Heidi Heitkamp

If we are going to see communities recover, we need to make sure that there is a possibility of recovery in a way that is maybe more humane than what we have had before.

We were pretty insistent that a provision needed to be placed that would prohibit SBA from collateralizing someone's home because then literally their whole life is at risk.

One of the criticisms that I frequently hear, especially of the SBA programs, is the criticism that you have--it seems like there is one hand taking, or one hand extended while the other hand is taking.

I think it is interesting when you look around this podium here to see that there is not a state that is not impacted by disaster.

We need to do a better job selling the Cooperstowns and the Walhallas, and there are some great recreational opportunities.

I think we are failing miserably because we created a presumption that without a four-year degree, you will be an economic failure, which is absolutely not true.

We think that is a real growth model.

We are now working on an amendment that would correct and include those who were left behind in that effort.

Housing is absolutely critical.

For me, a lot of this lies in maximizing the availability of federal resources, maximizing the knowledge of federal resources and where we come talk to Penny Pritzker, talk to anyone that I can, Maria Contreras-Sweet, about rural…

I think it is, not to belabor the point too much, but we are going to continue to ask these questions about consolidation and coordination, better coordination of these programs, especially in rural communities, where we have not done as…

I will tell you, in visiting, people feel like these programs are disjointed, that all of a sudden, they will hear something from SBA that they had not.

My great concern is that we will end up, even in states like North Dakota, being a place where people will only find opportunity in cities over 50,000, 60,000 people.

85 percent of our country's persistent poverty counties are in rural America. Poverty is not just an urban issue.

I do not think there is any doubt that USDA Rural Development is one of our country's greatest success stories.

I often say this, and I think it is true, with the exception of my partner on this subcommittee, we wake up every morning thinking about rural America.

Can I just make a point that, Mr. Cooper, there is a whole range of decisions agencies make.

I think that the biggest problem that we have is the lack of political courage and political will to make the tough decisions.

It should be the entity, the branch of government that is being infringed upon, which is the U.S. Congress.

This is not about partisan politics. This is about the balance of authority and power.

Congress is not doing its job under delegation.

I think at some point here they are going to have to revisit Chevron and either make the modification or the clarifications that give the message that this is not unfettered discretion.

As I have said before, the legislative branch needs to do a better job when we write laws.

It is Congress who is politically accountable to the people, and if they do not like what Chairman Lankford or Ranking Member Heitkamp have done, they can call them home and do something about it.

But, I want to confirm what Mr. Dourado said about Canada.