NEWS: Senator Blunt Rochester Questions Experts on the Current Affordability Crisis and Support for Our Veterans

"These are the people who protect us, we deserve, and they deserve to have our protection as well"

Click here to watch Senator Blunt Rochester's Remarks

U.S. Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, participated in a hearing on the state of affordability. She celebrated the passage of the 21^st Century Road to Housing Act, which will address the state of housing, and reflected on recent conversations with Delaware veterans and their emphasis on the affordability crisis. Her questions focused on resources for our nation's veterans and the role the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) plays in protecting them from predatory financial practices.

Witnesses Include:

· Ms. Lindsey Johnson, CEO, Consumer Bankers Association

· Mr. Kevin Brown, President, National Association of Realtors

· Mr. Cody Carbone, CEO, Digital Chamber

· Dr. Julie Margetta Morgan, President, The Century Foundation

Senator Blunt Rochester's full remarks and exchange can be found here, a key excerpt is included below:

Senator Blunt Rochester: "It's my understanding that since 2011, service members from all 50 states and every military base have filed more than 400,000 complaints to the CFPB, and that there was a complaint database. Can you just tell us why was the Office of Service Member Affairs at the CFPB was created in the first place, and what are the consequences of weakening the protections and lessening its staffing?

Dr. Margetta Morgan: "Financial readiness is a critical component of military readiness. When people are distracted by dealing with predatory lenders at home, or when their security clearances are held up based on a debt collection they shouldn't owe, that affects our ability to fight wars and to keep our country safe. This is a really critical component of the overall picture on defense."

Senator Blunt Rochester: "Thank you. These are the people who protect us, we deserve, and they deserve to have our protection as well. Thank you. And I yield back."