Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, today we will consider proposals to cut foreclosure prevention programs during one of the worst housing downturns in our Nation's history. A safe and affordable home is central to the American Dream and central to a strong neighborhood and a thriving economy. In Rhode Island, that dream has been fading because our State has been extremely hard hit by the national foreclosure crisis. Last year alone, there were more than 4,700 foreclosures in Rhode Island; and according to Housing Works Rhode Island, one in every 10 mortgaged homeowners was in foreclosure or serious delinquency by the end of last year. The fact of the matter is that we still face a serious housing crisis all across this country. Today, my friends on the other side of the aisle will cut mortgage relief and refinance programs that help the very homeowners who need them most. That will leave homeowners with no other choice than to turn to those who created these unfair and predatory mortgages that got us into this mess in the first place. At a time when our economy is beginning to recover, we should not be cutting from these programs because the housing sector is key to our economic recovery. These programs deserve increased funding because a successful housing sector will be one of the major factors that will pull us out of this recession. ____________________”