Bill Lee: “the affirmatively furthering fair housing rule, which my amendment would defund, is equal parts condescension and…”

“the affirmatively furthering fair housing rule, which my amendment would defund, is equal parts condescension and willful blindness. The condescension of this particular rule and its proponents is that local governments and public housing authorities across America can't figure out how to provide fair and affordable housing to their communities without the help, without the paternalistic interference of Federal bureaucrats. This is the epitome of the paternalism that informs so much of what happens in Washington, DC, today. I don't doubt, as Senator Collins has said repeatedly, that local governments would like ``better guidance'' from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington. But this is a problem that was created by HUD, with its onerous requirements and its vague mandates, not the result of local governments being unable or unwilling to provide adequate low-cost housing for their neighbors in need. This brings us to the willful blindness part of the affirmative furthering fair housing rule. Proponents of the rule claim that HUD officials consulted closely with local governments and public housing authorities when drafting and finalizing the AFFH rule. In their telling, local housing agencies across the country are welcoming the AFFH rule with open arms. But this ignores what local officials have actually said about AFFH. I will let these local officials speak for themselves.…”