[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 67 (Tuesday, May 20, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H2941-H2946]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENSE OF THE HOUSE THAT HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN
AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES TO PROVIDE DECENT HOMES FOR PEOPLE OF THE UNITED
STATES
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
agree to the resolution (H. Res. 147) expressing the sense of the House
of Representatives that the House of Representatives should participate
in and support activities to provide decent homes for the people of the
United States, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 147
Whereas the United States promotes and encourages the
creation and revitalization of sustainable and strong
neighborhoods in partnership with States, cities, and local
communities and in conjunction with the independent and
collective actions of private citizens and organizations;
Whereas establishing a housing infrastructure strengthens
neighborhoods and local economies and nurtures the families
who reside in them;
Whereas an integral element of a strong community is a
sufficient supply of affordable housing;
Whereas such housing can be provided in tradional and
nontraditional forms, including apartment buildings,
transitional and temporary homes, condominiums, co-
operatives, and single family homes;
Whereas for many families a home is not merely shelter, but
also provides an opportunity for growth, prosperity, and
security;
Whereas homeownership is a cornerstone of the national
economy because it spurs the production and sale of goods and
services, generates new jobs, encourages savings and
investment, promotes economic and civic responsibility, and
enhances the financial security of all people in the United
States;
Whereas the United States is the first country in the world
to make owning a home a reality for a vast majority of its
families; however, more than one-third of the families in the
United States are not homeowners;
Whereas a disproportionate percentage of non-homeowning
families in the United States are low-income families;
Whereas the National Partners in Homeownership, a public-
private partnership comprised of 63 national organizations
under the leadership of the Department of Housing and Urban
Development, has established a goal of reaching an all-time
high homeownership level in the United States by the end
of the 20th century;
Whereas there are many other nonprofit and for-profit
organizations that, in partnership with the Federal
Government and local governments, strive to make the American
dream of homeownership a reality for low-income families;
Whereas national organizations such as the Fannie Mae
Foundation, Freddie Mac, the Local Initiatives Support
Corporation, the Enterprise Foundation, the Housing
Assistance Council, and the Neighborhood Reinvestment
Corporation, in conjunction with local organizations, have
developed thousands of homes each year for low-income
families and have, in the process, reduced urban decay and
blight and fostered business activity;
Whereas the community building activities of neighborhood-
based nonprofit organizations empower individuals to improve
their lives and make communities safer and healthier for
families;
Whereas one of the best known nonprofit housing
organizations is Habitat for Humanity, which builds simple
but adequate housing for less fortunate families and
symbolizes the self-help approach to homeownership;
Whereas Habitat for Humanity provides opportunities for
people from every segment of society to volunteer to help
make the American dream a reality for families who otherwise
would not own a home; and
Whereas the second week of June 1997 is National
Homeownership Week: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that--
(1) it is a goal of our Nation that all citizens have safe,
clean, and healthy housing;
(2) the Members of the House of Representatives should
demonstrate the importance of volunteerism and community
service;
(3) the Members of the House of Representatives and Habitat
for Humanity, with support from the National Partners in
Homeownership, should sponsor and construct, commencing on
June 5, 1997, two homes in the Anacostia neighborhood of the
District of Columbia, each to be known as a ``House That
Congress Built'';
(4) each ``House That Congress Built'' should be
constructed primarily by Members of the House of
Representatives and their families and staffs, involving and
symbolizing the partnership of the public, private, and
nonprofit sectors of society;
(5) each ``House That Congress Built'' should be
constructed with the participation of the family that will
own the home;
(6) upon completion and initial occupancy of the homes in
the fall of 1997, the Members of the House of
Representatives, their families and staffs, and local and
national leaders from the public and private nonprofit
sectors of society should participate, together with each
family that will own a ``House That Congress Built'', in an
event to celebrate the occasion;
(7) in the future, the Members of the House of
Representatives and their families and staff should
participate in similar house building activities of Habitat
for Humanity in their own districts as part of National
Homeownership Week; and
(8) these occasions should be used to emphasize and focus
on the importance of providing safe, clean, and healthy homes
for all of the people in the United States.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York [Mr. Lazio] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Flake] each will
control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio].
