Political Quotes

“I rise today to support the ``American Dream Downpayment Act.'' I thank Congresswoman Katherine Harris, Congressman Artur Davis, Congressman Mike Rogers and all the members of the Financial Services Committee for their hard work on this important bill. This legislation, which I am proud to have cosponsored, will help low and moderate income families purchase their first home. As Delaware's governor, I established a Housing Development Trust Fund that helped more than 5,400 low- to moderate-income families become homeowners. I am pleased to support this program which seeks to help more than 40,000 first-time, low-income families achieve their dream of homeownership. We can be proud of the historic levels of homeownership we have reached in this country, we must also recognize that the number of people who pay more than half of their income in housing is also rising. We need to make our existing government housing programs more efficient and expand them through responsible programs that will help our constituents realize their dreams of homeownership. Equity in a home is the primary asset held by most American families and the best mechanism that families have for wealth creation. I have maintained a longstanding commitment to affordable housing and expanding homeownership, this legislation is a positive step in furthering that goal.”