Electoral College - The Electoral College is the institution that elects the President and Vice President of the United States every four years. Citizens of the United States do not directly elect the president or the vice president; instead, voters directly elect designated intermediaries called "electors." The Electoral College is made up of 538 electors. When voters go to the polls in November, they will be choosing which candidate receives their state's electors. The candidate who receives a majority of electoral votes (270) wins the Presidency. The number 538 is the sum of the nation's 435 Representatives, 100 Senators, and 3 electors given to the District of Columbia.

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FPC Roundtable Question: Please Answer

What would give you the most value at the FPC Roundtable during May Meetings? To vote, click on one of the links below. Please check your top two choices.

1. Interactive Activity where FPCs would assess various Hill meeting scenarios and work in groups to discuss and critique them.
2. Presidential and Congressional Election Outlook from an outside speaker/expert on how the election will affect Congress and the Real Estate industry.
3. Deeper Dive Presentation from an NAR expert in one policy issue.
4. Lessons Learned in the Field where a selection of veteran FPCs present their experiences working with their Members of Congress.
5. Jerry Giovaniello Presentation where NAR’s Chief Lobbyist, Jerry Giovaniello would discuss the NAR issues and give an overview of what to expect on Capitol Hill in the coming months.  

If you have questions about the above, please contact Victoria Givens at vgivens@realtors.org.

UPDATE: FPC Lobbyist Prep Salons  

Please note that there has been a time change to one of the lobbyist prep salons on. The meeting with NAR lobbyist Colin Allen will now take place from 9:30am-10:30am. Please remember to RSVP for your salon. We already have a GREAT attendance response and want to make sure our rooms will accommodate your interest.

As a reminder, this is your opportunity to network with other FPCs while getting personal time and training with your lobbyist. Your political directors will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have. These sessions will better prepare you for your day on Capitol Hill and ensure you have the best possible meeting with your Members of Congress. This opportunity is only being provided to FPCs and State Government Affairs Directors. No guests or extra team members will be allowed to participate.

Please see the schedule and map below to determine your lobbyist, find out what time your state meets on Tuesday, May 10th, then RSVP. All salons will take place in the Washington Hilton on Connecticut Avenue. Exact room names will be forthcoming closer to the date. If you have any questions, please contact Victoria Givens at VGivens@realtors.org or 202-383-1021.

Tuesday, May 10

Don’t Forget to Register for Mid-Year May Meetings

A number of FPCs have yet to register for the May conference in D.C., the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.

Register Today! 

This is also your opportunity to secure a room in the FPC Room Block if you so choose. In order to do so, you must go through the registration page and select the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel.

The Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel is next to the NAR building and directly across the street from the Hyatt where the FPC Lounge will be held on May 11^th and 12^th.  If you would prefer to stay at a hotel closer to the headquarter hotels or elsewhere, please select an option during the registration process that is more convenient for you. The deadline for any attendee to reserve housing through the NAR registration system is April 15.

How to Register: To register for the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, have your NRDS member ID handy, and click on the link below. If you have any issues clicking on the link, please copy and paste the full address into your browser.

https://registration.experientevent.com/ShowNAR161/

Visit the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo website for travel information and the event schedule to help plan your trip.

Important FPC meetings to keep in mind:

May 10
9:30 - 10:30 AM and 10:00 – 11:00 AM - FPC Lobbyist Prep Salons, Washington Hilton
2:00 - 3:20 PM - FPC Roundtable, Omni Shoreham

May 11
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM - FPC Reception, Omni Shoreham
12:00 PM – 5:00 PM - FPC VIP Lounge, Hyatt Capitol Hill

May 12
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM - FPC VIP Lounge, Hyatt Capitol Hill 

Webinar: What’s New? The Latest & Greatest from RPR

Please join us for a webinar on March 7th or March 17th to see the latest updates and benefits to the RPR Federal Economic Area Reports. These reports provide you as FPCs an outreach tool to use with your legislators that highlights demographic and economic trends within your congressional district or state. The reports focus on consumer metrics, economics trends and demographic changes, taking advantage of RPR’s wealth of neighborhood and demographic data to make insightful economic analyses accessible. Each FPC has an RPR account. As a reminder, the FPC login information for RPR is your email address and the default password is REALTOR (if you haven't changed it). You can always click on "forgot password" to reset it or call the Help Desk at 877-977-7576.

Please join RPR on the webinars next week if you’d like an update on how to use this tool and what it can do for you as an FPC.  

Register for the Webinar Here

Monday, March 7
3:00 PM ET • 2:00 PM CT • 12:00 PM PT

Thursday, March 17
1:00 PM ET • 12:00 PM CT • 10:00 AM PT

Webinar: Best Ways to Communicate to Congress: A Look at 10 Years of Data

Please join the Congressional Management Foundation for a webinar on March 15th at 1:00 PM EST on the best ways to communicate to Congress.  

Register for the Webinar Here

For the past 10 years, the Congressional Management Foundation has been tracking the opinions and practices related to constituent communications on Capitol Hill. Congressional staff answered identical questions in three surveys CMF conducted in the past decade. This webinar will show the latest survey from 2015, compare it to the 2005 and 2010 surveys, and look at how trends and perceptions have (or have not) changed in Congress. Learning objectives include:

• How successful communications have changed in the last decade (and how have they not)
• How social media has changed the legislator-citizen dynamic
• What staff consistently have said would be "helpful" to decision-making (yet see infrequently in constituent communications)

The webinar will be conducted by Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF, and James Vaughn, Special Consultant to CMF.

  Important 2016 President's Circle Reminder

President’s Circle launched its second round, consisting of twelve new targets, to President’s Circle members on February 19th. During this round, President’s Circle members may invest as little as $500 or up to the full $2,000 in any of the twelve REALTOR Champions targets. FPCs have the option of contributing $500 directly to the Member of Congress they serve as FPC.  The first $500 for President’s Circle is due by May 31st, 2016. Please contact Kelly O’Donnell if you would like to join President’s Circle.

  President Signs Internet Tax Ban

Last week, President Obama signed into law a trade and customs bill (H.R. 644) that includes a provision permanently banning state and local taxes on Internet access. The provision, known as the Internet Tax Freedom Act, has long been a priority for the NAR because the Internet has become such a vital tool for REALTORS® and for buyers and sellers of real estate.  Keeping the Internet free of state and local access taxes makes it much easier to utilize this important technology. You can read more on this issue HERE.

Private Flood Insurance Update

On March 2, the House Financial Services Committee voted 53-0 for the Flood Insurance Market Modernization Act (H.R. 2901). Sponsored by Reps. Dennis Ross (R-FL) and Patrick Murphy (D-FL), the bill encourages the development of private market options where property owners lack access to affordable coverage under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). NAR supported the bill and worked with the committee to secure important improvements regarding insurer financial solvency as well as retaining important consumer disclosures. Committee passage is an important first hurdle in the legislation process. Next, the House of Representatives must vote on the bill, then the Senate. NAR will continue to work to couple a stronger NFIP with a robust private market in order to offer flood insurance choices to consumers.

See NAR's Letter to the Committee HERE.

  SASB Issues New Lease Accounting Standards

This week, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released the final version of its updated lease accounting standards. The standards have been under revision for several years, and this week's document is the culmination of a great deal of work by the FASB and input by the business community. NAR has actively participated in the standards revision projects for several years working with several coalition partners from the banking and real estate community. Learn more about NAR's engagement on the issue. 

  Hearing on CRE Lending Regulations

Last week, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises held a hearing on "The Impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and Basel III on the Fixed Income Market and Securitizations." During the hearing, subcommittee members and witnesses discussed the effects that burdensome regulations for commercial real estate financing and lending institutions have on the economy. Read more about the hearing and see NAR’s letter to the Committee on the issue.

  CORRECTION: FPC Sherri Meadows Testifies on Veteran’s Housing

Last week we reported on FPC Sherri Meadows' testimony before Congress on REALTORS® long-term support for the VA home loan guaranty program. Sherri is the FPC for Florida Senator Bill Nelson, NOT Congressman Daniel Webster. We apologize for this oversight. You can read more about the hearing HERE and see a video of the proceedings HERE.

Electronic FPC Packets for NAR’s Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo 

 This year, your FPC packets will again be electronic, which means you will be able to download and print all of your information in advance. Your electronic packets will be available for download in late April/early May through the REALTOR® Action Center FPC page at www.realtoractioncenter/epacket2016. Your electronic packets will include the following:

• Talking Points
• NAR Congressional Map Report
• RPR Report
• Capitol Hill Map
• Do’s and Don’ts of Meeting with Members of Congress
• Helpful Tips
• Important meetings
• D.C. metro map
• Restaurants around town
• Contact Information for NAR Grassroots Team

You will receive your leave-behind material for your Capitol Hill meetings at the FPC Roundtable on May 10th, the Federal Issues Briefing on May 12th and pamphlets will also be available at the FPC Lounge. If you have any questions, please contact Victoria Givens at vgivens@realtors.org.

**FPC Weekly Newsletters are now online!