Chuck Schumer: “I thank her for always being on top of things. In any case, a mortgage counselor could easily do the job in so many…”

“I thank her for always being on top of things. In any case, a mortgage counselor could easily do the job in so many cases, but there are none around. Foreclosure counselors are skilled and work. There are groups throughout the country that do this and do it well, with very little waste and much dedication. That is why Senators Casey, Brown, and I went to Senator Murray and asked her to put this in the omnibus bill. That is why she did it, and that is why Senators Bond and Dodd added additional money in an amendment. We need these people. I wish to tell a story. I have told it before on this floor, but I want to make sure people hear about it. It shows the need for counselors. It is about Frank Ruggiero, a homeowner from Ozone Park in Queens. Frank is a retired subway motorman. He had a pension of $28,000 a year, Social Security of $11,000 a year--$39,000 income a year. He lived in his nice little brick house with a mortgage of $1,100 a month or about $12,000 a year and happily paid the mortgage for 16 years of the 30-year mortgage. Then Frank got diabetes. He needed $50,000 for some kind of treatment that his medical plan would not pay for.”