May 1, 2019, Fairfax, Va.—Americans for Limited Government President Rick Manning today issued the following statement in response to House Finance Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters’ complaint that, “In 2018, HUD Secretary Ben Carson halted implementation of the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing Rule…”:
“Waters’ complaint that AFFH is no longer being implemented is testimony to the value of fighting tough issues few are focusing on. In 2015, Rep. Paul Gosar acted on the attempt by the Obama administration to take functional control over most of the local zoning decisions across America through a regulation known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.
“Working closely together, Rep. Gosar and Americans for Limited Government were successful in getting the House to pass language prohibiting the implementation of the regulation federalizing local zoning decisions but were blocked in the Senate even with Senator Mike Lee working overtime to try to convince his colleagues.
“After a couple of years pushing the prohibition through the House, in 2016 Senator Susan Collins of Maine proposed an alternative, less aggressive prohibition which passed through the Senate 87 to 9 as part of the Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill, was affirmed by the House and signed by President Obama as part of a bigger package.
“The truth is that HUD would be trapped enforcing the regulatory destruction of local control if not for the efforts of Rep. Gosar and Senators Lee and Collins. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby also deserve credit for steering this important policy rider through the Appropriations process and into law, and carrying it over into the Trump administration and in current law.
“Chairwoman Waters’ angst that D.C. bureaucrats using census maps are not determining which kind of housing can go into what parcels of land in every city that participates in federal redevelopment grant programs should be celebrated by anyone who believes in the Constitutional separation of powers and federalism.
“This on-going victory is a reminder that fighting the hidden battles to limit the size and scope of government matters, and as President of Americans for Limited Government, stopping this massive federal government overreach is an achievement which we are immensely proud.”
Interview Availability: Please contact Americans for Limited Government at 703-383-0880 ext. 1 or at media@limitgov.org to arrange an interview.
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