Hawaiian Homeownership Opporunity Act of 2007

Floor Speech

HAWAIIAN HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2007

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Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, I am hoping that some of the misconceptions or misperceptions that might be out there can be alleviated, because I don't believe that this should be considered a controversial bill in any way. There are some issues with respect to questions about favoritism or reverse discrimination, et cetera. Some of these issues have been raised in other contexts.

But in this particular instance, simply because the word or the phrase Native Hawaiian is attached, I hope that it doesn't confuse the issue. I have just had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Boehner, and I believe that we have an understanding about what is at stake here.

Let me make very, very clear what we are talking about. It reauthorizes a Native Hawaiian housing block grant through 2012. Now, these funds are used for infrastructure development and homeownership assistance under a program that is administered by the State of Hawaii as the result of Federal legislation in the last century. The bill that is on the floor today did not originate with Representative Hirono or myself, but is as a result of the request of the Hawaiian Homes Commission and its chairman, under the leadership of Governor Lingle, Governor Linda Lingle, who is a Republican.

The reason I bring that up is not to cite that for special consideration, but rather that this is not a Democrat and Republican issue. This is an institutional issue that whoever is Governor, and whoever are the commissioners, in this instance happen to be Republican, appointed by a Republican Governor. Those folks are obligated institutionally to bring these issues to the Congress for final adjudication because of the unique status, the unique legal status of the Hawaiian Home Lands.

The Hawaiian Home Lands were created by the Congress as a result of legislation put forward by the original delegate from the Hawaiian Islands to the Congress, Prince Kuhio, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana'ole, for whom the Federal building is named where I have my offices in Honolulu, the PJKK. Mr. Renzi may refer to the PJKK Federal Building. He was a Republican at the time, and as a result of his presentation, the original Hawaiian Home Lands were created.

It enables Hawaiian families on Hawaiian Home Lands under this unique legal status to be able to acquire private financing they otherwise can't get because they are under this legal admonition to go through the Hawaiian Homes Commission. So it allows the Hawaiian Home Lands, the Department, to be eligible for loan guarantees to borrow, issue bonded debt, enabling servicing up to five times their annual allocation.

This allows the Department to service low-income families without a large increase in Federal appropriations. That's the whole idea of it. It allows low-income Hawaiians to get their refinancing in addition to construction. It reduces the cost of homeownership, and it reduced risk by lowering monthly mortgage payments. That is what this is about. It's no special consideration. It is fulfilling the law as it exists.

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Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Mr. Speaker, what remains for me is to express my gratitude to Mr. Renzi and also to Mr. Kildee and the Native American Caucus for helping all of us to understand what the issues are here. And also, I want to reiterate my thanks to Mr. Boehner for his open-mindedness and his attitude of being willing to listen on issues that might otherwise have been easily misunderstood. I am grateful also to Mr. Cole of Oklahoma for his participation and for his leadership in again helping us to discern issues that are of distinct advantage, not just to our particular constituents in Hawaii, but on the whole issue of how we are able to help people achieve homeownership, achieve an opportunity not to be dependent on government, but rather to be able to participate in the American Dream, the overall American Dream in a way that has genuine meaning for them and their families.

I am very pleased to see that this has not become a partisan issue, and that it has not ended up dividing us when we should, in fact, be united in our opportunity to minimize the effect of government having bad consequences for people, and maximizing the opportunity for the ordinary individual and the ordinary individual's family to be able to advance the family's cause.

In this particular instance then, Mr. Speaker, I am very, very pleased that we are able to move forward on this, and I hope that the vote will be a solid one and that we can move forward to other issues not only where homeownership is concerned, but advancing the capacity of families to be able to succeed in the American Dream.

I would like to express my gratitude to the gentlelady from California, and express my thanks to her for the leadership of her and her committee in bringing this forward. Again, Mr. Speaker, before I close, my deep respect for and gratitude to Mr. Renzi and for all those who helped bring this forward on the Republican side of the aisle.

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