Warren, Schumer Question Pulte on Failure to Lower Housing Costs While Serving as FHFA Head and Acting DNI

Warren, Schumer Question Pulte on Failure to Lower Housing Costs While Serving as FHFA Head and Acting DNI

"Your acceptance of the role as acting DNI suggests that you may be more interested in using your position in the federal government to continue serving the President's political agenda than in lowering housing costs for American families."

Text of Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) sent a letter to Director of the Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA) and acting Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Bill Pulte, requesting official calendars and questioning his ability to address sky-high housing costs for Americans.

The senators noted that Pulte's acceptance of the acting DNI position is another example of him using his position in the federal government to continue serving the President's political agenda rather than in lowering housing costs for American families. They also noted it also raises further questions about Pulte's potential abuses of authority, improper use of federal resources, and ability to safeguard confidential information-both as FHFA Director and as acting DNI.

"Despite the President's commitment to "bring down prices on day one," Americans continue to pay more for housing. According to the latest FHFA data, house prices increased by 2% in April compared to last year, and Freddie Mac data shows that the average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage is now, as of the week ending July 23, 2026, 52 basis points higher than it was on January 15, 2026," the Senators wrote.

"On July 10, the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act (ROAD) became law-despite the President's refusal to sign it-representing the most comprehensive housing legislation in over 30 years," the Senators continued. "We are in a critical moment for federal housing policy, and the historic passage of ROAD underscores the need for a dedicated FHFA Director who will prioritize its implementation."

"Given the importance of this legislation, there is undoubtedly more that you can and should be doing at FHFA to improve housing affordability, including by implementing the directives in ROAD and exercising the authorities I detailed in a letter we sent to you in August 2025," wrote the Senators.

The Senators concluded with a request for detailed summaries of Director Pulte's allocation of his time between FHFA and the ODNI, including a copy of his official calendars since taking on the role as acting DNI. The Senators also requested that Director Pulte provide a detailed summary of the FHFA's progress to lower housing costs and boost affordability as it pertains to the Senators' recommendations from an August 2025 letter they sent to Director Pulte.

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