Cole Remarks at Budget Hearing on Department of Housing and Urban Development

Thank you, Chairman Womack, and thank you, Ranking Member Clyburn. I am also pleased to be joined by my friend, Full Committee Ranking Member DeLauro. Welcome, Secretary Turner. Thank you for appearing before us today and for your continued service to the American people.

This Subcommittee oversees a portfolio that touches nearly every American: from roads and bridges to the rental assistance that keeps a roof over the heads of our most vulnerable neighbors. Few areas of government operate at a more direct and community-focused level.

Whether through housing assistance for our elderly and disabled – or economic development programs like CDBG – HUD’s reach into the daily lives of Americans is profound. That is why this Subcommittee takes its oversight responsibilities so seriously, and why we expect accountability from our agencies.

One area that has long been a priority for me is how HUD fulfills its trust and treaty obligations to tribal communities. When I chaired this Subcommittee, I worked to elevate tribal housing programs. I am grateful that Chairman Womack has continued to build on those investments. 

These obligations represent commitments made to sovereign nations that have waited far too long for the federal government to make good on its promises.

I am pleased that you have engaged tribal leaders directly, including the Tribal Intergovernmental Advisory Committee, which you hosted last September. That kind of meaningful consultation reaffirms HUD's commitment to its government-to-government responsibilities, and I trust you will continue to prioritize it.

Mr. Secretary, we have important work ahead of us. The American people deserve a HUD that is well-managed, responsive, and funded to meet its mission. This Subcommittee intends to do its part. I look forward to a candid and productive dialogue today. Thank you, Chairman Womack. I yield back.