[Senate Hearing 108-871]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 108-871
NOMINATION OF PAMELA HUGHES PATENAUDE
=======================================================================
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON
BANKING,HOUSING,AND URBAN AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
ON
the nomination of pamela hughes patenaude, of new hampshire,
to be assistant secretary of community planning development,
u.s. department of housing and urban development
__________
OCTOBER 5, 2004
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban
Affairs
Available at: http: //www.access.gpo.gov /congress /senate/
senate05sh.html
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
24-199 WASHINGTON : 2005
_________________________________________________________________
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government
Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free
(866) 512-1800; DC area (202) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail:
Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001
COMMITTEE ON BANKING, HOUSING, AND URBAN AFFAIRS
RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama, Chairman
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah PAUL S. SARBANES, Maryland
WAYNE ALLARD, Colorado CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut
MICHAEL B. ENZI, Wyoming TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota
CHUCK HAGEL, Nebraska JACK REED, Rhode Island
RICK SANTORUM, Pennsylvania CHARLES E. SCHUMER, New York
JIM BUNNING, Kentucky EVAN BAYH, Indiana
MIKE CRAPO, Idaho ZELL MILLER, Georgia
JOHN E. SUNUNU, New Hampshire THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
ELIZABETH DOLE, North Carolina DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan
LINCOLN D. CHAFEE, Rhode Island JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey
Kathleen L. Casey, Staff Director and Counsel
Steven B. Harris, Democratic Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Mark A. Calabria, Senior Professional Staff
Jonathan Miller, Democratic Professional Staff
Jennifer Fogel-Bublick, Democratic Counsel
Sarah L. Garrett, Democratic Legislative Assistant
Joseph R. Kolinski, Chief Clerk and Computer Systems Administrator
George E. Whittle, Editor
(ii)
C O N T E N T S
----------
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2004
Page
Opening statement of Senator Allard.............................. 1
Opening statements, comments, or prepared statements of:
Senator Sarbanes............................................. 2
Senator Sununu............................................... 3
Senator Dole................................................. 4
Senator Carper............................................... 5
WITNESSES
Jeb Bradley, a U.S. Representative in Congress from the State of
New Hampshire.................................................. 5
NOMINEES
Pamela Hughes Patenaude, of New Hampshire, to be Assistant
Secretary of Community Planning and Development, U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development.................... 6
Biographical sketch of nominee............................... 13
(iii)
NOMINATION OF
PAMELA HUGHES PATENAUDE, OF NEW HAMPSHIRE,
TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMUNITY
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
----------
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2004
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Committee met at 2:32 p.m., in room SD-538, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Senator Wayne Allard, presiding.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR WAYNE ALLARD
Senator Allard. [Presiding]. The Banking Committee will
come to order.
First, I just want to review briefly how we have laid out
the agenda for this afternoon. We will have the Chairman's
statement; then we will have opening statements from Senator
Sununu and Senator Dole; and then I will give Congressman
Bradley an opportunity to make a few introductory remarks. Then
we will swear in the witness, have a statement from the
witness, and then questions from the Committee; and if Members
come in with statements that they would like to make during the
introductory part of it, before we have a statement from Ms.
Patenaude--is that the way we pronounce your name?
Ms. Patenaude. Correct.
Senator Allard. Then, at the time that we are ready to take
your testimony, Ms. Patenaude, we will have you take an oath
prior to your statement.
I will go ahead and make an opening statement.
I would like to welcome you, Pam, to the Committee on
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and I appreciate you
appearing before the Committee today.
You are nominated to be the Assistant Secretary of
Community Planning and Development at the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, and this is a significant responsibility
as CPD oversees many of HUD's most popular programs, including
the Community Development Block Grants, commonly referred to as
CDBG; HOME; American Dream Downpayment; Housing Opportunities
for Persons with AIDS; and YouthBuild, as well as Homeless
Assistance.
These programs are generally well-run, as they are not
currently on GAO's high-risk list, unlike most other HUD
programs. That does not mean, however, that we cannot make
changes to improve the programs.
As Assistant Secretary, I am hopeful that Ms. Patenaude
will work closely with the Congress to make suggestions as to
how we can improve both the effectiveness and efficiency of the
CPD programs.
