A year ago, the real estate institute announced that it would not be attending a Trump administration-sponsored event in Washington, D.C. According to the institute, “the invitation was given for us to be a part of a program that was being run by the Trump transition team.”
It added that the invitation was “part of an ongoing partnership between the Institute and the Trump Organization.”
The institute, which has been at odds with Trump for years, has been one of the most vocal critics of the president and his administration, often citing the president’s repeated falsehoods.
The real estate industry has long complained that the administration is moving too slowly on environmental regulations, and the institute said that its participation was not intended to “promote a particular agenda.”
Now, however, the institute is joining with a number of other businesses, including the White House, to form a coalition to push for a “full repeal” of the landmark Waters of the United States rule, which prohibits polluters from dumping toxic chemicals on the waterway.
“Our hope is that the Trump team and the real-estate industry will work together on this issue, because we believe that this rule should be a top priority for the Trump Administration,” Michael Sivak, the president of the institute told the Washington Post.
Sivar said that the real estates group will also lobby for the repeal of the rule.
“We think the Trump campaign and White House would be wise to work together to repeal this rule,” he said.
“It is so important, and there is so much good that can come from it.”
Trump has previously made the Waters of US rule a priority, telling CNN that the federal government should repeal the rule because “there’s nothing in the law to say that this waterway is not safe.”
The White House did not respond to requests for comment.