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by congratulating and thanking my colleague
and friend, the gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis], for this concept
and for his introduction of this legislation.
I also want to thank the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Stokes, the
gentleman from Missouri, Mr. Gephardt, the gentleman from Georgia, Mr.
Gingrich, the Speaker of the House, the gentleman from New York, Mr.
Flake, and certainly the gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr. Kennedy, and
the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, Ms. Eleanor Holmes
Norton, for their cooperation and collaboration to celebrate what I
think is one of the more outstanding programs that we have in America,
the creation of a synergy where people in the public sector and the
community itself, businesses and the private sector, and the not-for-
profit sector which have come together to contribute their time and
resources and effort to give to their fellow neighbor one of the
greatest gifts that one
[[Page H2942]]
can imagine, and that is receiving the gift of home ownership, of
obtaining the American dream.
{time} 1330
This is through the Habitat for Humanity Program. We are about to
begin a celebration in June, the second week in June, of self-help
housing programs and in particular the Habitat Program.
This model builds upon an act that took place last year, where, for
the first time, Congress acted to contribute about $25 million to
ensure that thousands of Americans would be able to live the dream of
homeownership through the Habitat Program.
I am looking forward to having my colleague from California, [Mr.
Lewis], explain in further detail what as a group we are going to do in
a bipartisan way to help rebuild two homes in the Anacostia area.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to relate to the House that the gentleman
from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] has been delayed because of air
travel, and therefore I stand on his behalf, am happy to stand and
speak on behalf of House Resolution 147, which is supported by Members
from both sides of the aisle.
The resolution both recognizes the need to increase homeownership
throughout the Nation and expresses the House's commitment to the
building of two homes with the Habitat for Humanity here in Washington
on June 5. I think Habitat for Humanity has demonstrated excellence in
its ability to garner support from numbers of people in numbers of
trades who have come together to volunteer their time and have
demonstrated the means by which we might resolve some of the issues
related to housing in this Nation.
This undertaking today is due to the leadership of the gentleman from
California [Mr. Lewis], whose creativity and commitment to affordable
housing will unite the membership of this House with housing
organizations like Habitat for Humanity in making homeownership a
reality for the two families here in this Nation's Capital and,
hopefully, will represent what can be done by sweat and by the equity
of persons who are willing to invest of themselves to help to build
homeownership in this Nation.
I appreciate the efforts of the chairman, the gentleman from
California [Mr. Lewis], and share in his commitment to improving
housing conditions for all of the families in this Nation. It is my
hope that we can work together in taking this effort well beyond the
boundaries of Washington, DC and make them available to so many other
people in this Nation.
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis].
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate my
colleague yielding. I want to express my deep appreciation to my
colleague, the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. Stokes], who has worked with
me on this issue, and my colleague, the gentlewoman from Washington,
DC, [Ms. Norton], my local Member of Congress.
Mr. Speaker, last Tuesday Ms. Norton and I came to this floor to
speak to a very important need facing the citizens of the District of
Columbia and indeed the entire Nation. The need is simple: Decent,
affordable homes for the working families of the United States.
The gentlewoman from Washington, DC, [Ms. Norton], Speaker of the
House Newt Gingrich, the gentleman from Missouri, the House minority
leader, [Mr. Gephardt], the gentleman from Ohio, [Mr. Stokes], the
gentleman from New York, [Mr. Lazio], and the gentleman from
Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] joined me in introducing this bipartisan
legislation expressing the sense of the House that Members of Congress
can do more than just talk about providing homes for our citizens and
neighbors. Indeed, it is time for action.
On that very same day, the Speaker, Ms. Norton, Mr. Stokes, the
founder and president of Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller, and two
very special families gathered together to celebrate an important
milestone in the history of the Congress and the District of Columbia.
