The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) sent a letter to Richard Neal, the chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, opposing a massive overhaul of the tax code which would generate over $2 trillion in additional tax revenue over the next 10 years that House Democrats within the Ways and Means Committee begin consideration for.

"While the legislation includes critical and much-needed affordable housing investments, this is far outweighed by trillions of dollars in job killing tax hikes—which risk broad harm to the still-fragile economy—along with direct and indirect cost increases on housing," NAHB EVP and Chief Lobbyist James Tobin wrote. 

These changes are being considered to fund part of the Democrats' ambitious Build Back Better plan, which focuses on what the White House refers to as “human infrastructure," NAHB pointed out. 

According to NAHB, the most concerning tax changes in the plan would:

"The vast majority of NAHB’s members are organized as pass-through businesses, and the collective effect of the proposed tax increases on our members is alarming," Tobin wrote.". . . Many of these tax hikes will inevitably be passed along to new home buyers and renters and will result in a reduction of home building activity at a time when greater supply is urgently needed. The committee should carefully consider how these tax hikes may exacerbate the ongoing housing affordability crisis facing the United States." 

NAHB said it is fully engaged with Congress and working to blunt or roll back these proposed tax increases. 

According to NAHB, if the Democrats remain unified, the procedural process being used by the Democrats allows them to move forward without Republican support, avoiding the filibuster in the Senate. 

This process has been used various times by both parties to enact many policy priorities, including by Republicans to enact tax reform in 2017 and Democrats to overhaul the health care system in 2010, NAHB pointed out.

NAHB also sent a letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.) and members of his committee expressing strong opposition to a provision in the Build Back Better Act that would exacerbate the current housing affordability crisis and limit energy choice to consumers as a result of aggressive energy efficiency requirements in model building energy codes.

Read NAHB’s letter to the House Ways and Means Committee.