Home Builders Congratulate President Obama on Re-Election to a Second Term
WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 - Barry Rutenberg, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., issued the following statement on Tuesday's national elections:
"The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) congratulates President Obama on winning a second term as President of the United States of America and all the lawmakers who were elected to the 113th Congress.
"In the closing weeks of the 112th Congress, NAHB urges President Obama and congressional leaders to work together to resolve issues related to the 'fiscal cliff' by extending all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts while being mindful of how broad-based tax reform will affect the fledgling housing recovery. Any effort to engage in tax reform should be done in a careful and deliberate manner and demands the proper vetting by Congress and all relevant stakeholders. There should be no rush to judgment on an issue that will affect virtually every American citizen.
"Moreover, when the new Congress convenes in January, NAHB looks forward to working in a bipartisan manner with the Administration and with Republican and Democratic leaders to tackle critical issues facing the housing industry.
"Making sure creditworthy consumers and small businesses can get mortgages and loans, tackling housing finance reform in a responsible manner and resolving the foreclosure crisis are vital to spur job growth and strengthen the housing and economic recovery."
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ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 140,000 members involved in remodeling, home building, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB's builder members will construct about 80 percent of the new housing units projected for this year.
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Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Congress. Show all posts
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Builders Urge Congress to Improve Lacey Act to Protect Consumers, Businesses
Builders Urge Congress to Improve Lacey Act to Protect Consumers, Businesses
WASHINGTON, May 8 - The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on Congress to amend the Lacey Act so that individuals and businesses that unknowingly purchase illegal wood products from overseas do not have their property seized and are not exposed to civil and criminal liability.
Testifying before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs, Barry Rutenberg, chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that NAHB supports the goals of the Lacey Act and the prevention of trade in illegally harvested plant and wood products.
"Unequivocally, we do not support illegal logging in any place at any time," he said. "However, honest business owners, including home builders who exercise due care and had no knowledge that a seized product contains illegal wood, should have the right to seek the return of those goods."
Under the current statute, innocent companies are left without legal standing to challenge a government taking in court. As a result, both builders and consumers who buy products that encompass the entire supply chain dealing with imported wood products (lumber, cabinets, guitars, etc.) are held personally liable to certify that the timber product did not come from plant material that was taken, transported, possessed or sold in violation of any foreign law.
"Builders have no way of knowing the origin of a particular piece of lumber, a component of a cabinet, a closet door or crown molding," said Rutenberg. "The sheer number of different sources of wood that could be included in the finished home makes it nearly impossible for a builder or remodeler to know with certainty where and under what circumstances the individual components were sourced."
With this in mind, NAHB is urging Congress to amend the Lacey Act to include reaffirmation of civil forfeiture law so that innocent consumers and businesses would have the opportunity to seek the return of their property in court if it was seized as a result of any enforcement actions under the Lacey Act.
NAHB also commends Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) for his efforts to propose much needed reforms to the Lacey Act while at the same time seeking to improve and protect the integrity of the law.
H.R. 3210, the Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness Act, or "Relief Act," recognizes the essential need to hold harmless those who unknowingly and without any culpability, are found to be in possession of products that run afoul of the Lacey Act.
"H.R. 3210 represents an important first step and we look forward to working with Rep. Cooper to improve the bill as it moves through the legislative process," said Rutenberg.
WASHINGTON, May 8 - The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today called on Congress to amend the Lacey Act so that individuals and businesses that unknowingly purchase illegal wood products from overseas do not have their property seized and are not exposed to civil and criminal liability.
Testifying before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs, Barry Rutenberg, chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that NAHB supports the goals of the Lacey Act and the prevention of trade in illegally harvested plant and wood products.
"Unequivocally, we do not support illegal logging in any place at any time," he said. "However, honest business owners, including home builders who exercise due care and had no knowledge that a seized product contains illegal wood, should have the right to seek the return of those goods."
Under the current statute, innocent companies are left without legal standing to challenge a government taking in court. As a result, both builders and consumers who buy products that encompass the entire supply chain dealing with imported wood products (lumber, cabinets, guitars, etc.) are held personally liable to certify that the timber product did not come from plant material that was taken, transported, possessed or sold in violation of any foreign law.
"Builders have no way of knowing the origin of a particular piece of lumber, a component of a cabinet, a closet door or crown molding," said Rutenberg. "The sheer number of different sources of wood that could be included in the finished home makes it nearly impossible for a builder or remodeler to know with certainty where and under what circumstances the individual components were sourced."
With this in mind, NAHB is urging Congress to amend the Lacey Act to include reaffirmation of civil forfeiture law so that innocent consumers and businesses would have the opportunity to seek the return of their property in court if it was seized as a result of any enforcement actions under the Lacey Act.
NAHB also commends Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) for his efforts to propose much needed reforms to the Lacey Act while at the same time seeking to improve and protect the integrity of the law.
H.R. 3210, the Retailers and Entertainers Lacey Implementation and Enforcement Fairness Act, or "Relief Act," recognizes the essential need to hold harmless those who unknowingly and without any culpability, are found to be in possession of products that run afoul of the Lacey Act.
"H.R. 3210 represents an important first step and we look forward to working with Rep. Cooper to improve the bill as it moves through the legislative process," said Rutenberg.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Statement From NAHB Chairman Bob Nielsen on Proposal to Raise Mortgage Fees to Pay for the Payroll Tax Extension
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12 - Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev., today issued the following statement on a congressional plan to raise fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and use them to help pay for an extension of this year's payroll tax cut through 2012:
"Congress is essentially proposing to raise taxes on millions of potential home buyers in order to pay for a payroll tax cut and other non-housing legislative initiatives. With the housing market struggling to regain its footing, such a short-sighted move would be extremely counterproductive and threaten the fragile economic recovery.
"The guarantee fees (g-fees) that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac charge lenders to protect against credit-related losses should not be used for purposes unrelated to the safety and soundness of the housing finance system.
"Just as we are beginning to see modest signs of improvement in scattered housing markets across the nation where employment is gaining and consumer confidence is rising, Congress is tampering with g-fees and needlessly raising the cost of buying a home. This will jeopardize the tenuous rebound and is the last thing this economy needs."
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