Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I would like to speak about two amendments, if I could. One is about basic civil rights and fair housing organizations and the other is about counseling and I would like to speak on both of them. Our Nation's fair housing organizations help enforce basic civil rights, something that has been important in this country for many years. They investigate housing discrimination and they educate tenants and homeowners of their rights. They fight the pernicious discrimination that targets and redlines low-income Americans in communities of color. Housing discrimination not only violates our laws, it is a barrier to economic mobility. That is why the Department of Housing and Human Development invests in the Fair Housing Initiative Program which supports fair housing groups across the country. They investigate mortgage lending fraud and predatory lending. They investigate foreclosure cases that force homeowners out of their homes--an endemic problem in the Presiding Officer's State of Maryland, my State of Ohio, and across the country--before facts and underlying rights are observed. Simply put, FHIP helps the very organizations that educate the public and enforce the laws that protect people from housing discrimination. The program is cost-effective, saving HUD money as it streamlines government resources to move more effectively and efficiently and investigate complaints.…”