Rick Lazio: “this is an important, it is not just important substantively but it is important in terms of process. For the first…”

“this is an important, it is not just important substantively but it is important in terms of process. For the first time, native Americans had input, had the ability to influence the process to reflect the values and the concerns that they had back in Indian country. When we had a hearing, and we have had several different meetings with leaders, including housing specialists from the Indian country, we invited people from Indian country and we invited native Americans in to hear their story, to understand what the concerns are, to understand how further progress was being blocked by a structure that was now clearly obsolete and out of date. This is an effort to move us forward. Mr. Chairman, it gives native Americans many of the same tools that have been so dramatic in terms of helping our Nation's communities. Most importantly the loan guarantee program that will allow, in some of the most rural areas of our Nation, where some of the worst housing conditions in our entire Nation are, the ability to leverage money and to have larger developments that are cost-effective and bring more hope and more opportunity to native Americans. I am very proud of this effort, and I ask for its support.”