I would like to note one particular concern I have with the
CDBG program, and that is the increasing number of set-asides
and earmarks in the program. Last year's omnibus appropriations
bill contained nearly 1,000 community development earmarks.
CDBG was designed to be a formula distribution program, and
earmarks simply reduce the amount of money that is available to
jurisdictions under the formula.
Even more distressing, by circumventing the normal process,
projects that do not qualify even under CDBG's extremely broad
guidelines are able to receive money. I recognize that this is
the doing of Congress, not the Department, but I am hopeful
that you, Ms. Patenaude, will join me in calling for an end to
community development earmarks. I support the formula
distribution, and I believe Congress should stick to the
formula.
As I have indicated in many previous hearings, I believe
HUD must focus on its core mission to provide decent, safe,
sanitary, and affordable housing. Good leadership involves a
clear vision. Key HUD staff must have a clear set of
performance goals in mind as well as ways in which the
Department and Congress can measure progress in achieving those
goals.
Additionally, it is critical to consider the long-term
sustainability of any program at HUD. The Government
Performance and Results Act, or simply the Results Act, is a
powerful tool toward that end. I would encourage our nominee to
become familiar with HUD's Strategic Plan, Annual Performance
Plans, Annual Accountability Reports, and financial statements.
If properly utilized, they can help you achieve success in
meeting the Department's mission.
Again, thank you for your willingness to serve at HUD and
to appear before the Committee. I look forward to working with
you to provide decent, safe, affordable housing for American
families.
I now call on the Ranking Member for an opening statement.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR PAUL S. SARBANES
Senator Sarbanes. Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
I want to add my words of welcome to Ms. Patenaude for
appearing before us today. You have had a long record of
service. In particular, I know of your ongoing work at HUD,
which started more than 20 years ago as an intern. I am trying
to recall whether we have had a HUD intern come before us to be
an assistant secretary. We need to check that out.
You have served in a number of capacities at the
Department, in a number of different offices, expanding your
responsibilities each time. I think this has given you a
breadth of experience at the Department which will surely be of
help in carrying out responsibilities as the Assistant
Secretary for Community Planning and Development.
The programs administered by that assistant secretary I
think are extremely important--HOME, CDBG--and they involve, of
course, close partnerships with State and local governments,
between the Federal Government and the State governments or the
local government, and also the private and nonprofit sectors.
In that regard, you have served, I think, if I recall your
resume correctly, at both the local level and the State
government in dealing with assisted housing and economic
development, and you have also worked on housing in the private
sector.
This experience I would hope would help you to make a more
effective administrator of these critical programs, about which
I will ask a few questions after we hear your opening
statement.
Mr. Chairman, thank you very much.
Senator Allard. Thank you very much, Senator Sarbanes.
Now we will go to Senator Sununu for an introduction and
then Senator Dole.
Senator Sununu.
STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN E. SUNUNU
Senator Sununu. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
It is a pleasure to be here and a pleasure to welcome
Congressman Bradley as well, who ably took my place in the
House. It is nice to have him on this side of the Capitol.
Senator Sarbanes. Big shoes to fill, Congressman Bradley,
aren't they?
Senator Sununu. It is a pleasure to welcome him and it is
an honor to join with Senator Judd Gregg in offering our
delegation's very strong support for the nomination of Pamela
Patenaude to be Assistant Secretary for Community Planning and
Development.
I want to welcome all of her family members--I know there
are a number of them here--but a special note to Bob and
Estella, her parents, and of course, her husband Chuck. It is
great to see them here before the Committee.
Pam brings great experience to this job and this
opportunity, as you mentioned, Mr. Chairman--over 22 years of
experience in housing, but also in areas of finance and
community and economic development, which are going to be
central to her success in this new job.
That experience goes back to our home State of New
Hampshire, where we were neighbors in Bedford, and Pamela
originally served as one of the planning board members, getting
her feet wet, as it were, in interests of community and
economic development. She has shown her commitment time and
time again to those issues as a volunteer in many areas, but
also as an outstanding professional.
She has served in a formal capacity now for nearly 8 years
at HUD and understands the critical role that HUD plays and its
impact on families and the impact it can have on communities
that are working to improve the economic picture for those
families.
She has worked in New Hampshire as the administrator of our
Section 8 housing program, so has that firsthand experience
that will really make a difference in overseeing some of the
programs that were mentioned earlier by the members.
