AIA Urges Action on Items to Improve Economy and Help Rebuilding

Washington, D.C. – January 28, 2014 – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) today issued the following statement on President Obama’s State of the Union address. Please attribute to AIA CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA:

The President’s focus on economic mobility is timely, considering that the architecture profession is still struggling to recover from the Great Recession. That’s why we are encouraged to hear the President talk about energy and college affordability in such an explicit way.

Among the AIA’s top legislative priorities is reinstating an expired 179D tax deduction that helps make commercial and federal buildings more energy efficient. We are also working for passage of the National Design Services Act, which will grant architecture school graduates the same status as medical and law schools graduates whose college loan debt is at least partially forgiven in return for donating time to their communities.  

We urge the White House and Congress to make such initiatives a top priority in this session of Congress, and to adopt the AIA’s list of legislative priorities (link) as a way to ignite the construction economy by spurring much needed improvements in energy efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency, and create jobs for small business.

Congress and the President need to do more than sit together; they need to work together in 2014 to help our economy rebuild.”

You can learn more about the AIA’s key legislative priorities here:
http://www.aia.org/press/AIAB101272

About the American Institute of Architects

For over 150 years, members of the American Institute of Architects have worked with each other and their communities to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings and cityscapes. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct to ensure the highest standards in professional practice. Embracing their responsibility to serve society, AIA members engage civic and government leaders and the public in helping find needed solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation and world. Visit  www.aia.org. 


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