May 23, 2025, 08:45
by
Hannah Jane Costilow
Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of public policy issues and headlines from around the Northern Virginia Region, the Commonwealth, and Capitol Hill.
by Danielle Finley, Associate Director of Political Engagement
Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines. In this Issue: 1. House Passes Tax Reform Package with Key Wins for Real Estate 2. House Passes Bill to Protect Veteran Access to Real Estate Representation 3. Northern Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly dies at 75 4. Virginia gubernatorial hopefuls share their housing ideas as commonwealth struggles with supply 5. Arlington Co. lawmakers to assess damage, develop plan to deal with federal workforce cuts.
By MICHAEL RAUBER, REALTOR® Magazine
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a long-anticipated tax reform package, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, early Thursday morning that included several major victories for members of the National Association of REALTORS®. NAR’s advocacy team successfully secured its top five tax priorities in the bill—provisions that directly support NAR members and the broader real estate economy.
By ELAYNE WEISS, Washington Report
On May 19, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 1815, the VA Home Loan Reform Act. The legislation aims to make permanent the VA's temporary policy allowing veterans to directly compensate their real estate agents, providing certainty and ensuring veterans can continue to participate in the housing market on equal footing with other homebuyers. The bill would also create a partial claims program to assist veterans who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments.
Gerry Connolly, a longtime Democratic member of Congress from Northern Virginia known for his advocacy of the federal workforce, died Wednesday. He was 75 years old. The longtime lawmaker’s death was announced by his family via a statement from his congressional office. “We were fortunate to share Gerry with Northern Virginia for nearly 40 years because that was his joy, his purpose, and his passion,” the family said in its statement. “His absence will leave a hole in our hearts, but we are proud that his life’s work will endure for future generations.” ... The former chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors represented a Virginia district that was heavy on government workers, and he never flagged in his support for them.
Virginia’s housing problems, like the nation’s, date back to the 2008 financial crisis. The influx of homes created a bubble that burst and saw foreclosures at record rates. Developers have been reluctant to ramp up home construction ever since. Only now is the U.S. starting to reach pre-2008 levels of new construction for privately owned housing. Virginia is smack dab in the middle of the national average for such new construction, according to real estate industry trackers Construction Coverage. Their lead data analyst Michael Stromberg said incentives to build lean towards new luxury homes.
One in five residents in Arlington County is directly employed by the federal government. County board members and the local delegation in the Virginia General Assembly are working together to assess the damage of recent federal cuts and develop strategies to weather the storm. “This is going to be a long-haul commitment for all of us,” said Arlington County Board member Maureen Coffey during a Monday work session with several local state senators and delegates.