News List

A survey of housing finance in other countries sheds light on the distortion that government subsidies for housing can cause in national economies. Professors at New York University’s Stern School of Business have pointed out that one thing that Spain and the United States have in common is a “massive misallocation of their economy’s resources to construction. The oversupply is… Read more »

Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) delivered the following opening statement at today's Monetary Policy & Trade Subcommittee Hearing assessing reforms at the Export-Import Bank Read more »

Contrary to the Fannie & Freddie defenders’ assertions that America’s unique GSE-model of housing finance is the “envy of the world,” yesterday’s full committee hearing found that the U.S. ranks only 17th in the world in terms of the rate of homeownership. Our 65% homeownership rate puts us behind Australia, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom, all of which provide far less… Read more »

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) delivered the following opening statement at today’s full committee hearing titled “Beyond GSEs: Examples of Successful Housing Finance Models without Explicit Government Guarantees.” Read more »

The bipartisan Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act – passed by Congress a year ago – is working to help startup companies grow and hire, but regulatory barriers to capital remain that hinder a stronger economy, members of the Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises Subcommittee learned at a hearing today. Read more »

The House of Representatives today passed a bipartisan Financial Services Committee bill to provide greater certainty for America’s job creators so they can invest more in our struggling economy and create desperately needed jobs. Read more »

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensalring (R-TX) delivered the following speech on the House floor today in support of H.R. 1256, the Swap Jurisdiction Certainty Act Read more »

Proponents of the GSE model of housing finance often assert that the costs of that model are justified because it provides benefits that no other countries enjoy. In fact, before the collapse of the GSEs in 2008, their supporters often argued that “American housing finance is the envy of the world.” But the reality is that for all of the resources and subsidies that the GSEs directed (we… Read more »

On Wednesday the House will consider H.R. 1256, the Swap Jurisdiction Certainty Act. The Problem: Swaps are uniquely tailored financial products traded globally (cross-border) by a variety of industries to manage risk. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) are responsible for regulating swaps trades… Read more »

We’ll hold four hearings -- including full committee action on sustainable housing finance reform -- this week in addition to our three (and a half) bills on the House Floor. Be sure to check back here on the Bottom Line Blog -- and subscribe to our email lists  --  for updates throughout the week. Here’s what’s happening: We’re told on Tuesday the Rules Committee will meet… Read more »