Most recently, she served as Assistant Deputy Secretary for
Field Policy and Management, again in a role where oversight is
important, management criteria are very important, and in a
role that has brought her in day-to-day contact with a lot of
those working for HUD in the field to make the programs
mentioned, whether CDBG or HOME or other initiatives, really
work on the ground.
Time and again, Pamela has shown great commitment to
increasing homeownership, to supporting community development,
and to increasing access to affordable housing--all issues that
have been spoken of at great length in the many hearings that
the Banking Committee has had on these issues.
We all know how tough it is to find people who are
qualified, who bring great professional and personal skills to
their work, when they could earn a lot more money in the
private sector. We want those qualified individuals to be
willing to serve in public service, to be willing to serve in
Government, because of the great value they can make for so
many people, and we are very fortunate to have someone as
qualified as Pamela Patenaude to step forward and show not just
an interest but a real dedication to her career in public
service.
It is an honor and a pleasure to welcome her and to offer
great support along with Senator Judd Gregg for her nomination.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Allard. Thank you.
Senator Dole, would you like to make an introduction?
STATEMENT OF SENATOR ELIZABETH DOLE
Senator Dole. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Certainly it is an honor and a privilege to join my
colleague from New Hampshire, Senator Sununu, in welcoming to
the Committee a very dear friend, Pamela Hughes Patenaude. We
have known one another for many years now, and it is so good to
see her husband Chuck, her three beautiful daughters--Caitlin,
Meghan, and Jennifer--and of course, my friends Bob and Estella
Hughes--it is wonderful to see you today--and Pam's brother
Kevin; and I think there are some additional family members in
the audience. So welcome to all of you. It is a real joy to be
with you today.
And certainly I believe President Bush and Secretary
Jackson have selected an outstanding individual to fill this
critical position. Pam holds a master's degree in community
economic development. She has worked, as we have heard, in the
field for 22 years at the Federal, the State, and the local
levels of government in this particular field.
For the past 3 years, Pam has served, as you have heard, as
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management at
HUD. This position oversees the 80 field offices throughout the
country that deliver HUD programs to our citizens, and under
Pam's leadership, HUD field offices have a new focus on
customer service, professionalism, and efficiency.
My office knows firsthand that HUD's North Carolina staff
is responsive to needs of our communities and constituents, and
it has been my pleasure to work with Pam on some of these
issues. She is also dedicated to building stronger communities
through philanthropic and civic organizations.
I am particularly proud of Pam's service to the Greater
Manchester Chapter of the American Red Cross, an organization
that is very near and dear to my heart.
Pamela Hughes Patenaude is a woman with outstanding
credentials and experience in housing and community
development. This intelligent and well-qualified woman is from
a family that represents New Hampshire's civic generosity and
integrity, and I
enthusiastically endorse the nomination, Mr. Chairman, and look
forward to speedy consideration by the Committee.
Thank you.
Senator Allard. Thank you.
Before I call on Representative Bradley, I would like to
see if Senator Carper has an opening statement.
COMMENTS OF SENATOR THOMAS R. CARPER
Senator Carper. Thank you. I do not have a statement. I
just want to welcome the nominee and her family, and wish her
the best of luck in the future.
Senator Allard. Thank you.
Congressman Bradley.
STATEMENT OF JEB BRADLEY
A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM
THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
Mr. Bradley. Thank you very much, Chairman Allard, and all
the other Members of the Committee.
It is really a pleasure for me to be here this afternoon
and join with Senator Sununu and Senator Dole in supporting the
nomination of Ms. Patenaude to this position.
My office has also worked closely with her, and we have
found her to be exceptional in pursuing her duties, and on
behalf of all of us in the New Hampshire delegation, I do not
think we can stress enough what a great opportunity this is,
not only for the State of New Hampshire but also our entire
country, in housing and urban development. So, I am pleased to
be able to be here and support Ms. Patenaude.
Thank you.
Senator Allard. Thank you.
Now we will go ahead and ask the witness to stand and raise
your right hand.
Do you swear or affirm that the testimony that you are
about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth, so help you God?
Ms. Patenaude. I do.
Senator Allard. Do you agree to appear and testify before
any duly-constituted committee of the Senate?
Ms. Patenaude. I do.
