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For Immediate Release: December 8, 2005

Contact:	Steve Adamske, 202-225-7141

FRANK AND WATERS CALL FOR SUBPOENAS TO BE ISSUED TO HUD

Washington, DC- After Secretary Alphonso Jackson and other top staff at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) decided--without explanation--to skip a congressional oversight hearing on Hurricane Katrina Housing policy, Reps. Barney Frank, the Ranking Democratic Member of the House Financial Services Committee and Maxine Waters, the Ranking Democratic Member of the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee today wrote to subcommittee chair Bob Ney urging him to subpoena Secretary Jackson or his designee to testify. Both HUD and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) were invited to appear before the subcommittee to discuss housing policy for Hurricane Katrina evacuees over a week ago, but HUD decided not to attend. FEMA did appear before the committee today.

"Given the complaints that we've heard from local officials in the Gulf region, housing advocates, and landlord groups about HUD's and FEMA's response to the post-hurricane housing crisis, tomorrow's hearing would have given Members an opportunity to question both agencies about their coordinated response on housing issues to date and plans for their response in the future. Because of Secretary Jackson's failure to appear, or to send a HUD representative to appear, however, the Subcommittee will be denied this opportunity. We believe the Subcommittee is left with no other option but to compel Secretary Jackson's appearance through the issuance of a subpoena," the members write in their letter.

The text of Frank-Waters letter follows:

December 7, 2005

The Honorable Bob Ney

Chairman

Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity

Committee on Financial Services

U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Ney:

We are writing to request that you convene a business meeting of the Housing Subcommittee at the earliest opportunity, and prior to the end of the current congressional session, so that Members of the Subcommittee can vote to authorize and issue a subpoena to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Alphonso Jackson. The subpoena would compel the Secretary's appearance at a hearing before the Subcommittee so that he can respond to Members' questions about HUD's response to the critical housing needs of victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. As you are aware, clause 2(m)(3)(A)(i) of Rule XI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, and clause (e)(1) of Rule 3 of the Rules for the Committee on Financial Services, authorize the Committee, and its Subcommittees, to issue a subpoena by a vote of the Committee, or Subcommittee, a majority being present.

We are compelled to make this request because of Secretary Jackson's decision not to appear, or to send a HUD representative to appear, at tomorrow's Housing Subcommittee hearing on "Housing Options in the Aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita", despite the fact that you sent an invitation letter to him on December 1. It is also our understanding you have been unable to receive a firm commitment from Sec. Jackson to appear before the Subcommittee. To our knowledge, at no point did HUD represent that time constraints were an issue, and it should be noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) did not express a problem at any point with appearing at Thursday's hearing.

Given the complaints that we've heard from local officials in the Gulf region, housing advocates, and landlord groups about HUD's and FEMA's response to the post-hurricane housing crisis, tomorrow's hearing would have given Members an opportunity to question both agencies about their coordinated response on housing issues to date and plans for their response in the future. Because of Secretary Jackson's failure to appear, or to send a HUD representative to appear, however, the Subcommittee will be denied this opportunity. We believe the Subcommittee is left with no other option but to compel Secretary Jackson's appearance through the issuance of a subpoena.

As you area aware, clause (b)(4) of Rule 2 of the Rules for the Committee on Financial Services, gives discretion to the Chair to waive the three-day notice requirement for the notice of a Committee, or Subcommittee, meeting with either a two-thirds vote of the Committee, or Subcommittee, or with the concurrence of the Ranking Member. In order to expedite a meeting of the Subcommittee for the issuance of a subpoena, we hereby grant our concurrence to waive the three-day notice requirement to call a meeting of the Subcommittee. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Barney Frank

Maxine Waters

 

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The Committee oversees all components of the nation's housing and financial services sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, and securities. The Committee continually reviews the laws and programs relating to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and international development and finance agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The Committee also ensures enforcement of housing and consumer protection laws such as the U.S. Housing Act, the Truth In Lending Act, the Housing and Community Development Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Community Reinvestment Act, and financial privacy laws.