Congress this week extended government funding until Dec. 18 to avert a government shutdown and give bipartisan negotiators more time to finalize a pandemic relief bill, which remains at an impasse over business liability and state and local government aid provisions. President Trump is expected to approve the one-week spending bill before current funding expires tomorrow. (CNBC, Dec. 11)
Pelosi yesterday suggested that discussions over the emergency legislation could now stretch beyond the holiday season. “If we need more time, then we take more time. But we have to have a bill and we cannot go home without it,” Pelosi said. “I would hope that it would honor the December 18th deadline ... We’ve been here after Christmas, you know.” (Business Insider, Dec. 10)
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New legislation introduced this week by House Ways and Means Committee members Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Tom Rice (R-SC) would accelerate depreciation for high performance upgrades in commercial and multifamily buildings – creating new jobs in the construction, design, and energy sectors; boosting equipment manufacturing; and reducing the built environment’s carbon footprint. (Rep. Schneider news release, Dec. 9)
E-QUIP Analysis
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released research this week estimating the E-QUIP Act’s economic and environmental impacts would include:
The E-QUIP Act will be discussed in greater detail at the “virtual” meetings of The Roundtable’s Tax Policy Advisory Committee (TPAC) and Sustainability Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) on Jan. 27.
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The prominent policy news publication The Hill this week recognized Real Estate Roundtable President and CEO Jeffrey DeBoer as one of the Top Lobbyists in Washington, DC. This is the third consecutive year that DeBoer has been recognized in the annual list. (The Hill, Dec. 10)
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