HTC Action Alert: Senate Passes Infrastructure Legislation, Opportunity for HTC Emerges with Budget Reconciliation Process
The Senate passed two bills this week, representing the first critical steps in President Biden’s signature economic recovery initiative. With the razor-thin majority, President Biden and Democratic Senate leaders have worked these last few months to secure agreements for these measures in the Senate. Moderate Senate Republicans have agreed to a $1.2 trillion bill that contains $600 billion in new spending to fund roads, bridges, transit, and freight rail, as well as electric vehicle transit and other “hard” or tangible infrastructure priorities. The bill passed the Senate on a 69 to 30 vote.
The Senate also passed a $3.5 trillion budget “blueprint” on a 50 to 49 party-line vote that is anticipated to be the vehicle to fund Democratic community development, health care, and other “human” infrastructure priorities this fall.
What’s Next
The focus now turns to the House to continue the legislative process for these two bills. The House will return to Washington in two weeks to consider the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill, likely gaining support from House Democrats and Republicans.
Upon adopting the Senate’s budget resolution, House Democratic committee leaders will move forward with a more detailed $3.5 trillion budget bill, building upon the blueprint passed in the Senate. HTC advocates are requesting that Congress includes HTC-GO provisions in the legislation. Once passed by the House, these Democratic priorities will be sent to the Senate for a vote under budget reconciliation by a simple 51-vote majority, which cannot be subject to a Senate filibuster.
There is a tremendous opportunity to pass HTC enhancements in the budget reconciliation bill.
Take Action
All HTC Advocates should review the bill fact sheets below and ask their House Representative and Senators to cosponsor the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) bills (H.R. 2294/S. 2266). To see if your members of Congress have already cosponsored and to review the fact sheets go to:
- Send a message to your Representative and Senators through their website and select “tax” or “taxation” as the issue area, or call the offices of your Members of Congress during office hours
- Use these talking points as a guide during your discussion with your Member of Congress:
- Introduce yourself as a constituent
- “Now is the time to strengthen this proven incentive to address the slowdown in rehabilitation projects across the country, particularly smaller projects in our main street communities and downtowns.”
- “Would the [Representative/Senator] please cosponsor [House Bill H.R. 2294/Senate Bill] S. 2266-The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO)?” [If the legislator has already cosponsored the bill, thank them instead of making this request]
- Explain how enacting these provisions would benefit your community
- To Democratic Lawmakers: “These provisions were included and passed in the House Infrastructure bill (HR 2) in July 2020. Please look for opportunities to include these provisions in this fall’s human infrastructure priorities.”
- Please share with them either the House HTC-GO Fact Sheet or the Senate HTC-GO Fact Sheet as a link or attachment
- Look for opportunities to reiterate these advocacy messages in person while legislators are home for the August recess (please do this while following local health recommendations)
- Sign the petition from our partners at the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Resources
Thank you for your advocacy! Please share responses from House and Senate offices and gain assistance with your advocacy by emailing: