House Republicans’ proposals to ax a pair of federal housing assistance programs established in response to the 2008 foreclosure crisis drew veto threats Tuesday.
The Obama administration strongly opposes a measure that would terminate the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Emergency Homeowners Loan Program, which was established as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, and a measure that would end a new Federal Housing Administration refinancing program aimed at preventing foreclosures. The stance was announced Tuesday in two statements of administration policy.
Both GOP bills are slated to be on the House floor as soon as this week.
The administration contends that the programs are needed to help stabilize the housing market and that roughly 30,000 homeowners will receive loan assistance through the HUD program over the next 30 months.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra and Rep. Joseph Crowley, vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, address a news conference immediately after the closed caucus meeting.
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