Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1461, Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1461, FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE REFORM ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - October 26, 2005)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to oppose an outrageous provision attached to previously strong legislation. I am shocked and disappointed that the majority has chosen to destroy what was an effective, responsible, and bipartisan bill by including an indefensible provision to restrict nonpartisan civic activity of nonprofit organizations.

This legislation started out as an example of how the legislative process should work. The Financial Services Committee reported a bill to reform Government Sponsored Enterprises, GSEs, and establish an Affordable Housing Fund, AHF. The bill would increase home ownership among low-income families, increase investment in housing in low income and economically distressed areas, and in general increase the Nation's supply of affordable housing. The bill received broad bipartisan support, reported by a vote of 65-5.

It is unfortunate that the majority has chosen to mandate consideration of a bill that includes a provision restricting nonpartisan civic activities of nonprofit organizations, even if they use their own funds to conduct such activities. Nonprofit organizations (and any affiliate of the nonprofit) would be prohibited from engaging in nonpartisan voter registration or get-out-the-vote activities. These restrictions would force low-income housing groups and faith-based groups to choose between obtaining funding for low-income housing and using other funds to engage in nonpartisan voter registration and get-out-the-vote activities.

In my home State of New Jersey, organizations like Catholic Charities provide vital social services to vulnerable people in need, such as food, clothing, counseling, and health services. They also routinely hold voter registration drives before elections and provide elderly and

[Page: H9123] GPO's PDF

disabled voters with transportation to the polls. Their activities are nonpartisan and play a vital role in ensuring that people are able to vote if they so desire. Under this legislation, they would no longer be able to fulfill this function. This body should not prohibit social service organizations from conducting nonpartisan civic activities.

The majority protests loudly when its actions are judged to be motivated by a desire to suppress voter turnout and civic participation in urban or low-income areas. From the inclusion of this discriminatory provision, it is difficult to reach any other conclusion. Today this rule blocks an amendment by Representative Barney Frank that would remove this provision.

It is disheartening to see that, at a time when the majority and the administration claims to support removing barriers for faith-based organizations, this provision has been included to restrict the activities they are permitted to conduct. Inclusion of the provision has sunk the prospects of passing strong and bipartisan legislation that will help the most vulnerable obtain affordable housing. I urge my colleagues to reject this rule.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT