NASCAR track owners to tax breaks for alternative fuels and biodiesel. The
most recent tax extenders bill included the extension of a number of expired
tax provisions important to supporting homeowners and real estate investment.
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Dear ,
FPC 4th Quarter
Report 2015
Thank you for your dedication and solid performance
in the last quarter of 2015. We had 29 states reach 100% on their FPC field reports
including: AK,AR,AL,CO,CT,DC,FL,GA,GU,HI,IA,ID,MA,ME,MN,MS,MT,NC,ND,NE,OR,RI,SD,TX,UT,VA,VT,WA
and WI.
Overall we had 769 interactions
this quarter with 195 of
those meetings taking place in-person. Great work everyone.
As you are aware, we also had a
Call for Action on G-Fees and 100% of
you contacted your Member of Congress to convey our stance on the issue. We
were successful in protecting our industry from an undue burden in large part
due to your efforts. Kudos for a job well done. Please remember to file your field
reports after such actions, especially when you have a personal conversation or
exchange with your legislator above and beyond our CFA letters.
I always like to take a minute to
highlight a good field report. Thanks for FPC Hal Tillman for the below well thought out FPC report for
Congressman Gary Palmer.
“Why not end the year with a bang.
That is what we did at the Birmingham Association of Realtors on Wednesday
December 30, 2015. We hosted Congressman
Gary Palmer at the Realtor office with the purpose of giving him his RPAC
contribution. Seventeen Realtors from
different areas of the 6th congressional district were invited to attend the
presentation. To our surprise this
turned out to be a huge motivation for our local 2016 Realtor team. We took several pictures and asked the
Congressman specific questions about Washington life and the issues that will affect
real estate next year. He spoke to us
for more than an hour. Instead of asking
him questions about MID and 1031, we asked Congressman Palmer to think about
how changes in these two tax laws will affect homeowners, the people we hire to
repair our homes, the people who shop in our shopping centers and work in our
warehouses and office buildings. These
are the people who live and vote in his district. This event inspired our Realtors and I think
they have a better understanding of RPAC, and our governmental affairs. We will use this energy to raise more RPAC
contributions locally and obtain more success from our local Governmental
Affairs Committee in 2016. This was
grass roots at its best! The staff from
the Birmingham Realtors will be sending pictures of the event to NAR
today. Thank you for the opportunity to
serve NAR as well as our industry.”
2016 President’s Circle Has Launched!
President’s
Circle has launched its first round of targets for 2016 to President’s Circle
members. As a reminder, during this round, President’s Circle members may
invest $500 in one of the four national party committees in honor of any Member
of Congress. FPCs have the special option of contributing $500 directly to the
Member of Congress they serve as FPC. (An FPC must choose either a $500
contribution to their Member of Congress OR a National Party Committee – they
cannot do both.)
Webinar: Exclusive RPAC Training
for FPCs
Mark your calendars! On January 27th at 2pm EST, NAR will be
hosting a webinar for all FPCs to brush up on RPAC rules and regulations as we
head into 2016 and this new election season. Please make it a priority to participate.
Vice President of RPAC Disbursements and Political Programs, Scott
Reiter will lead the discussion and be accompanied by Maggie Fitzgerald and
Victoria Givens. Please watch your email for a special update that will include
a link to the webinar in the next couple of weeks.
CLICK
HERE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE WEBINAR
What You Need to Know About
Drones in 2016
What do you need to know as a
real estate professional about the use of drones going into 2016? In this NAR
Government Affairs VIDEO update,
you'll hear about the FAA's proposed rule on the commercial use of drones, the
333 waiver process, and the registration requirement for hobbyist drones. For
more information, please go to the NAR Drones web page
at http://www.realtor.org/topics/drones.
FHFA
Release GSE Scorecard
On Dec. 17, 2015, the Federal
Housing Finance Agency released its annual Scorecard for Fannie Mae and Freddie
Mac. The Scorecard acts as an agenda for the GSEs by setting specific
priorities for the two companies while in conservatorship. FHFA outlined
three strategic goals. To see them, click here.