Senator Allard. Thank you.
We would be glad to hear from you now, and if there are any
other members of your family that you would like to introduce--
it sounds like they are pretty familiar to the Committee
already--you are certainly welcome to make that introduction at
this time.
STATEMENT OF PAMELA HUGHES PATENAUDE
OF NEW HAMPSHIRE, TO BE ASSISTANT SECRETARY
FOR COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Ms. Patenaude. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member
Sarbanes, and distinguished Members of the Committee. It is an
honor and a privilege to appear before you today as President
Bush's nominee for Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Community Planning and Development at the Department of Housing
and Urban Development. Thank you, Senator Sununu and Senator
Dole, for your very kind words of introduction. I would also
like to thank Congressman Bradley for his well wishes, too. I
am delighted to introduce my wonderful family, whose love and
support has helped make this day possible--my husband Chuck;
our three beautiful daughters, Caitlin, Meghan, and Jennifer;
my mom and dad, Bob and Estella Hughes; my brother Kevin; and
my cousins Judy and Caroline Wenners. I also want to thank the
many colleagues and friends who are here with me today.
President Bush and Secretary Jackson have built a
tremendously qualified team at HUD, and it has been an honor to
serve with these talented individuals over the last 3 years. If
confirmed, I will be fortunate to be following in the footsteps
of Deputy Secretary Bernardi, whose leadership in CPD has been
outstanding. I hope to build on his achievements and look
forward to working with the many fine professionals in the
Office of Community Planning and Development.
As the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and
Management, I provide the leadership and oversight of the
Department's 80 field offices. Those field office are making
considerable progress in achieving two very important goals--
increasing minority homeownership and ending chronic
homelessness.
Under the President's homeownership agenda and the
leadership of this Committee, for the first time in our
Nation's history, more than 50 percent of minority families are
proud homeowners. Also, we have reached a record level of
homeownership overall. Today, nearly 70 percent of American
families own their own home. Progress is being made, but the
minority homeownership gap remains, and it is far too wide.
President Bush has also challenged the Nation to end
chronic homelessness by the year 2012. Last year, HUD
distributed a record $1.3 billion in competitive homeless
assistance grants. These grants for housing and services are
helping 700,000 individuals begin their journey to a place they
can call home.
I share the President's commitment to homeownership as the
key to stronger, healthier communities and financial
independence. I am also here today to assure the Committee of
my ability to fulfill the duties as Assistant Secretary for the
Office of Community Planning and Development.
As you have heard, I bring 22 years of experience in
housing and economic development. I have an understanding of
the HUD organizational structure and programs, and a genuine
appreciation and respect for the policymaking and oversight of
the Congress.
As you heard from Chairman Allard, my deep commitment to
the mission of HUD was ignited during my college internship
more than 20 years ago. I have the enthusiasm, leadership
qualities, and track record to make an immediate and positive
contribution as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of
Community Planning and Development.
I am sincerely grateful to President Bush and Secretary
Jackson for the trust they have placed in me. If confirmed, I
will honor this trust through commitment, tenacity, and a
steadfast sense of duty. I pledge to work in concert with this
Committee in promoting accountability in meeting the needs of
our Nation. My heartfelt thanks to all of you for affording me
this opportunity today.
Mr. Chairman, I would be happy to answer any questions you
may have.
Senator Allard. Thank you for your statement.
I am going to start off with the American Dream Downpayment
Act.
As you are well aware, last year, it was signed into law
and implemented. So, I am just interested in a status report--
where are we in implementing the programs related to that
American Dream Downpayment Act? Right now it is a top priority
of the Administration. Do you believe that that should continue
as a top priority? If you could talk about that a little bit, I
would appreciate it.
Ms. Patenaude. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
As you know because you were there for the bill-signing,
President Bush signed the American Dream Downpayment Act into
law in December of 2003. I am very happy to report today that
the fine career staff at HUD worked very diligently to get the
rule published, and in late May/early June, the funds were
distributed to participating jurisdictions, and today more than
1,600 families have benefitted from the American Dream
Downpayment Act and are proud homeowners.
As to whether or not it should continue to be a priority,
yes, I feel very strongly that homeownership should be a top
priority.
Senator Allard. Okay. The other issue that I wanted to
bring up is the CDBG formula.
