As REALTORS® continue to fight for the rights of homeowners, every Illinois REALTORS® member who responds to the National Association of REALTORS®’ tax reform Call for Action (CFA) helps the effort.
On Tuesday morning, 32.86 percent of Illinois REALTORS® had responded to the mid-October CFA that asked Congress to protect middle class homeowners while reforming our nation’s tax code. That is the highest percentage of Illinois REALTORS® to ever participate in a CFA, and the percentage will continue to go up until both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate reach an agreement about proposed legislation. The House advanced its own plan on Nov. 16, and the Senate continues to work on its own plan.
“Our response has been awesome,” says Neil Malone, Illinois REALTORS® Manager of Grassroots and Political Programs. “In all but one of our local associations, we had at least 20 percent of the members respond to the CFA. We are making sure that our elected officials in Washington, D.C. understand what a bad deal the current proposal will be for homeowners, especially middle-class homeowners in Illinois.”
Of course, the CFA is not the only way REALTORS® are hoping to influence legislation. On Nov. 15, REALTORS® from around the country flew in to Washington, D.C. and met with members of Congress and voice their concerns. On Nov. 16, following the House vote on its plan, NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall vowed to work with the Senate to defeat “an all-out assault on homeownership.”
On Nov. 14, Illinois REALTORS® past president Mike Drews met with U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren in Washington to voice concerns. REALTORS® are not against tax reform, but are concerned about protecting the Mortgage Interest Deduction and deductions for state and local taxes.