These bipartisan leaders gathered to announce ``The House that Congress
Built,'' a unique partnership involving Congress, HUD Secretary Andrew
Cuomo, leaders of the National Partners in Homeownership, and others.
On June 5, these leaders will begin construction of two Habitat for
Humanity homes in Southeast Washington, DC. ``The House that Congress
Built'' is a powerful symbol demonstrating the commitment of a
bipartisan Congress and numerous organizations toward one common goal,
providing a decent and affordable home for every American family. It is
also an appropriate way to kick off National Homeownership Week, the
week of June 7 through 14, a campaign to emphasize local and national
efforts to make the American dream a reality.
This unique effort is supported by the National Partners in
Homeownership, an unprecedented public-private partnership working to
dramatically increase homeownership in America. Presently, this
membership consists of 63 members representing real estate
professionals, home builders, nonprofit housing providers, as well as
local, State, and Federal levels of government.
The goal of this partnership is to achieve an all-time high rate of
homeownership, 67 percent of all American households, by the end of
year 2000. There is still very much work to be done. This effort is
only possible because of the inspiring work of Millard Fuller, the
founder and president of Habitat for Humanity International, who has
built a worldwide Christian housing ministry over a period of 20 years.
Since its creation in 1976, Habitat for Humanity and its volunteers
have built homes with 50,000 families in need in more than 1,300 cities
and 50 countries. As a result of Fuller's vision, more than 250,000
people across the globe now have safe, decent, affordable homes.
In Philadelphia recently, President Clinton, President Bush, retired
Gen. Colin Powell and others gathered to salute the spirit of volunteer
service that exists in this country. No other organization better
illustrates this spirit than Habitat for Humanity. Habitat is an
organization that brings people together. Its volunteers are as diverse
as the people who live in these United States.
Most importantly, Habitat for Humanity promotes what Millard Fuller
describes as the theology of the hammer, namely, putting faith and love
into action to serve others. In this case, the theology of the hammer
is being applied to assist two very special soon-to-be homeowners,
Marlene Hunter and her family and Mary Collins and her family. Even
before the first nail has been driven, Members of Congress, corporate
sponsors and these families have made a commitment that will be
fulfilled as these two homes are built this summer entirely by Members
of Congress and their staff.
Let me assure my colleagues that this is only just the beginning.
Next year we hope to continue this bipartisan effort by having every
Member of the Congress make a commitment to build a Habitat home in his
or her own congressional district. That is a commitment that will
provide a home for 435 working families. Imagine an additional 435
first-time home buyers because of the hands-on work of every Member of
this body. It is a first step, but an important beginning, nonetheless.
I want to thank my colleagues, Speaker Newt Gingrich, Minority Leader
Dick Gephardt, the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia, Ms.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, the gentleman from Ohio, Mr. Lou Stokes, the
gentleman from New York, Mr. Rick Lazio, and the gentleman from
Massachusetts, Mr. Joe Kennedy, for their commitment to this unique
effort and for joining me in passing this bipartisan resolution
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, there is a popular song by R. Kelly that
says, ``I believe I can fly.''
The gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] has flown and arrived,
so I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Massachusetts.
Mr. KENNEDY of Massachusetts. Mr. Speaker, as the good Congressman,
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Flake],
[[Page H2943]]
who would rather be known as a reverend, understands, only he is
capable of flying through this Chamber.
But I do want to, first of all, commend my good friend, the gentleman
from California [Mr. Lewis]) for the fine work that he has done on this
bill. My colleague has been very, very, I think, diligent not only in
his efforts to try and I hope continue funding for all housing
programs, which is going to be a major issue in the course of the next
few months, but also has been a strong advocate of volunteerism.
I think Habitat is one of these unique programs that comes along that
blends both the needs for housing for the very poor people of this
country that so desperately need shelter and mixing that with the
spirit of volunteerism. I think the gentleman from California [Mr.
Lewis] ought to be commended by everyone in this Chamber and people
around the country for his efforts on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.