As you are very much aware, two programs that have the
largest formula distribution programs at HUD are the CDBG
dollars, as well as HOME. I personally support the formula-
based programs because they do provide the local flexibility
and some predictability.
However, some questions have been raised regarding the
formula factors. As a matter of fact, HUD is currently studying
alternative formula factors.
My question is when can we expect the report, and are you
willing to work with the Congress to carefully evaluate the
factors, including their fairness to different regions of the
country?
Ms. Patenaude. Mr. Chairman, I am aware of the study. I
understand that the draft study is under consideration by my
colleague, the newly appointed Assistant Secretary, Donna Shea.
I am not familiar with the contents of the study at this time,
but I can assure you that I will work very closely with you and
this Committee in evaluating any suggestions or improvements
that can be made to the formula allocation.
Senator Allard. Each question I have gets a little tougher.
The third one that I do want to give you an opportunity to
answer is on those programs that relate to the homeless--and
you used some of the homeless figures in your comments here to
the Committee. But they have a number of programs that have
been designed for the homeless, and there is some concern that
has been expressed about some of them being duplicative, and as
a result of that, several different members have proposed
consolidating HUD's homeless programs.
Members of this Committee and, I think, the Administration
are searching to see if there is a compromise on how some of
the programs may be consolidated and structured to better serve
the homeless. My question is would you give us some comments on
that, and are you willing to work with us to find a way to
better serve the homeless?
Ms. Patenaude. I am familiar with the efforts underway
between HUD and Members of the Committee to consolidate the
three competitive homeless programs, and I very much favor that
to help our communities streamline these applications and to
reduce the burdens.
Senator Allard. The Office of Management and Budget
recently rated the CDBG program as ineffective and that the
program suffered from unclear purpose, loose targeting
requirements, and lack of results. Could you please elaborate
on OMB's concerns?
Ms. Patenaude. Mr. Chairman, I have not seen it, although I
aware of this rating, ``moderately effective,'' that the CDBG
program was rated by OMB using the PART assessment tool.
I am not sure that there was enough information--perhaps
there was a lack of data--and I understand that the people in
CPD are working closely with OMB at this time.
Senator Allard. Yes, I think it has a lot of strong support
here in the Congress, and I think that we can hopefully get
some cooperation working with you on how we can best address
any problems that might be brought by the OMB report. I think
it is highly unlikely that there will be any real drastic
changes, but I do think it is something that we need to look
at. We need to look at the OMB report. And in our budget
process now, we are beginning to have more feedback because of
the results program that we have in place about how various
agencies are able to set goals and meet the objectives of those
goals.
So, I will look forward to working with you, and I think
the Chairman will look forward to working with you, too, on
that.
My time has expired, and I will call on Senator Sarbanes
for his questions.
Senator Sarbanes. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Ms. Patenaude, in your opening statement, you talked about
the goal of expanding homeownership, which I think we all
share, and also the goal of ending homelessness, obviously a
critical objective.
I do not think most homeless people are automatically
positioned to move from homelessness to homeownership. It seems
to me we need an adequate rental housing program to assure that
low-income people have stable, affordable, and safe housing
options.
What is your view on the importance of affordable rental
housing, and how does rental housing fit in with the mission of
the Office of Community Planning and Development?
Ms. Patenaude. Thank you, Senator, for the question.
As you know, the HOME Program can be and is used very often
for the production of affordable housing, as well as the
Community Development Block Grant Program.
I certainly agree that there is a need for affordable
housing.
In regard to the homeless question, we are working very
closely with the newly revived Interagency Homeless Council,
working with States and cities to help them create their own
10-year plans to deal with homelessness in their communities.
Senator Sarbanes. Do you see rental housing as an important
vehicle by which to get from homelessness eventually, perhaps,
to homeownership?
Ms. Patenaude. I think it is one option.
Senator Sarbanes. What are the others?
Ms. Patenaude. To move to permanent housing.
Senator Sarbanes. Permanent homeownership, or rental? I
guess the question I am asking is how realistic is it to think
we can move people from homelessness to homeownership without
transitioning them through other stages which would involve,
presumably, rental housing.
Ms. Patenaude. Well, certainly our goal is to move them out
of shelters into suitable housing. And with the help of the
Interagency Council, we are working very, very closely with
other Cabinet departments to provide the services that these
individuals need.
