Senate leaders begin spending talks for FY2020
This week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) convened an initial meeting to discuss fiscal year 2020 spending levels with key leaders, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), and acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney.
The meeting agenda covered strategies for reaching an overall budget deal, an agreement on the debt ceiling, and negotiations on avoiding another government shutdown in three months, when the current fiscal year ends. Although the meetings shows positive movement, the Senate will have to make up for lost time as they get a slow start to this fiscal year’s negotiations.
Once an agreement is reached, Republican leaders are expected to take their offer to Democrats and begin moving spending bills in Congressional Committee. Lawmakers in the House have already passed strong HUD and USDA bills out of Committee, and have begun floor votes on the first of its 2020 spending bills. Both Chambers will need to agree and pass spending legislation, which must be signed by the President; NAHMA continues to advocate for increased investment in affordable housing and urges lawmakers to avoid a funding lapse in September.
House Committee advances bill to prevent HUD immigration rule change
The House Financial Services Committee this week advanced a bill that would prohibit the Secretary of HUD from implementing its recently-proposed rule regarding immigration eligibility verification. H.R.2763, introduced by Representative Garcia (D-TX) and dubbed the “Keep Families Together Act,” would block HUD from following through with its proposal to terminate housing benefits for families with mixed-immigration status. The Committee advanced the legislation by a vote of 32 to 26.
HUD’s proposed rule, titled “Housing and Community Development Act of 1980: Verification of Eligible Status,” specifies that individuals who are not in eligible immigration status may not serve as leaseholder of an assisted unit, even as part of a mixed-eligibility family with prorated assistance. The rule would prohibit a household from receiving housing assistance unless every member residing in the assisted unit, including those over 62, is of eligible immigration status.
The proposed rule was issued by the Department on May 10th, 2019. If implemented in current form, the regulatory change is estimated to displace over 25,000 households and impact over 100,000 individuals. NAHMA is currently accepting comments on the proposed rule from members to submit to HUD.