I also want to thank my good friend, the gentleman from New York [Mr.
Lazio] and the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Leach], who had both sponsored
some legislation last year in the Subcommittee on Housing and Community
Opportunity which was controversial because of the nature of some of
the funding supports for Habitat and, specifically, that was going to
one congressional district down in Georgia.
But, in any event, the truth is that regardless of their efforts to
target that funding to that particular congressional district that
happened to be in the Speaker's domain, the truth is that we want to
make certain that everybody understands the tremendous support that I
think exists around this country for Habitat and the recognition of the
fine work that it does in many communities in many States throughout
the country.
I just want to briefly say that the work of Habitat is a wonderful
and unique organization. The gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis] has
sponsored an initiative to get many of us in the Government to go and
work on an initiative, I believe it is June 5, that I am looking
forward to. I am hoping I do not bang too many fingers when I try to
hit a nail.
The fundamental truth is that there are a number of different
organizations around the country that blend together a sense of
volunteerism with building homes for people in need. Habitat is one of
the finest of that series of organizations, and I am delighted to see
that we are supporting them in the fashion that we are here today. I
again want to commend the gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis].
I do want to suggest that, in terms of the overall housing needs of
our country, that I am very concerned that the budget that we are going
to be voting on in a few hours here on the House floor is not going to
be providing enough funding for the housing needs of our country's
poor.
We have already seen a vast reduction in the amount of funding that
we spend on homeless Americans. We see even greater reductions in terms
of the funding levels for everything from assisted housing to the
public housing concerns of our country. And while efforts have been
made to reform those needs, the truth of the matter is that if you are
going to cut 25 or 30 percent of the funding levels, you can reform it
all you want but you still are not going to be providing enough housing
for the poor and the vulnerable people of our country.
So when the American people here that look on our city streets or in
their neighborhoods and see homeless Americans, we cannot provide
solutions to our housing problems by simply walking around pointing to
antiquated public housing and saying, ``Look at this great, terrible
monstrosity,'' and our answer to the problems with public housing is to
simply cut the budget.
This is not going to solve our housing needs. That is the solution
that has been advocated. I am here today to salute those that want to
support housing and support Habitat for Humanity's efforts to deal with
the housing shortage that exists in this country.
Mr. Speaker, after spending 7 days on the House floor debating H.R.
2, the veto-bait bill which makes draconian reforms to our Nation's
public and assisted housing programs, it gives me great pleasure to
support this bipartisan resolution. Not only does the resolution
acknowledge the need to increase home ownership throughout this Nation,
it also expresses this body's resolve to assist two families in
achieving home ownership. Our assistance does not entail the creation
of a new program or the appropriation of new funds, instead it merely
requires our time and energy and a little physical coordination. As
outlined in the resolution, on June 5, myself and several other Members
will leave our suits at home in exchange for hardhats and nail guns to
join Habitat for Humanity and other dedicated housing organizations in
building the first ``House that Congress Built.'' Throughout that
weekend, it is our intent to put two Washington families into two
different homes.
While this effort will be an unprecedented achievement, I must say--
it is not enough. There are numerous families in each of our
congressional districts that could use equivalent assistance in
achieving home ownership. And Habitat for Humanity cannot do it all
alone. So it is our hope that Members will bring the ``House that
Congress Built'' to their congressional districts in the future. Not
only to bring the dream of home ownership to a fortunate family, but
also to bring to the public's consciousness the benefits of providing
affordable housing to all families--rich or poor.
There are 5.3 million families--just like the two families we are
placing in these two homes--who live in severe conditions. And even if
Members of the House built two homes every weekend for the rest of my
life, we still would not meet those families needs. We must do more.
With that said, I look forward to working with the cosponsors of this
legislation--Speaker Gingrich, Minority Leader Gephardt, Chairman
Lewis, Ranking Member Stokes, and Chairman Lazio--on June 5, and also
in the future as we work toward bringing home ownership to more and
more families in America.
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 2 minutes.
