Congressman Glenn Nye (VA-02) has long been a strong advocate for aiding families affected by toxic Chinese drywall, and now he will be leading that fight in Washington -- as the new Co-Chairman of the Congressional Contaminated Drywall Caucus.
Nye took over the job this week, and he immediately made it clear that he would not accept the same delays and inaction that characterized the federal response to toxic Chinese drywall last year. On Wednesday, Nye and Florida Republican Mario Diaz-Balart, the co-chairman on the bipartisan caucus, sent a letter to the heads of the federal agencies working to investigate the situation, stating that "families struggling with toxic Chinese drywall have waited long enough."
"After a year of missed deadlines and delayed answers, it is time for action. Families here in Hampton Roads and across the country need a real solution that will allow them to repair their homes and rebuild their lives," said Congressman Nye.
Nye is the first Virginian to lead the Congressional Contaminated Drywall Caucus, a bipartisan group of 19 Representatives from six states. The previous Democratic co-chair, former Congressman Robert Wexler from Florida, recently resigned to take a post at a non-profit organization.
Throughout 2009, Nye led efforts to find a solution for families struggling with toxic Chinese drywall. In December, the House passed Nye's resolution encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to provide temporary mortgage relief to affected homeowners. Nye also secured the passage of an amendment in October to allow homeowners to access federal disaster assistance loans to repair the damage caused by the drywall.
Despite the efforts of Nye and other lawmakers, coordinated federal assistance to homeowners has been delayed while waiting for the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete their studies on the dangers posed by the toxic drywall. The agencies are now working to develop testing protocols to allow homeowners to conclusively determine whether they have the toxic building material in their homes.
While those steps are important, Nye says, the agencies must act with more urgency -- a message he intends to convey as co-chairman of the Congressional Contaminated Drywall Caucus.
"While a week or a month might seem like a short time to conduct a study, it can be an eternity for a family who is has been forced from their home, without knowing when, or if, they will be able to return," said Nye.