After years of pushing legislation that often stalled before the finish line, Congressman Al Green (D-TX) had reason to celebrate Tuesday; a landmark bipartisan housing bill containing several measures he authored or co-sponsored passed both chambers of Congress and is now headed to the White House.
The legislation, H.R. 6644, known as the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, cleared both the House and Senate and is expected to be signed into law.
For Rep. Green, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, the bill represents the culmination of years of persistence on issues ranging from disaster recovery to veteran homeownership to financial system transparency.
Among the provisions Green fought hardest to include was the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act, a measure he sponsored that would authorize and reform the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program for three years.
The program provides flexible federal funding to help lower-income communities rebuild after major disasters, a resource Green has long argued needs a more permanent and reliable foundation.
The Final Package
On the House floor, Green was direct about what it took to get the provision into the final package.
"There are only two people who could have gotten it done," he said, crediting House Financial Services Committee Chairman French Hill and Ranking Member Maxine Waters for honoring their commitment to include the measure.
He also acknowledged Senate counterparts Tim Scott and Elizabeth Warren for their role in moving the legislation forward.
Beyond disaster recovery, the bill includes three additional measures tied to Green. One would require greater government transparency when federal banking regulators invoke emergency powers following significant bank failures.
Another, co-led with Congresswoman Monica De La Cruz (R-TX), would ensure veterans are notified of VA home loan benefits when applying for a mortgage through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
Green also co-sponsored a provision directing federal housing officials to develop best practices for local zoning policies to increase housing production.
"Housing is a matter of economic justice," Green said. "Communities deserve the resources to recover, families and veterans deserve a fair opportunity to achieve homeownership, and the public deserves accountability."
