Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

At a time when our Nation faces an unprecedented affordable housing and homelessness crisis, which House Republicans have done nothing to address over the last 2 years, it is unthinkable to consider reducing support for the very individuals who have risked their lives to defend our freedom.

When this bill came before our committee, we understood that this bill perhaps will lessen the kind of support that very, very poor veterans get. We know that, in fact, those veterans with disabilities, for example, are being penalized in ways because that disability check that they are getting does not fully support them. Any money that they get for their disability should not be taken into consideration for whether or not they are eligible, and so in trying to balance what we do for disability and for the poor veterans, we thought perhaps this wasn't the right way to do it.

Mr. Speaker, do you know what? Given the housing crisis and the needs that veterans have, we certainly have changed our opinion on the thought that perhaps the bill was not the right one. We support this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I want you to know that the incoming Trump administration has endorsed basically what I just described as doing nothing to address the housing and homeless crisis over the last 2 years.

Today's bipartisan bill, the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, represents an important stance by the House of Representatives to oppose efforts to slash housing programs like the Community Development Block Grant program and benefits for U.S. veterans generally.

It has to be very clear that we support the Community Development Block Grant program, period. We also support the idea that disabled veterans should not be penalized because they are getting disability benefits and that it would be considered having too much money in order to qualify for some housing programs. We join with our friends from across the aisle in support of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I want you to know that we are thinking very, very hard about some of the coming actions that will be taken by this new administration as it relates to veterans.

When we see and understand how best to help veterans--those who are getting disability benefits and those who are poor, who are standing in line, who are waiting to get benefits--we don't want the new administration to take any action against our veterans, against our disabled veterans.

Mr. Speaker, I am really worried about co-president Musk and what he said in an op-ed. He said he plans to slash nearly $500 billion in government spending where congressional authorization has expired. That figure includes nearly $120 billion in funding for veterans, including money for VA hospitals, doctors, nurses, medications, and procedures.

Notably, the program we are amending today, the Community Development Block Grant program, also has elapsed authorization. That means it will also be on the chopping block. I hope my Republican colleagues are paying attention. We are paying attention. Passage of this bill would only help veterans if Republicans also block co-president Musk's efforts to eliminate CDBG entirely.

I strongly oppose co-president Elon Musk's efforts to harm veterans, to strip affordable housing from families, and to take away Federal grants used to educate our children.

Instead, we should look to see how mega-billionaires like co- president Musk and others pay their fair share in taxes. They profit handsomely, often at the expense of Americans, and they should have to pay a larger portion.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I want both sides of the aisle to look closely at everything that has been said about our veterans and any attempts to undermine their ability to have a decent quality of life and to get the support that they expect.

If you look closely, no matter what is being said, let's join together on both sides of the aisle and support our veterans, no matter what. Let's tell co-president Elon Musk that, no, he will not, shall not, and must not do anything to harm our veterans when talking about getting rid of all unauthorized programs. We have seen the light, and we hope he will see the light.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman), who is also the

ranking member of the Subcommittee on Capital Markets.

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from California.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant program helps local communities fund housing and economic development projects that primarily serve low-income and moderate-income households, including many veterans.

Like many civilians, countless veterans are struggling to make ends meet while housing costs continue to rise. It is thanks to Federal housing programs under the Biden-Harris administration that Democrats have successfully reduced homelessness among veterans to its lowest level ever. It is thanks to Federal investments in the housing supply that the Biden-Harris administration has helped build more homes and slowed the rate of housing inflation compared to the previous administration.

Last Congress, Democrats successfully passed four housing bills into law. Meanwhile, as of today, Republicans have passed zero housing bills into law and have passed just one housing bill on the House floor before today, which would hike up mortgage rates and make homeownership more expensive.

Today, the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act finally represents a bipartisan commitment to the Federal Government's role in housing and supporting our Nation's veterans. Indeed, it is because of our duty to secure the well-being and dignity of those who have served that no one in this Chamber can rest easy if they care about veterans.

