[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 106 (Wednesday, June 24, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H4216]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              AFFORDABLE HOUSING LEGISLATION HELD HOSTAGE

  (Ms. Pettersen of Colorado was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Ms. PETTERSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate what the House 
and Senate were able to do with passing the 21st Century ROAD to 
Housing Act.
  Across Colorado, families are being squeezed by the skyrocketing cost 
of housing. Whether it is in the suburbs or our rural communities, 
there are simply not enough homes.
  In Colorado alone, we are short 100,000 units, and that is driving up 
costs for all of us. We know that owning a home is one of the most 
important pathways to economic opportunity, stability, and generational 
wealth. It has also been a cornerstone of the American Dream. Yet, it 
has never been further out of reach.
  Housing affordability is the number one issue that I hear from 
constituents. It is their greatest pain point. Young families are 
losing hope that they will ever be able to buy their first home. 
Seniors looking to downsize have nowhere to go. Teachers, nurses, and 
firefighters are being pushed out of the communities they serve, and 
the people who have lived there their entire lives are being forced to 
move because they can no longer afford to live in the place where they 
grew up.
  That is why addressing the housing crisis has been a top priority for 
me in Congress and why I am so proud that three of my bills have been 
included in this package.
  Like all significant issues facing this country, this is going to 
take an all-hands-on-deck approach. This bill does not address all of 
the problems that we are facing, but I am so proud that we were able to 
come together to boost the housing supply, remove barriers to 
construction, and expand access to homes families can afford.
  While this was supposed to have been a moment of bipartisanship and 
celebration, right before coming up here, I was notified that the 
President has canceled the bill signing. He is holding hostage the most 
important piece of legislation we have brought for housing in 30 years. 
He is holding it hostage until he forces through his voter suppression 
bill that would disenfranchise millions of Americans, especially women 
who have changed their name after being married.
  I am truly appalled. I should expect really nothing from this 
President, but I am absolutely shocked by his actions. President Trump 
has said that nobody gives an f about housing, and he has reminded us, 
once again, that he absolutely does not. This is about consolidating 
power for President Trump. Everything that he does is about him and has 
nothing to do with you.
  It is just absolutely shameful.

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