Mr. President, I rise today to support my colleague and my friend, Congressman Mel Watt of North Carolina, who has been nominated by the President to be the next Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency--the FHFA. I have total confidence that Mel is fully capable and qualified to serve as the FHFA Director, and I am not alone. This week, the National Association of Home Builders wrote a letter to Leaders Reid and McConnell unequivocally endorsing Congressman Watt, stating: During Representative Watt's tenure on the House Financial Services Committee, he has proven to be a thoughtful leader on housing policy. The FHFA needs a permanent director with his leadership capabilities. Senator Burr, Congressman Watt's Republican colleague from North Carolina, and Senator Hagan recently shared a ``Dear Colleague'' in which both North Carolina Senators stated clearly, in their words: Congressman Watt has shown himself to be an honest, kind, and capable individual with deep understanding of the housing market. We urge you to support his nomination. He is indeed qualified to serve as the FHFA Director. He is an incredibly decent and honest person who I know will always work diligently toward a decision based on the facts, not on ideology or momentary trends. Democrats know this, and Republicans who have worked and served with him know this. Despite this, there is some question whether Congressman Watt has the technical experience to run FHFA.…
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