HUD Transparency Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/hr/225
Last Updated: August 3, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

ID: D000594

Follow the money

The bill

HUD Transparency Act of 2025

HR. 225, 119th Congress — read as touching Real Estate.

The sponsor

Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$97,081 raised

23 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

95% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Housing and Urban Development" section, p. 545-547 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

December 1, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, brought to you by the esteemed members of Congress. The HUD Transparency Act of 2025 - because what's more transparent than a bill that claims to promote transparency while actually doing nothing of substance?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of this bill is to give politicians a chance to grandstand and pretend they care about accountability, all while maintaining the status quo. The objective? To create a veneer of oversight without actually accomplishing anything meaningful.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The Inspector General (IG) of HUD will be required to testify before Congress annually, presenting testimony on various aspects of their work. Wow, what a bold move! Forcing the IG to show up once a year and talk about their efforts to detect waste and abuse is sure to send shockwaves through the halls of power.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The affected parties include the IG, HUD officials, and politicians who get to pretend they're doing something useful. Meanwhile, stakeholders like taxpayers and those actually impacted by HUD policies will continue to be ignored.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a classic case of "legislative lip service." It's a feel-good measure that accomplishes nothing tangible. The IG will still have the same powers and limitations as before; they'll just have to show up for an annual dog-and-pony show. Meanwhile, the real issues plaguing HUD - inefficiency, corruption, and bureaucratic red tape - will remain unaddressed.

Diagnosis: This bill is suffering from a severe case of "Potemkin Village Syndrome" - all facade, no substance. It's a desperate attempt to create the illusion of accountability while maintaining business as usual. The real disease here is the chronic lack of transparency and accountability in government, which this bill does nothing to cure.

Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism and ridicule for the politicians peddling this nonsense. Unfortunately, that won't be enough to cure the underlying disease, but it's a start.

Related Topics

Federal Budget & Appropriations
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$97,081
23 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$7,600
Committees
$0
Individuals
$89,481

No PAC contributions found

1
CHOCTAW NATION OF OKLAHOMA
1 transaction
$3,300
2
THE CHICKASAW NATION
1 transaction
$3,300
3
ALABAMA- COUSHATTA TRIBE
1 transaction
$1,000

No committee contributions found

1
ADKINS, JAMES
1 transaction
$6,600
2
MOUSSEAU, RAYMOND
1 transaction
$6,600
3
DILAMANI, EDWARD
1 transaction
$6,600
4
EMIG, SUELLEN
1 transaction
$6,600
5
STEWART, FORREST
1 transaction
$6,534
6
SPECHT, VIVIAN
1 transaction
$5,940
7
CERDA, JULIO
1 transaction
$5,000
8
SHIELDS, MAURY
1 transaction
$4,500
9
WARD, TOM
1 transaction
$4,107
10
GARCIA, ROBERT
1 transaction
$4,000
11
OGLETREE, DAN
1 transaction
$3,300
12
HUNT, WOODY L.
1 transaction
$3,300
13
GARZA, JACINTO
1 transaction
$3,300
14
POHL, BETTY J
1 transaction
$3,300
15
POPE, SUSAN
1 transaction
$3,300
16
POPE, BILL
1 transaction
$3,300
17
MCMICHAEL, GARY
1 transaction
$3,300
18
PETERFFY, THOMAS
1 transaction
$3,300
19
ANDERSEN, TERESA
1 transaction
$3,300
20
LEACH, HOWARD H
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Emmer, Tom [R-MN-6]

ID: E000294

Top Contributors

42

1
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
OrganizationPALM SPRINGS, CA
$10,000
Jun 4, 2024
2
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
OrganizationPALM SPRINGS, CA
$6,700
Nov 6, 2023
3
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$5,000
Dec 31, 2023
4
PRAIRIE ISLAND TRIBAL COUNCIL
OrganizationWELCH, MN
$5,000
Dec 27, 2023
5
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMUNITY
OrganizationCRANDON, WI
$5,000
Jul 25, 2023
6
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$5,000
Sep 10, 2024
7
MIAMI TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationMIAMI, OK
$3,300
Mar 26, 2024
8
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jun 10, 2024
9
POARCH BAND OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
Jul 31, 2023
10
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$2,300
Feb 27, 2024

