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Bringing Housing Home

The NAHB Defender of Housing Award recognizes courageous federal legislators
who have demonstrated strong support for housing and NAHB positions on key
issues facing the industry. The award, fashioned in the likeness of a traditional house
key, is awarded biannually.

The Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) nominated three of our
Congressional delegates and the Texas Association of Builders nominated both of
our United States Senators. We are pleased to announce that Congressman Lloyd
Doggett, Congressman Will Hurd and Congressman Lamar Smith will be receiving
2018 Defender of Housing Awards along with Senator John Cornyn and Senator
Ted Cruz.
Bryan Smith GSABA will host the Legislative Conference Bringing Housing Home Monday, April 30
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President
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through Friday, May 4 to recognize the contributions our legislators have made in
support of home building, development, and our community. We are in the process of scheduling appointments now
with each of our Congressmen and will email you additional details when they are available. Most of the face-to-face
meetings will be held at the Association or at the Congressman’s in district office.

At the top of the priority list is Federal Regulatory Reform. The NAHB Leadership Team in conjunction with our State
Association and local members have worked very hard this past year to make our voices heard, and President Trump
has made regulatory reform one of his top priorities. In addition to issuing statements of support for several of the
pending regulatory reform bills, he has taken several steps to facilitate change.
First, Trump placed a regulatory freeze on all regulations that were passed during the last months of the Obama
Administration. This freeze is meant to give Trump Administration cabinet appointees time to consider new and pending
rules before they become effective.
Second, he issued Presidential Executive Order 13771 on Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs,
which directs each federal agency to repeal two existing regulations for every new rule issued and to offset any new
compliance costs by reducing others so that the net cost is no more than zero.
Most recently, President Trump issued Executive Order 13777 on Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda. This EO
outlines the steps each agency must take to evaluate its existing regulations and identify those that could be eliminated
or revised to reduce existing regulatory burdens.
EO 13777 also calls for agencies to conduct retrospective reviews of their existing regulations. Steps include designating
a Regulatory Reform Officer and establishing a Regulatory Reform Task Force. Importantly, the EO includes a reporting
mechanism and directs the agencies to seek input from regulated entities.
NAHB has submitted its recommendations to the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Housing and Urban
Development, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Commerce (National Marine Fisheries
Service), Department of Justice, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Army Corps of Engineers. We will soon provide suggestions
to the Department of Labor, Department of Energy, Occupational Safety and Health Administration and others once
their notices are published.

There are several other pressing issues that we must get involved with to include the Canadian Softwood Lumber
tariffs, the adoption of the new codes, flood insurance, the ongoing labor shortage, workforce development and the
crystalline silica rule.

I invite you to get involved in these issues that affect each of us. I look forward to seeing you at our next event and
personally invite you to participate in Bringing Housing Home.
Regards,

6 APRIL 2018 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION