Michelle Bowman: “I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership, and I thank her for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am telling America, the rent is…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for her leadership, and I thank her for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am telling America, the rent is too damn high. I repeat, the rent is too damn high. It remains too damn high for the majority of Americans. We believe very strongly that housing is a human right. Every single person in our country should have access to affordable housing--housing that is truly affordable. If you work full time in our country, you should be able to afford clean, respectful, dignified, adequate housing. No American should spend more than 20 percent of their salary toward rent and/or mortgages. In my district, you have people paying 30, 40, 50, 60, even 70 percent of their salaries toward rent. How can you afford transportation? How can you afford childcare? How can you afford education or to get your child tutoring or to take additional courses for yourself? How can you afford to put your child in martial arts or science or arts or music programs when the majority of your money is going toward rent? In Westchester County where the majority of my district resides, you need to make $40 an hour to afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. That means you will be working 2.6 minimum wage jobs, and you will not have discretionary income. You will not have an exemplary quality of life, which should be the goal of this Congress; to make sure that everyone in our country has their basic needs met, beginning with housing.…”