| A Solution to America’s Housing Crisis I’m the son of a single mother – growing up, we lived with family until we were able to rent a small place of our own. I know firsthand the importance of access to quality, affordable housing. That’s why I introduced the ROAD to Housing Act, comprehensive legislation to reverse decades of failed housing policies and make targeted reforms across all segments of the U.S. housing market. The ROAD to Housing Act builds on my Opportunity Agenda by prioritizing housing assistance for Opportunity Zones, encouraging housing development in communities that need it most. We must ensure everyone growing up in neighborhoods like the one I did has access to the dream of homeownership.
Read more about my ROAD to Housing Act here. Reaffirm Call for Immediate Release of Dr. Gulshan Abbas This Wednesday marked the six-year anniversary of Dr. Gulshan Abbas’ unjust imprisonment. I joined 11 of my bipartisan congressional colleagues to reaffirm our call for the immediate release of Dr. Abbas, who is a U.S. citizen. My heart is with her entire family as they endure unimaginable hardship since the imprisonment. No one should be thrown into prison because of their religious or political beliefs. Click here to read our full statement. Protecting Consumers from Fraud and Scams Unfortunately, it seems almost daily that I hear a horrible story of hardworking Americans forced to come out of retirement after having their savings wiped out by scams. During this week’s Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Carri Grube Lybarker, Administrator of the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs, testified and provided her expertise on how we can adapt and innovate to improve our technology, education, and other approaches to stop these crimes and protect our most vulnerable—our seniors. Thank you, Ms. Carri Grube Lybarker, for the incredible work you and your team are doing to keep South Carolinians, especially our elderly, safe from financial fraud.
I am grateful to our law enforcement members for their tireless efforts to combat financial crime and protect Americans in communities across the country and for the ways our state financial regulators and financial institutions work to educate consumers against different types of scams. Watch my opening remarks here! Protecting the Safety of American Families This week, I joined Senator Cruz and some of our Republican colleagues in sending a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas calling on them to end a parole program for Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, and Venezuelan aliens (“CHNV”), due to reports of widespread fraud and abuse, and because the program violates federal law. This program jeopardizes America’s national security and puts the safety of American families at risk. Read more about our letter here! Strengthening and Defending Our Allies Stretching across three continents and over 35 countries, the Indian Ocean region is critical for global commerce and U.S. economic security. To ensure freedom of navigation and deter threats from an increasingly aggressive CCP, I led three of my Senate colleagues in introducing the Indian Ocean Region Strategic Review Act. This legislation aims to advance our diplomatic, economic, and security interests in the critically important Indian Ocean region by requiring a multi-year strategy and implementation plan for U.S. engagement with regional partners and allies. Read more about my legislation here! | 