Leader Schumer Floor Remarks: “The ROAD To Housing Bill Is A Crucial First Step Towards Ending The Affordability Crisis”

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke on the Senate floor celebrating the bipartisan ROAD to Housing Act, a crucial first step towards tackling the housing crisis and ensuring Americans have access to affordable housing options. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Donald Trump may show Americans how government should not function, but our bipartisan housing bill shows Americans how we should govern. The housing shortage in the United States is nothing less than an existential threat to the American dream. The fact that Democrats and Republicans were able to come together on the ROAD to Housing at a time of such division shows just how dire America's housing crisis is today.

Americans feel financially stuck as renting and buying a home keeps getting more and more expensive, and more and more out of reach. One of the most effective ways to meaningfully lower housing costs for Americans is to build more, build faster, build everywhere. The ROAD to Housing Bill is a crucial first step towards ending the affordability crisis and ensuring Americans don't have to break the bank to keep a roof over their head. The legislation starts to tackle the zoning and permitting bottlenecks that have slowed construction from one end of this country to another. The bill supports new manufactured and modular housing that makes building cheaper, faster, easier. It also advances the effort to convert blighted buildings into new housing. Crucially, ROAD to Housing makes sure institutional investors don't squeeze American families out of buying a home.

Now let's make no mistake: ROAD to Housing isn't the end of the road - it's just the start. Congratulations to Senator Warren for her leadership on this bill and to all my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, who supported it. I'm pleased we seized this opportunity to come up with a reasonable, bipartisan solution to help the American people - opportunities that have become few and far between thanks to the chaos coming out of the White House. This is how Americans want Congress to govern.

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