Co-president Elon Musk is already eyeing massive cuts to veteran benefits, up to $120 billion. I hope we will similarly see strong bipartisanship as we oppose those efforts next Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, Congress over the years has created Federal programs that help the housing insecure, particularly veterans. Of course, to qualify for these programs, you need to have income under a certain threshold.

However, we have to focus on how to calculate that income level. Particularly, do you include disability benefits in the income of those seeking this housing? It is usually homeless people seeking the housing. I think that you should not, especially when the effect of considering that disability payment is to deny housing to a homeless disabled veteran.

Our Internal Revenue Code already recognizes that disability benefits paid to veterans are not to be considered income. At our urging, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has reached the same conclusion, at least for now.

Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to have statutory provisions that make it clear that disability benefits paid by the VA should not be included in calculating eligibility for veterans housing.

The reason for that is that we cannot assume that two people with equivalent incomes are living at the same level because someone who is disabled has additional challenges. That is why they are receiving the disability benefits.

Being disabled is expensive. It requires aides. It means that you can't get across town or go even a few miles to take advantage of a store that is offering goods at a lower price. Disability benefits partially compensate for the disability. They should not have the effect of keeping a homeless person or a person close to homelessness out of housing.

That is why our committee passed two bills to deal with this issue. Today, we deal with Congresswoman De La Cruz's bill, which I strongly support and which I hope will pass unanimously here today. I am the chief Democratic cosponsor on that bill. That bill excludes veterans' service-connected disability payments from eligibility under the HUD Community Development Block Grant program.

There is another program that is dealt with by separate legislation, for which Congresswoman De La Cruz serves as the chief cosponsor. That bill, H.R. 8340, is the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act. That bill, which I am proud to have authored, passed our committee, the Financial Services Committee, unanimously 49-0 and has over 101 cosponsors.

Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone here today to vote for the bill that is before us today. I will point out that both that bill and the other bill that I mentioned have a zero score.

Mr. Speaker, I believe both bills I mentioned here have a zero score. Both are overwhelmingly supported by our veterans service organizations, including the VFW, Vietnam Veterans of America, The American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, U.S. VETS, and Black Veterans Empowerment Council.

We have two bills. Let's pass one today. Let's persuade leadership to give us a few more minutes of floor time so we can pass the other bill next week. We will get them both over to the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to calling Senator Scott and Senator Brown to say these bills deserve to be fast-tracked and passed through the Senate right away.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 7480) to amend section 102(a)(20) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 to require the exclusion of service- connected disability compensation when determining whether a person is a person of

low and moderate income, a person of low income, or a person of moderate income, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 7480, the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act, and urge my colleagues to join me in passing this critical legislation.

Our Nation's disabled veterans have made extraordinary sacrifices in service to our great country. It is our duty to ensure they receive the respect and support they have earned, especially when it comes to housing.

This bipartisan bill addresses a glaring oversight. HUD currently allows multiple different definitions of income to determine eligibility for community development block grant assistance. This inconsistency means a veteran could be disqualified simply because their service-connected disability compensation is counted as income in one definition but excluded in another. This is not just a bureaucratic glitch. It denies veterans vital assistance.

H.R. 7480 fixes this by requiring VA service-connected disability be excluded from income eligibility calculations. It ensures no veteran is penalized for benefits they earned.

This is a commonsense, bipartisan solution. Let us act today to remove these obstacles and honor our veterans with the dignity they deserve.

I thank the bipartisan cosponsors of this legislation, including Congressman Brad Sherman and the multiple veterans associations that have offered their support, including The American Legion.

Again, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 7480, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers and am prepared to close.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

I would like to take a moment to say what a proud moment this is. In the crazy Halls of Congress, we can actually get some commonsense legislation passed off the House floor. I am confident that the Senate will see how important this small change can be in making a big difference specifically with our veterans.

Our veterans give so much to this great country, and I am so proud that we came together. I thank my colleague, Congressman Sherman, for working in a bipartisan manner to get this bill done. I know how important his bill is, as well. Ultimately, it is about our veterans and making sure that our veterans are not homeless.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 7480, and I yield back the balance of my time.