Mr. Speaker, again this is about the creation of a partnership with
Members of Congress in the community of Washington, DC.
Many Members of Congress live in the District. I am one of those who,
when I am down here on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, is a proud
resident of the District of Columbia. It is appropriate that we give
back not just in terms of our service in Congress but as part of the
community.
The Habitat Program and other self-help housing groups across the
country are gems in terms of their ability to bring people together and
to build a better sense of community. For those people who are not
familiar with the work that Habitat does, over 1,400 affiliates across
the entire Nation, it is a program that brings neighbors together to
help build a home for another neighbor who does not have the resources
to construct a home themselves. We have business people donate doors
and windows.
In last year's legislation, the Federal Government has begun to
provide some small amount of funding that would help with those areas
that are not easily donated, for example, roads and sewers and
infrastructure costs that will help thousands of Americans obtain the
dream of home ownership in the best of ways by bringing your neighbors
together, their community together.
I just had the pleasure of being at a Habitat construction site in my
own home district in Bayshore, where members of the public sector and
businesses and the community leaders were all there swinging hammers,
using saws, hauling around lumber, men and women of all ages feeling
very good about the fact that they were giving to another neighbor.
{time} 1345
It is one of the greatest gifts, as I said before, that a neighbor
can give to another neighbor. We ought to feel very, very good about
the fact that we have a program here where Members of Congress are
going to be joining in to celebrate sort of self-help week in housing
in June and that it will result in bringing to two families in the
District that great feeling of pride of living under one's own roof in
home ownership in one of the areas in which we have unfortunately been
witnessing a decline in home ownership in the Anacostia area.
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio
[Mr. Stokes], the ranking member of the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and
Independent Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations.
Mr. STOKES. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman from New
York for yielding me this time, and I rise to commend the gentleman
from
[[Page H2944]]
Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio],
and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Flake] for bringing House
Resolution 147 to the floor.
Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, it is one that I can support, and I
am very pleased to be able to join with my distinguished friend from
California [Mr. Lewis], the author of this legislation. I really want
to commend him because he and I work together very closely on the
Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies of the Committee on
Appropriations. I know his interest in providing decent housing in a
suitable living environment for every American. This bill manifests
that type of interest and concern he has in that respect.
In fact, I would like to just call the attention of the House to the
fact that a few days ago, I was privileged to attend a press conference
conducted by the gentleman from California where the gentleman from
Georgia [Mr. Gingrich], the Speaker of the House, spoke and the
gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis] spoke and both the gentlewoman
from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton] and myself were in
attendance. Along with the Habitat for Humanity organizational people
were two families here who reside in the District of Columbia for whom
these homes are going to be built. They were two lovely families, very
decent people, and if my colleagues could have seen the expressions on
their faces and the joy in their faces at the knowledge that Members of
Congress cared enough about them that they were going to come out and
actually build a home for them. They even put up with our taunting one
another about the fact that we lacked the ability to build a house, but
we were determined that we were going to come out and do our best to
build this home for them.
When I mention Habitat for Humanity, I do not know of any
organization in America that does more to try and provide simple but
adequate housing for the less fortunate in this country. Their approach
is to build an attitude of self-help in these people, provide housing
for them in safe communities, in safe neighborhoods. They have done
such an outstanding job all over the country. In my own city, in the
city of Cleveland, I have seen the results of the housing that they
have built for people who are less fortunate in the community which I
represent here in the Congress.
I am reminded at this time, too, that for many, many years, a former
President, President Jimmy Carter, has been a man who has gone all over
the country for Habitat for Humanity and helped to build houses. I just
think at a time like this, I want to recognize his great contribution.
I think the beauty of this particular legislation is the fact that it
has been so bipartisan. Members on both sides of the aisle have taken
great pride in joining together with the realization that, working
together, we can do something very special for the people of this
country.