Webinar: Know Before You Go:
the Pre Fly-in Checklist for Advocates
On Jan 21, 2016 at 1:00 PM EST, The Congressional
Management Foundation will host a webinar on best practices in being prepared
before a visit to Washington to meet with your legislator. This presentation will
walk participants through a step-by-step preparation for meeting with Congress
and their staff.So if you need a refresher, please feel free to register and dial
in.
The webinar will
include specifics such as:
- How to research your legislator
before a visit;
- Identifying and
mapping your “economic footprint” to demonstrate your impact in the community;
- Creating your own personal story connecting
your issue areas to public policy;
- A clear “to-do” list
prior to your meeting with elected officials.
This webinar is based
on exclusive and private surveys of congressional staff conducted by CMF,
available only to CMF's Partnership for a More Perfect Union.
An Election is Coming! Key Dates to Think About
If you are interested in a
comprehensive look at the 2016 election cycle calendar, below are some links to
the primary dates for each state, both presidential and congressional, along
with interesting charts and data on the money and polling for congressional /
senate elections.
Meritorious
Service Award Process and Deadline
We are now
accepting nominations for the 2015 Meritorious Service Award. The deadline for submissions is February 22, 2016. Each
year, NAR recognizes two outstanding Federal Political Coordinators for their
exceptional service to the National Association of REALTORS® with
this esteemed award. These recipients will be the best of the best of our
FPCs, those who truly believe in and advocate on behalf of the REALTOR®
Party. Recipients
meet a rigorous set of criteria that set them apart from other FPCs. To
see a list of criteria for the MSA award click
here.
The
Meritorious Service Award nomination form is NOW
ONLINE through the Realtor Action Center. For more information about the
MSA award and process, please contact Victoria Givens at vgivens@realtors.org.
FPC Spotlight
FPCs continued to impress this past quarter. Mr. Joe Rempson, FPC for North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis, was named REALTOR of the year for his local
board this year. Great job Joe! Meanwhile, the North Shore Barrington Association of REALTORS® (NSBAR) dedicated
its boardroom to the winner of its 2015 Distinguished
Service Award, Mrs. Marilyn D. Glazer, FPC to Rep. Janice Schakowsky (IL-9). Wonderful news Marilyn!
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Tips
of the Trade
Congressional Staff: Defined
Each member of Congress has staff to assist him/her during a term in office.
Offices are typically designed to be effective and efficient in meeting and
communicating their constituents’ needs.
Chief of Staff – The Chief of Staff reports directly to the
member of Congress, and usually is responsible for evaluating the political
outcome of various legislative proposals and constituent requests. He/she is
also usually in charge of overall office operations, including the assignment
of work and the supervision of key staff.
Legislative Director – The Legislative Director is usually
the staff person who monitors the legislative schedule and makes
recommendations regarding the pros and cons of particular issues. The Member of
Congress will usually seek his or her advice when voting on a bill.
Legislative Assistant -In most congressional offices there
are several Legislative Assistants whose responsibilities are assigned based on
particular expertise in specific areas. For example, depending on the
responsibilities and interests of the member, an office may include a different
Legislative Assistant for health issues, education issues, appropriations, etc.
Legislative Correspondents -
Legislative Correspondents are junior staffers, typically not directly
responsible for specific issue areas, who support Legislative Assistants and
have responsibility for constituent communications. These staffers are in
charge of writing back to constituents and managing the mail in a timely
manner.
Scheduler or Appointment/Personal Secretary – The Scheduler
is usually responsible for allocating a member’s time among the many demands
that arise from congressional responsibilities, staff requirements, and
constituent requests. He/she may also be responsible for making necessary
travel arrangements, arranging speaking dates, coordinating visits to the
district, etc.
Caseworker – The Caseworker is the staff member usually
assigned to help with constituent requests, typically focused on helping to
resolve problems constituents present in relation to federal agencies, e.g.,
Social Security and Medicare issues, veteran’s benefits, passports, etc. There
are often several Caseworkers in a congressional office.
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**FPC Weekly Newsletters are now online!