Senator Sarbanes. I would observe that I think both the
Homeless Assistance funds and, as you note, the HOME funds can
be used on rental housing, and I think we need to keep that in
mind as we try to accomplish this transition, as we try to move
people out of homelessness into permanent housing, but which in
my view would generally have to be rental housing, at least in
the initial stages. Otherwise, I think it is very difficult to
accomplish that.
One of the challenges that HUD faces in the coming years is
an aging workforce. Many of the experts that HUD relies on will
soon be eligible for retirement. Now, you are one of those
experts, but you are not near eligible for retirement yet. But
what are your comments about this problem? What can HUD do to
ensure an adequate and skilled workforce in the future?
Ms. Patenaude. Thank you, Senator Sarbanes.
I believe that Secretary Jackson is very well aware of the
succession issue at HUD and is working very closely with the
Assistant Secretaries in the Office of Community Planning and
Development. They already have a leadership program underway.
We have aggressively recruited Presidential Management Interns,
which I believe are now referred to as Presidential Management
Fellows.
The Career Intern Program was reinstated at HUD, and we
just graduated our first class of over 150 interns who went
through a 2-year training program, and many of these
individuals already had experience in the private sector and
the nonprofit sector.
We also had a very active college internship program this
summer, and I feel that that is a wonderful way to recruit
young men and women into public service.
Senator Sarbanes. You did this first training program for
the field offices--the National Management Training Symposium
for your 700 managers and executives. What did you draw from
that in terms of the future for HUD, in terms of the people who
are down the line working for HUD, and what do you think the
prospects are?
Ms. Patenaude. The first training that was conducted in
December 2002 was to launch our new Strategic Plan, as required
under the GPRA or the Results Act. I believe it was very, very
effective. It was an opportunity for Secretary Martinez to lay
out his agenda.
The followup training that was conducted in May of this
year was an opportunity to look back and see if in fact we were
effective and are effective in promoting the goals of our
Strategic Plan. It was also a tremendous communication
opportunity for the managers and executives in the field to
work with the managers and executives in headquarters.
Senator Sarbanes. What was the reading you took of the
quality of people you have out in the field?
Ms. Patenaude. I am very, very proud. Many of them are
here, sitting behind me. I think we have some of the best and
the brightest at HUD and very, very dedicated professionals in
the field.
Senator Sarbanes. I noticed in looking at the questionnaire
you submitted to the Committee, where they ask about services
rendered to all political parties or election committees during
the last 10 years, you have been quite active. Actually, I
think that is a good thing. I like to see people participate in
the political process. But the question I want to put to you is
whether you are able to separate your political involvements
from the substance of the work you have to do at the
Department, because obviously, you will be supervising and
working with people who may hold different political views, may
not have any political views at all, may not really be into the
political process.
So the question is on the one hand, are you able to
undertake this political activism but not bring it over into
the work environment where, of course, you need to act in an
entirely different context? Has that at any point been a
problem for you and would you foresee it being a problem?
Ms. Patenaude. Senator, at a very young age, my parents
encouraged me to get involved in the democracy of our country,
and I have enjoyed being involved in political campaigns. I
have never let it interfere with my professional activity at
work, and I feel that I have been able to manage my
professional life, my personal life as a mother, and my limited
political activities. Certainly since I arrived in Washington
in August 2001, my time has been very limited with outside
activities. And I can assure you I will never let my political
philosophies interfere with being fair with the taxpayers'
money.
Senator Allard. Senator Sarbanes, your time has expired. I
do not know how many more questions you have.
Senator Sarbanes. I have one more, if I could, Mr.
Chairman.
Senator Allard. Is that okay with you, Senator Sununu?
Senator Sununu. Yes. Go ahead.
Senator Allard. Senator Sarbanes.
Senator Sarbanes. I appreciate that answer. I think it is
very important, and I think we need to be clear that we welcome
the political activity, but it cannot be brought over into the
substantive area of professionalism with respect to the work of
the Department.
In the past, Members of this Committee, including myself,
have on occasion faced unnecessary delays in getting critical
information from HUD when we have made requests for data on
program and budget information. Do we have your commitment that
you will provide information to Members of the Committee
regarding program operations, management, and other information
which is relevant to the Committee's oversight activities
without undue delay?