Mr. Speaker, what I would really like to say, I think, is that while
we are looking forward to joining with the gentleman from California
[Mr. Lewis] in this effort to build these two homes for these people
here in the District, I think that we ought to really look at this as
not one shot. Each Member ought to be thinking of how we can expand
this effort that we are going to participate in here in the District of
Columbia all across the country. I think that ought to be the real
purpose of this legislation, for us to carry forth the whereas clauses
throughout this resolution in which we speak of a decent home and a
decent neighborhood for every American. I think the way to do that is
to not just build it here in the District of Columbia but to help do
that all over America.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. STOKES. I yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. LEWIS of California. I appreciate the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Stokes] yielding.
It occurred to me earlier that it is no accident that the very day
that we will go out in a bipartisan manner together attempting to make
a difference in the lives of these two families here in Washington, DC,
that Mother Teresa will be receiving a gold medal on behalf of the
Congress. To say the least, the confluence of people serving people
that both those activities reflect is very much a part of the spirit
that I have found and brought back from Hershey, PA, where as the
gentleman remembers when we were there together, there were 220
Members, Democrats and Republicans, who committed themselves to a new
kind of dialogue in the House, moving away from this confrontation for
the sake of confrontation. Indeed if this resolution ends up being a
reflection of continuing that spirit, then all the better. I want my
colleague to know I very much appreciate his assistance and his
friendship.
Mr. STOKES. I appreciate the gentleman's remarks.
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. Leach], the distinguished
chairman of the Committee on Banking and Financial Services.
Mr. LEACH. I thank the distinguished gentleman for yielding me this
time.
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to stress that this is a bill made for
commendation. The leadership of the gentleman from California [Mr.
Lewis], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio], the gentlewoman from
the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton], the gentleman from New York [Mr.
Flake], the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Stokes], the gentleman from
Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy], and, of course, President Carter has been
very significant.
Habitat for Humanity is a wonderful program. It is not a substitute
for all public programs. This side understands that very well. In fact,
with all the rancor of the debate the last 3 or 4 weeks in housing
programs, it should be stressed that this House last week passed 100
percent of the President's recommended budget for public housing.
Indeed, in the budget agreement, fully one-half of the new nondefense
discretionary funding will go for housing programs, about $35 billion
out of $70 billion over the next 5 years. This Congress has committed
this year and in subsequent years in effect to increase support for
public housing. This should be very well understood.
Just because the issue was raised, I would stress that the bill last
year that was critiqued a minute ago by one of the speakers had been
endorsed by Secretary Cisneros and pushed strongly by President Carter.
I am sorry that there was apprehension on the other side about prior
Habitat programs. But the main point I would like to make is not to
defend public housing programs, which have many problems and also
important opportunities, but today to emphasize certain private sector
efforts. Most, it should be stressed, are not extended by political
figures but by committed people in many communities around the country,
at the community level. Here, though, I think it is important that we
also express our thanks to institutions that we have respect for in the
private sector, particularly in this case Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the
National Reinvestment Corporation, and the National Association of
Homebuilders for their support.
In any regard, I think this is a time for thanks to be extended on
all sides and to set a sense of perspective that this is a program that
is very important, that is very symbolic. It does not replace other
kinds of programs but is certainly a wonderful additional complement to
them.
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the
gentlewoman from the District of Columbia [Ms. Norton], the district in
which the homes are to be built.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I very much thank the gentleman for yielding
me this time.
As a recipient of the largesse of this resolution, I come to the
floor this afternoon to thank especially the gentleman from California
[Mr. Lewis], the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio], the gentleman
from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy], the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Stokes],
the gentleman from New York [Mr. Flake], the Speaker and the minority
leader for their initiative on this wonderful idea.
I have very special thanks to give to the gentleman from California
[Mr. Lewis], however, for it is not only a wonderful idea, it was his
bright idea, and I think it a bright idea not only, may I say, because
my district will be the first recipient of this generosity of
[[Page H2945]]
Members but because in a very real sense, the spirit of Hershey, of
which he spoke so eloquently, may have found its best mode of
expression. We have every right to ask, what in the world is the spirit
of Hershey? How can one make the good feelings of that weekend live and
last? It is very difficult to do. We do not often meet like that. We
cannot meet like that very often. But we will be meeting like that on
June 5. We will be meeting like that, making Hershey live in a way that
I think we all have been searching for.
