Sheila Jackson Lee: “I thank the chairman and ranking member of the full committee and express my excitement in talking about reform and real…”

“I thank the chairman and ranking member of the full committee and express my excitement in talking about reform and real housing issues. If there is ever an issue that we, as Members of Congress, are confronted with when we go home to our districts, it is about people who need housing, about people who don't have housing, about people who have poor housing, about seniors who need housing, about young families who need housing. I am delighted to be part of this reformation that has been done by the Committee on Financial Services and to acknowledge the chairman and the ranking member of the subcommittee from which this comes and to congratulate this bipartisan process. I am delighted to offer an amendment. I thank the Rules Committee for making it in order, for I think it adds to the improvement of some of the issues that we are confronted with. My amendment indicates that the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor and with other relevant agencies, shall submit a report to Congress annually that goes to the heart of some of the issues unaddressed of interagency strategies of such departments that are designed to improve family economic empowerment by linking housing assistance with essential supportive services, such as employment, counseling, training, financial education and growth, child care, transportation, meals, youth recreational activities, and other supportive services.…”