Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 4302, the Homeless Assistance Act. Madam Speaker, homelessness is a very real problem across this country. In fact, more than half a million individuals are homeless on any given night in America. From cities like my own of Little Rock, Arkansas, to big metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco, State and local governments have been unable to address this devastating human crisis fully. Last year, the committee held several hearings on homelessness. Throughout our hearings, the committee explored some of the root causes of homelessness, including restrictive local zoning policies, the harsh and punitive treatment of individuals who have no other place to turn, and the counterproductive Federal mandates on shelter providers that will close, not open, doors to people who are truly in need. The bill we have before us today, H.R. 4302, is designed to help prevent high-risk, vulnerable populations from ever becoming homeless. The bill allows local public housing agencies to share data and coordinate with other State and local government agencies and their local partnering service providers. Madam Speaker, I enjoyed working with the majority on this, and I thank my friends for helping protect that private data.…”