Partisanship is natural to the process of the House of
Representatives and necessary to the process here. We represent
different districts and different points of view. We come together as
we do on many bills. But the fact is that bipartisanship on some issues
is an absolute necessity.
Surely if there is to be bipartisanship on any issue, it is the
future of the capital of the United States. To be sure, this Congress
holds the capital in its hands because of its unique constitutional
responsibility and because it has to vote for a small amount for the
capital every year. But when the House builds its own house in the
District, it reaches out to the people I represent in a way that is
especially appreciated. The gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis] has
said this will be the house that Congress built. It will certainly be
the house that the House built. It will be remembered that way, and it
will be built in the Anacostia community, named for the river my
colleagues have to cross to reach there, named for the place where many
of the poorest Washingtonians live.
Those who will receive the generosity of the House during this
initiative were there when it was announced by the Speaker. The HUD
Secretary is on board, both sides of the aisle are on board and, of
course, we are doing it through Habitat for Humanity which has done
many good works in the District and which, of course, is the natural
leader of this work here in the District.
May I thank the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Manzullo] who had spent
numerous hours trying to find an appropriate project. We had found one
and then we tossed that one out and another one was tossed out, and
here comes the gentleman from California [Mr. Lewis] with just the
right project. The gentleman from Illinois, Mr. Manzullo, and the
gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who had been working
together after Hershey will be working on this project as well.
This project has a larger goal: that by the year 2000, fully two-
thirds of the American people will own their own home. We have done
wonderfully in this country since World War II in encouraging and in
achieving home ownership by Americans. What this project metaphorically
says is that we are in this for everybody.
To show that we are in it for everybody, we are building a house for
the poorest Americans and we are going to carry this concept
everywhere. We are going to ask Members to take the concept back to
their own districts. My colleagues will find that the Habitat habit is
catching. When they see that colleagues are helping to build a house in
their district, they are going to say, ``Me, too,'' to the gentleman
from New York [Mr. Lazio], they are going to say to the gentleman from
California [Mr. Lewis], ``We want one here. We want Habitat to come
here and do what you did in the District of Columbia.''
My colleagues are going to start something in the District and it is
going to spread. It is going to spread its good feeling, it is going to
spread to the housing industry, and it is going to help make affordable
housing something other than an oxymoron. Thanks for helping in the
District. Make sure that it is your district next.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
Ms. NORTON. I yield to the gentleman from California.
Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, I very much appreciate the
gentlewoman yielding.
I just wanted to rise and say to the gentlewoman from the District of
Columbia [Ms. Norton], I very much appreciate the collegiality and the
friendship she has extended to me. The symbolism that is the house that
Congress built is just beginning. I think the gentlewoman already knows
that any number of private partners have begun to contribute not just
material but funds as well to make sure that the dollars are available
to complete this facility. The gentlewoman has mentioned that this will
go on from here.
{time} 1400
Indeed I know that the gentlewoman and I will be working together in
the year before us to encourage Members not just along with their
staffs to complete these two homes in Washington, DC, but then, just
think, next year as Members start looking to their district and working
with Habitat and talking about the wonderful theology of the hammer and
the effect that it can have upon this place. I have for some time now
been most disconcerted by reactions in my own district where people are
saying:
``Why don't you people ever work together? Why this partisanship
almost for the sake of it?''
And indeed the gentlewoman and I have talked a lot about that. There
is little doubt that this is a turning point in the Congress, and being
able to work with the gentlewoman is a great privilege for me, and I
appreciate her collegiality and friendship, and I thank her for her
help.
Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California [Mr.
Lewis] not only for his kind words here this afternoon, but for this
effort, this idea that so many have embraced and, may I say, for the
collegiality and generosity he has shown the District of Columbia ever
since I have been in the Congress.
