"In the closing weeks of the 112th Congress, NAHB urges President Obama and congressional leaders to work together to resolve issues related to the 'fiscal cliff' by extending all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts while being mindful of how broad-based tax reform will affect the fledgling housing recovery,” said Barry Rutenberg, NAHB chairman and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla. “Any effort to engage in tax reform should be done in a careful and deliberate manner and demands the proper vetting by Congress and all relevant stakeholders. There should be no rush to judgment on an issue that will affect virtually every American citizen.

"Moreover, when the new Congress convenes in January, NAHB looks forward to working in a bipartisan manner with the administration and with Republican and Democratic leaders to tackle critical issues facing the housing industry: Making sure creditworthy consumers and small businesses can get mortgages and loans, tackling housing finance reform in a responsible manner and resolving the foreclosure crisis are vital to spur job growth and strengthen the housing and economic recovery," Rutenberg said.