Find a Contractor Buyer's Guide
MCAA Logo
Member Login JOIN
NEWS
Join Us For The 75th Anniversary Midyear Meeting Sep 7-11 ↗

What Does 2017 Have in Store?

Words: Stephen BorgI am typing this piece a mere four days before Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016: Election Day. I am reflecting on what a crazy year 2016 has been (as the Chicago Cubs’ World Series victory parade rolls by on the television screen!) and what might be turning up as we kick off 2017. By the time this piece is published and you are reading it, we will know who is going to be sworn into the U.S. presidency on Jan. 20, 2017, which party will be in control of the U.S. Senate in the 115th Congress, and who might be the Speaker of the House should current Speaker Paul Ryan resign (as some experts in Washington, D.C., now expect). We expect both parties to try early in 2017 to push many issues that will impact you and your businesses.All three of these answers will play a crucial role in shaping 2017.

While there remains a lot of uncertainty about what the future will hold in Washington, D.C., in early 2017, and while specific legislative language will of course be shaped by the party that holds the White House and the Senate, we expect both parties to try early in 2017 to push many issues that will impact you and your businesses. I wanted to take this time to briefly highlight three such issues that both parties have been discussing and which have been in the works for many months now.

Tax Reform

The issue of broad, bipartisan tax simplification and tax reform has been at the top of many people’s agenda for numerous years. Chatter from leaders of both parties has increased ever since 2014, when former Ways and Means Committee chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) released a draft outline of a major tax overhaul. Both major-party presidential candidates have released reform plans, and this issue may be the most likely to see broad bipartisan agreement between the White House and Congress.

Infrastructure Investment

Touching on the issue above, many people, including Hillary Clinton, have discussed using revenue from tax reform efforts to set up an investment fund that would be used to update our nation’s roads, bridges, airports and other major infrastructure projects. Major players in both parties agree that our nation’s infrastructure is in dire need of upgrading and that the federal government must take steps to ensure that the states are receiving funds to invest in these infrastructure projects.

IT Security

Over the past two years, there have been numerous attempts in Congress to craft bipartisan legislation dealing with IT security. While these efforts ultimately fell apart due to the struggle to find a compromise between business interests and security interests, we fully expect IT security and the protection of connected systems and personal information will remain a very important issue in Washington, D.C., as a result of a series of many high-profile hacking incidents in both the private and public sectors in recent years.

While it remains to be seen which, if any, of the above issues is actually acted on starting in January, one thing I am sure of is this: if 2017 is anything like 2016, we are in for quite a wild ride!
About: Legislative
 0
Using Respirators for Silica Exposure
July 2025

Some in the masonry industry have expressed interest in respirator use as protection from harmful exposure to silica. This topic is of paramount importance due to its impact on our workers and the serious health effects of silica exposure. For those new t

Zach Everett
Read More
From Bikes to Buildings: The Importance of Embracing Rainscreen Wall Designs and the New Building Codes.
July 2025

Have you ever been asked to do a project over the course of your lifetime? For example, when my kids were little, my wife asked me to assemble their bicycles. So, I opened the box, dumped out the contents, and cast aside whatever I thought was unnecessary

Keith Lolley
MAP Partner
Read More
Laying the Foundation for Growth: Concrete Masonry Checkoff Unveils Five-Year Vision for Industry
July 2025

The Concrete Masonry Checkoff (CMC) put the finishing touches on an ambitious five-year vision for the industry, targeting a 20% increase in market share, driven by increased demand for concrete masonry products. “This is about building exquisite, enduri

Industry News
Read More
Five of the Seven Chimneys Have Been Saved: Project Chimney Update
July 2025

In the wake of the devastating January wildfires that swept through Los Angeles's Pacific Palisades, a remarkable preservation effort is underway, spearheaded by Project Chimney, an initiative led by Evan Hall, founding director of the non-profit House Mu

Justin Stengel
Industry News
Read More