Congress

Bernanke to Senate: Subprime Action Under HOEPA Likely, Programs Starting
   Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke tells the Senate Banking Committee the Fed plans to use its federally bestowed authority under HOEPA to address predatory lending.
posted 7/19/07 4:26 PM  read complete story

Capitol Hill Panel: Keep Green Voluntary & Keep the Money Coming
   A House committee panel says green building will remain hot as long as there's federal support, few mandates.
posted 7/13/07 5:30 PM  read complete story

GOP's Pushing Fair Lending Legislation
   Despite status as the minority party, a group of House Republicans are trying to revive a once-failed effort to establish federal mortgage lending standards.
posted 7/13/07 5:20 PM  read complete story

House Clears NHA Loan Increases to Aid Manufactured Housing Industry
   A proposal to increase Federal Housing Admin. (FHA) loan insurance for manufactured homes has cleared the House, and awaits Senate action after the July 4 recess.As the housing market continues its downward spiral, Congress is looking for ways to increase affordable housing, and the manufactured-hou...
posted 7/12/07 5:22 PM  read complete story

HMR Analysis: Trust Fund Push to Stifle FHA Reform, Reverse Mortgages?
   The latest attempt to establish an affordable housing trust fund in the House may be a long-shot to pass through both chambers of Congress, but the proposed legislation's structure also could mean problems for pending reform of the financially stagnant Federal Housing Admin. (FHA) programs.House Fin...
posted 6/29/07 4:51 PM  read complete story

Affordable Housing Trust Thrust Revived
   Backers of a national stand-alone affordable housing trust will try again this year to get the idea through Congress, this time with a no-holds barred proposal and a name change.The proposed legislation, HR 2895, largely crafted by the low-income housing lobby for House Financial Services Chairman B...
posted 6/29/07 4:45 PM  read complete story

Terrorism Insurance Getting New Push From Democratic-Controlled House
   Republican lawmakers vowed the last extension of the original Terrorism Risk Insurance Act--just before it would have expired in 2005--would not be turned into a long-term or permanent federal backstop. But with Democrats now holding the reigns by a wide margin in the House, such a situation is rece...
posted 6/26/07 4:19 PM  read complete story

Flood Insurance Reform Has Long Way to Go Before Sailing Through a House Vote
   Nearly two years after the massive destruction wrought by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Congress continues trying to work out legislation to fix massive problems with insurance coverage in coastal areas. And the latest proposed House bill, HR 1682, appears in need of significant work before it proper...
posted 6/14/07 5:15 PM  read complete story

FHA Reform At A Standstill
   Despite a resounding, broad chorus of support for reform of the Federal Housing Admin. (FHA) this year, Congress appears blasé on the issue.There was a spurt of activity in the House for about five weeks, but interest waned after the measure, HR 1852, the proposed Expanding American Homeownership Ac...
posted 6/14/07 3:49 PM  read complete story

House Panel Moves Bill to Penalize Eminent Domain Use for Private Gain
   House Agriculture Committee members, for the second consecutive congressional session, approve eminent domain reform legislation that would prevent federal dollars from being sent to communities using eminent domain to obtain land for private commercial development.Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D...
posted 6/14/07 3:48 PM  read complete story