Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Until recently, recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, have been able to secure mortgage insurance from the Federal Housing Administration, or FHA.

In 2018, lenders began reporting to news sources such as, HousingWire and BuzzFeed, that officials from the Department of Housing and Urban Development had informed them that DACA recipients were not eligible for FHA insurance.

HUD's conflicting responses to public inquiries on the matter left uncertainty in the market over the past year. Then HUD sent a letter to Representative Pete Aguilar 2 weeks ago confirming they had stopped providing FHA insurance for DACA recipients' mortgages.

DACA recipients are individuals living in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, program. They were brought to the United States as children. They were children.

As individuals even within this administration have expressed, the United States is the only place many of them know. It is their home.

DACA recipients are taxpayers, students, teachers, and soldiers. They are our neighbors. They contribute to our economy and are pillars of our communities. Yet, individuals now seek to deny DACA recipients access to owning a home.

Our government insures mortgages through FHA to help low- and middle- income individuals buy a home. This program allowed DACA recipients to buy their first homes. HUD's move to deny these young people access to Federal insurance has already blocked people from homeownership.

That is why my colleague, Representative Pete Aguilar, and I have offered the amendment here today. This amendment simply prohibits HUD from using funds to deny DACA recipients access to FHA-insured mortgages.

Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the amendment and provide these individuals with access to homeownership.

Mr. Chair, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Aguilar).

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Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Chair, I do thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Diaz-Balart) for his kind words. I appreciate my good friend.

Mr. Chair, I yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

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Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Chair, I would just close with saying this: Remember, these are children who were brought to the United States through no decision of their own. It was their parents'.

So many of us have children, and they don't get to make their own decisions. We make the decisions when they are children on where they go, where they live.

Mr. Chair, let's show some heart. Let's show some love to these young people and allow them to pursue the American Dream. I urge its support.

Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

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