Nearly 20 IIUSA Leadership Circle members returned to Washington, DC on May 19th for the association’s quarterly Capitol Hill fly-in, bringing the case for the EB-5 Regional Center Program directly to lawmakers. The day’s efforts were preceded by a IIUSA PAC dinner the evening of May 18th, where members had the opportunity to personally connect with Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL-26), a valued friend of the program.
A Strong Showing Across the Hill
The fly-in was organized into five teams: two covering the House, two covering the Senate, and one focused on leadership meetings, reflecting the breadth and strategic nature of IIUSA’s advocacy efforts. Across the full day, association Leaders met with the offices of 15 House members and 9 Senate offices and experienced meaningful engagement on both sides of the Capitol.
On the House side, Congressional leadership meetings included the office of Speaker Mike Johnson as well as:
- Katherine Clark (D-MA-05), Democratic Whip
- Lisa McClain (R-MI-06), Republican Conference Chair
- Tom Emmer (R-MN-06), Majority Whip
Key Messages
IIUSA Leaders pressed the urgency of two near-term priorities: addressing the grandfathering deadline before September 30th, and securing long-term reauthorization of the program.
A central focus of this quarter’s fly-in was outreach to members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. IIUSA highlighted a compelling fiscal case: the EB-5 program is projected to generate approximately $2 billion in tax revenue in 2026 from business and personal income taxes alone. That figure resonates across party lines with members who are attuned to economic impact. In the meetings, IIUSA shared fact sheets highlighting EB-5 projects in senators’/representatives’ state/district, personalizing the impact the program continues to make across the country.
A Universally Positive Reception
The reception from congressional offices was encouraging across the board. Members and staff demonstrated a clear understanding of the EB-5 program’s economic contributions and expressed no interest in seeing it go away. That baseline of goodwill is an important foundation as IIUSA continues to push for the program fixes and reauthorization the industry needs.
We are grateful to the IIUSA Leadership Circle members who made the trip to Washington and look forward to building on this momentum heading into the second half of 2026.
Not a member of IIUSA’s Leadership Circle? Join today to secure your seat at the table during our next fly in and Leadership Summit Sept. 13-15!