Ms. Patenaude. Absolutely. I will commit to this Committee
to be responsive in a timely fashion and work closely with our
Office of Congressional Relations in responding to requests
from this Committee.
Senator Sarbanes. Good.
Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Allard. Thank you.
Senator Sarbanes. Senator Sununu, thank you very much for
letting me continue.
Senator Allard. Senator Sununu.
Senator Sununu. My pleasure.
I do want to begin by underscoring the point made by
Senator Sarbanes about the distinction between two important
issues that we deal with, one, homelessness, and two,
homeownership.
With regard to homelessness, as the nominee, Pamela
Patenaude, has indicated, there are a number of different
options and programs that are out there that can address the
homelessness issue--rental-based programs, Section 8 programs,
voucher-based programs, group homes--but I think it is
important to recognize that with all of these options, those
that are most successful tend to be community-based, and that
is why I think it is important, as Chairman Allard has
indicated, that we look at ways where appropriate to
consolidate this funding and get it to the local level so that
different types of approaches to deal with homelessness can be
developed.
With respect to homeownership, I think our goal, whether
you are in subsidized housing or not, is to move from the
rental situation to an equity situation where you can build
financial equity and the security that comes from
homeownership. And I certainly hope and feel confident that our
nominee will do that.
I want to ask one question, or ask you to describe one
particular thing for us, and that is to talk a little bit about
your experience in the field and in your current position.
Could you discuss for us what you have learned from that and
any observations or skills that you hope to bring from the
field management role to Community Planning and Development?
Ms. Patenaude. Thank you, Senator Sununu.
I have had a wonderful opportunity to work with the field
for over 3 years now, and in my previous time at HUD, I also
worked with the field. When Secretary Martinez and Secretary
Jackson arrived at HUD, they found that there was little
support for the field, if you will, from a decisionmaking
standpoint. They made the decision that it was very, very
important for the local HUD offices to be able to make
decisions based on the needs of the community.
I am happy to report that that is happening today, and I
hope that the relationship that I built with the Office of
Field Policy and Management will help me to establish a strong
bond with the Community Planning and Development directors in
the field.
Senator Sununu. Thank you very much.
I do not want to belabor the Committee. I think my strong
sentiments toward the nominee are well-known.
I want to wish Pamela great success in the job.
I know that Mrs. Dole had a meeting in the Majority
Leader's office, but I do want to join with her in encouraging
the fastest possible consideration when we have a well-
qualified candidate and a relatively noncontroversial post. I
hope we can move this nomination forward, and I am willing to
do anything necessary to help the Committee complete that work.
Thank you very much. Thank you, Pamela and the Hughes
family, and thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Allard. Thank you, Senator Sununu.
Senator Sarbanes do you have any more questions?
Senator Sarbanes. No.
Senator Allard. I have just one that I would like to follow
up with, and it is on results and performance-based
measurements. You will be dealing a lot with local governments
and private contractors and so on. Have you given some thought
to how you can put together a management program where you can
get some measure of performance from these individuals who are
managing the grants so that you can pass your results and
successes on to the Congress--or failures on to the Congress--
through the reporting process that is now currently in place?
Ms. Patenaude. As you know, our Strategic Plan--every year,
we have an Annual Performance Plan, and from that document, we
have an internal management tool, the Management Plan. The
Management Plan is used to track our achievements at HUD. And
with regard to external partners, I will commit to work very,
very hard to make sure that there is accountability.
Senator Allard. I do think it is important that you do work
with them, and I guess it can be carried to extreme, but on the
other hand, I think we do have a responsibility on this side to
make sure that programs function the way they are set up to
function and that the taxpayer's dollar is not wasted and that
we have a way of holding you accountable, because taxpayers and
the American public will hold us accountable, too.
So, having said that, if there are no other questions from
the Committee, I want to thank you, Pam, for taking the time to
be before this Committee, and thank you for being willing to
serve in this position. I think you bring a wealth of
experience and look forward to working with you when--and I
expect that you will be confirmed by the full Senate.
So again thank you, and I thank the Members of the
Committee for their questions.
With that, we will adjourn the hearing.
[Whereupon, at 3:10 p.m., the hearing was adjourned.]
[The biographical sketch of the nominee supplied for the
record follows:]