Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act of 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Michigan for yielding.

I rise today in opposition to the act.

The coronavirus pandemic has affected every community in our country. As this disease hit our shores, our economy has contracted dramatically. Businesses were forced to close; workers have been sidelined; and Americans are staying home.

While we recognize the public health benefits of this strategy, the serious economic harm is very hard to ignore. Families are still worried about making ends meet, even as States have begun to reopen.

With that in mind, I understand my colleagues' desire to do something to keep affected families in their homes. I remain committed to just that, helping families who are directly impacted by the coronavirus to stay in their homes and to stay in their apartments. But this bill fails on multiple fronts.

At a time when our national deficits are rising, and our national debt now exceeds $26 trillion, my colleagues are proposing more than $194 billion in new spending. More than half of that, $119 billion, is earmarked for HUD, the Housing and Urban Development Department.

This would triple HUD's 2020 budget. Importantly, it does it without implementing meaningful reforms to ensure accountability and transparency.

The new spending comes on top of trillions of dollars in relief already provided in the form of expanded unemployment benefits and other types of economic relief.

We have seen legislation come before us in the HEROES Act, a grab bag of liberal ideas. We now come back to the table with this.

One of those ideas, which I think is important to highlight the impact that this will have in our community, is a resurrection of misguided ideas, long-term eviction moratoriums.

Under the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act, the CARES Act eviction moratorium now would be extended until June 25, 1 year from the date of enactment. This moratorium would apply to all renters regardless of whether or not they have been negatively impacted by the coronavirus.

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Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, this moratorium would apply to all renters, not just those negatively impacted, through no fault of their own, due to the coronavirus, not just those living in buildings with mortgages backed by the Federal Government, but to everyone.

In other words, if enacted, this bill would impose broad and unprecedented eviction moratoriums that would last for 15 months, without regard to the impact of the coronavirus.

This would be very challenging for mom-and-pop landlords and very impactful negatively to our local economies. Property taxes have a higher priority on rent payments than mortgages, and an extension on the eviction moratorium, in particular, would hurt local governments trying to provide critical services that are in need right now.

Especially in these challenging times, we should not pursue policies that increase stress for cash-strapped cities and towns.

Again, I understand and share our desired goal to keep people in their homes. This bill just falls flat.

Mr. Speaker, we have a responsibility to do that thoughtfully and in a targeted manner. Therefore, I urge my colleagues to oppose this legislation.

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