Author: become-american
Understanding the Audience: Senator Leahy | EB-5 Updates

Understanding the Audience: Senator Leahy | EB-5 Updates

November 3, 2021 16 Comments

The FY2022 Appropriations Act is the nearest-term hope as a vehicle for regional center program authorization, and I hear that all sides are committed to grasping that opportunity. (The appropriations act is due by December 3, 2021, and could well be delayed by Congressional fights unrelated to EB-5. But I’m relieved to hear that EB-5 negotiators are not counting on delay, but still hustling to be ready to catch the opportunity as soon as it could possibly come.) The appropriations opportunity focuses attention on Senator Leahy, who has a gatekeeper position as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. What are Senator Leahy’s interests and motivations when it comes to EB-5 legislation?

Senator Leahy is a long-time regional center program champion. His website celebrated in 2013 “Senator Leahy was the driving force behind every reauthorization since enactment.” He is also passionate about program integrity and reform, and long instrumental in EB-5 legislative efforts. The successes and difficulties of Vermont Regional Center have colored his efforts. Over the decades, Senator Leahy has published thousands of words about his EB-5 interests. I’m sharing below notes that I made when reading articles tagged with the “EB-5” category at leahy.senate.gov. I hope that reviewing Senator Leahy’s perspective can help shape advocacy that’s responsive to his priorities.

Senator Leahy’s EB-5 perspective as expressed in articles posted at leahy.senate.gov

Regional center program authorization

  • Committed supporter of long-term regional center program authorization with reforms
  • 7/22/2009: For years this program has been reauthorized on a temporary basis.   Currently, it is set to expire at the end of September.  Making this program permanent is a critical first step to its continuing success.  …I also remain committed to considering changes to improve the overall program. … I hope that this hearing will initiate a dialogue about how Congress, the agency and stakeholders can work together to ensure that the goals of job creation and security can be met, and at the same time make the program as effective and efficient as we can for those who are developing projects in communities around the country.  I strongly believe this program has the potential to grow as a meaningful source of positive economic development around the United States.”
  • 9/28/2012: “I appreciate the President’s support for this bill and the support we have drawn from both sides of the aisle.  The president’s signature on this bill is one more step toward my goal of a permanent charter for the EB-5 program, along with additional measures to give U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) the tools it needs to keep this program a strong, secure and vital part of our economy.”
  • 12/4/2015: “The Regional Center should be reauthorized, but only if reformed.  There is now bipartisan consensus around these reforms, and we cannot squander this opportunity.”
  • 12/08/2016: “I believe we can still fix EB-5. But I cannot support simply extending it, yet again. While I do not come to this decision lightly, I cannot support a continuing resolution that leaves these flaws in place. The time has come to reform EB-5, or to end it.”
  • 01/12/2017: “I remain committed to protecting investors and rooting out the rampant fraud within the program.  If we cannot take these critical steps, I believe the time has come for the program to end.”
  • 9/25/2019: “We are hopeful that Congress will finally take decisive action to address the fraud and other vulnerabilities that have come to define this program.”
  • 6/25/2021: “Now that our bill has been blocked, the EB-5 visa program is unfortunately going to lapse in the days ahead and have untold economic consequences throughout the communities that rely on the program for development projects.  I remain committed to reforming the EB-5 program should there be another opportunity to do so.”

Integrity Measures

TEA Incentives

Investment amounts

Visa Relief

Industry Prejudices

This history can be a resource for people speaking with Senator Leahy today. Assuming industry can’t all to agree to just ask Leahy to attach Leahy’s own proposed EB-5 reform bill to FY2022 appropriations (of if only!), let’s at least carefully frame the alternative proposed EB-5 legislation in Leahy’s terms. Show him how any alternate TEA provisions and integrity measures still check his priorities for distressed and rural areas, accountability, and transparency. Identify and preemptively concede any proposed language that projects the opposite message. Discuss the integrity measures that likely mean much to Leahy in light of the Vermont RC case: fund administration, investor reporting, and regional center audits (previously not included in the industry bill). In choosing the advocacy approach, be cautious to navigate Leahy’s unfortunate image of parts of the industry. Speak to his goals, commitments, and existing knowledge. I trust that negotiators are being smart and strategic, and thinking in terms of audience. We can maximize the FY2022 appropriations chance by presenting language that makes Appropriations Chair Leahy able to respond “yes, this is something I want to help advance because it addresses my priorities and will help to protect my legacy in EB-5 and my reputation in Vermont.”

Share this:

This content was originally published here.

Add Comment


* All fields are mandatory.

Todavía no hay comentarios en esta publicación.

Facebook BAI Capital button Instagram BAI Capital button Linkedin BAI Capital button