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Let me just say in conclusion that I am very proud to cosponsor this
resolution drafted by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from
California [Mr. Lewis]. The House That Congress Built; what a wonderful
name for legislation that will begin a process of having Members of
Congress work with neighbors to help to build homes in the District.
I would also say that it ought not to stop here. We ought to be
looking for new ways in which we can build on this community service,
build on partnerships, build on helping one another, ensuring that
people achieve the dream of home ownership, perhaps one of the greatest
of American dreams, and restoring the sense of neighborhood that so
many communities are lacking. The best way to do that is for us to
pitch in and begin the process of creating the type of neighborhood
partnership, the sense of being in it together, of a sense of helping
those that need a helping hand, and this event, these two events of
building these two homes in the District and Anacostia, are a very
substantial step, although more than symbolism, a very substantial step
in showing that this Congress cares about the self-help housing program
and that we intend to use resources where we can find them to help
augment a very important program, the Habitat for Humanity Program, and
other self-help housing programs throughout the country so that other
communities and neighborhoods throughout our great Nation can enjoy the
fruits of this program, and the greatest fruit, in my opinion, is not
the fact that we are constructing a home and enabling a family to have
a roof over their head that they can own. The greatest pleasure of it
all is that we bring neighbors together to do for another neighbor what
they might not be able to do themselves.
So it is a high point certainly for us to be discussing this and then
to be acting upon this on June 5, and I congratulate my friends on both
sides of the aisle for their part in all this, and I urge passage.
Mr. FLAKE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, perhaps many who wonder what the big deal is about,
Members of Congress and Habitat joining together to build two homes in
the District of Columbia; I think all of us realize that there is a
critical housing shortage in America, and those of us who are not only
Members of the Congress, but persons like myself who does housing
development, particularly in low- and moderate-income communities, we
realize that this is an important step. I do not think anyone has
[[Page H2946]]
done as much as President Jimmy Carter in terms of lifting the concerns
of homelessness in the way that he has done since he left the White
House to a level whereby we all know that it is a critical problem and
that we can make a difference, and we make that difference not only by
asking for Government dollars to rebuild communities, but make that
difference by making the kind of individual investments of time,
energy, resources to try to make this a better country for all of us to
live in.
There is also another thing I think we ought to be concerned about,
and that is, in addition to building housing, how to build the
necessary support services. As my colleagues know, in many communities
many of the commercial strips are devastated, people do not have access
to basic services because they have been left behind, communities have
not been invested in, in many instances between insurance companies and
banks. There has been a redlining process that has negated the
possibility of these communities being as strong as they could be.
So it is my hope that what we do today sends the message that not
only will we be building houses, we will be rebuilding commercial
strips, and of course all of this means that we will rebuild the lives
of people, rebuild the quality of life for all Americans, and in so
doing I think this Congress will make the greatest of all statements.
I would like to thank all of those who have participated in helping
to bring this piece of legislation to the floor and all of those who
will participate not only in assuring that these two people will have
homes, but also that all of America will be housed.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 30 seconds.
Mr. Speaker, I just want to acknowledge finally two great Americans
that have had outstanding contributions to the Habitat Program besides,
of course, Millard Fuller, who is the president of Habitat and the
hundreds and thousands, actually, of leaders involved in the affiliates
throughout the country; our President Jimmy Carter, who has contributed
so much of his time to provide a role model, and his involvement in the
Habitat Program is well known throughout the country and is respected
by both sides of the aisle, and the Speaker of the House, Newt
Gingrich, for without his leadership last year we certainly would not
be able to move out of our committee and onto the floor for passage and
finally for signature on the President's desk the first major public
partnership between the Federal Government and Habitat for Humanity
that will bring that dream of home ownership to thousands of Americans.
So my hat is off to two great Americans, President Jimmy Carter and
Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich for their bipartisan support for a
wonderful program, the Habitat for Humanity Program.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio] that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 147, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof)----
Mr. LAZIO of New York. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and
nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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