'You Ought To Be Ashamed': Bonnie Watson Coleman Absolutely Lights Into HUD Sec. Scott Turner

Forbes Breaking News

At a House Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) questioned HUD Sec. Scott Turner about his budget proposal.

Transcript

00:00Thank you. Next up, we have Ms. Watson Coleman. You have five minutes, Ms. Coleman.

00:07Thank you. Welcome, Mr. Secretary. You've said a lot today. You've not answered one question,

00:15but you're consistent. You've not answered the hows of the questions that the Republicans have

00:20asked, and you certainly haven't answered how you're going to make something happen on this

00:25either. What I am concerned about is how you could even open your mouth and say that you care about

00:33this population or these populations when you're willing to come here and advocate for 51% reduction

00:40in the budget. And so I want to go over a little bit of this stuff with you because I don't think

00:46you're refocusing. I think you're devastating. And this is a ludicrous proposal. I'm sure you know

00:54that 74% of Americans are concerned about housing and 771,000, you mentioned it, are currently

01:02homeless. I know you know that 7.6 million, including 2.9 million children, are facing the

01:07threat of eviction. I know that you know that this budget does not usher us into any alleged golden

01:14age, but perhaps a gilded age. I am unsure how you and this administration arrived at the decision

01:21to cut HUD by 51%. It was specifically $45.6 billion during a period of rising homelessness

01:29and housing insecurity. And I want to remind you that four years ago, you were here. You and the

01:36administration are going to try to sell the American people a story that these cuts are justified

01:40and you give it while you want to give your money back to very wealthy donors. It's my job to show the

01:47American people that these are unjustifiable cuts. And so here, let us go with this. A 40% cut to

01:54rental and homeless assistance programs totaling $27.25 billion. A $53 billion cut to Section 8 rental

02:02assistance. An $8.8 billion cut to public housing. A $1.2 billion cut to Sections 202 and 811 programs for the

02:11elderly and disabled. A $505 million cut to Papua. A $22 billion cut to HUD's Housing Construction Supply and

02:20Preservation Program. A $1.25 billion cut to the home program. You care about home ownership? I don't think so.

02:28A $75 billion cut to the Choice Neighborhoods Program. A $12 million cut to the shop program. A $6 million cut to

02:35World Capacity Building Grants. A $10 million cut to the Price Program. A $296 million cut to the Lead

02:43Hazard Reduction and Healthy Home Programs Grant. A $3.3 billion cut to Community Development Block Grants.

02:50A $100 million cut to Pro Housing. A $196 million cut to Family Self-Sufficiency Programs. A $58 million cut to

03:00Housing Counseling. A $101.4 million cut to Fair Housing. Now, Secretary, I'm sure you know that these

03:09cuts will successfully increase housing, housing instability, and evictions. I'm sure you know

03:15that those facing evictions don't have a right to counsel. I am sure you also know that your budget

03:23is making massive cuts to legal aid for those facing evictions and homelessness. So I'm sure you know

03:29that cutting rental assistance, eliminating fair housing protections, and defunding legal aid will

03:35not reduce homelessness and eviction in this country. I am sure you're aware that you are worsening the

03:41housing crisis with your budget proposal. If you really believe that you would not, you would not

03:49slash your agency's budget by over 50%. And by the way, you talk about giving the authority back to the

03:58United States. You want to give them authority, but you don't want to give them resources. You can't do

04:03anything with your rhetoric and your narrative. You've got to show with your actions and with your

04:08resources. And last but not least, I want you to tell me what DEI contracts you have terminated. What does

04:20that mean? Did you terminate contracts to veterans? Did you terminate contracts to disability organizations?

04:28Did you terminate contracts to black contractors? Did you terminate to Latino or Asian or whatever?

04:38What the heck are you talking about eliminating DEI contracts in HUD? Who's your population? Who should you be

04:47looking after? It is shameful. And you are to be shamed of being here. You don't have to answer any

04:53question because you haven't answered one yet. Uh, Ms. Vice, Ms. Vice Chairman, I would actually like

05:00to answer her. Okay. Thank you. Uh, Congress lady, you know, um, and thank you for, uh, state and all the,

05:08uh, stats of our budget. We really appreciate that because it just reiterates my point

05:13that with, uh, record funding, HUD has still not carried out its most basic mission.

05:20And I have answered questions. Don't act like you haven't been here, sir. Just four years ago,

05:24you were here. Don't act like you care about this population. Ms. Watson Coleman, if you'll let him,

05:28Ms. Watson Coleman, if you'll let him answer the question, your time has expired. Listen, I reclaimed

05:32my time back. I yielded my time. You wouldn't let him waste your time, you let him.

05:36Thank you. Uh, Madam vice chair. And thank you, uh, Ms. Watson Coleman. Thank you for reiterating my

05:43point. That status quo is not good enough. That also homelessness has gone up in spite of record

05:52funded. And thank you, Mr. Secretary.

Category

Transcript

Recommended