Rep. Rose, John W. [R-TN-6]

ID: R000612

Top Contributors

21

1
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE OF OKLAHOMA
OrganizationRED ROCK, OK
$3,300
Dec 12, 2024
2
EVANS, JOHN B.
NGU RISK MANAGEMENT • PRESIDENT
IndividualHENDERSONVILLE, TN
$13,200
Feb 24, 2023
3
HUDSON, PHILLIP JR.
CUMBERLAND SUPPLY CO. INC. • SHAREHOLDER
IndividualCOOKEVILLE, TN
$13,200
May 20, 2023
4
VADEN, JAMES L.
SELF-EMPLOYED • ORTHODONTIST
IndividualCOOKEVILLE, TN
$13,200
May 8, 2023
5
BARNES, SAM T. DR.
SELF-EMPLOYED • PHYSICIAN
IndividualCOOKEVILLE, TN
$10,000
Feb 12, 2024
6
EVANS, JOHN B.
SELF-EMPLOYED • SALES
IndividualHENDERSONVILLE, TN
$10,000
Feb 27, 2024
7
BARNES, SAM T. DR.
SELF-EMPLOYED • PHYSICIAN
IndividualCOOKEVILLE, TN
$6,600
Dec 8, 2023
8
LIPMAN, ROBERT S.
LIPMAN BROTHERS • EXECUTIVE
IndividualNASHVILLE, TN
$6,600
Nov 9, 2023
9
SMITH, BRAD
RUSSELL STREET VENTURES • CEO
IndividualNASHVILLE, TN
$6,600
Oct 26, 2023
10
SMITH, LAUREN
LH SMITH CONSULTING • PRESIDENT
IndividualNASHVILLE, TN
$6,600
Oct 26, 2023

Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

ID: L000599

Top Contributors

21

1
MURTAGH, COSSU, VENDITTI & CASTRO-BLANCO, LLP
OrganizationWHITE PLAINS, NY
$1,000
Feb 24, 2024
2
BATMASIAN, JAMES
INVESTMENTS LIMITED • OWNER
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 27, 2023
3
BATMASIAN, JAMES
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 29, 2023
4
AUSTIN, ROBERT
UNAKA CO., INC. • BUSINESSMAN
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$6,600
Jul 18, 2024
5
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 15, 2024
6
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 22, 2024
7
SCALA, MARY ELLEN
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualPORT CHESTER, NY
$5,300
Aug 27, 2023
8
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
SELF • PRESIDENT
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 24, 2024
9
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 25, 2024
10
PERLMUTTER, RAFUEL
GOLDEN TASTE • CEO
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,400
Jun 24, 2024

Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-PA-9]

ID: M001204

Top Contributors

22

1
PRIDE MOBILITY PRODUCTS CORP
OrganizationDURYEA, PA
$2,500
Sep 18, 2024
2
COTLER, YUDACUFSKI, HUEBNER
OrganizationSAINT CLAIR, PA
$1,000
Apr 23, 2024
3
DOWD, JOHN J
SUNDANCE VACATIONS • PRESIDENT
IndividualLEHIGHTON, PA
$6,600
Mar 25, 2024
4
PEYKOFF, ANDY
NIAGARA BOTTLING, LLC • CEO
IndividualLAS VEGAS, NV
$6,600
Mar 22, 2024
5
DOWD, JOHN J
SUNDANCE VACATIONS • PRESIDENT
IndividualLEHIGHTON, PA
$6,600
Sep 18, 2024
6
ROWAN, MARC J
APOLLO MANAGEMENT • MANAGEMENT
IndividualGREENWICH, CT
$6,600
Aug 23, 2023
7
ROWAN, CAROLYN
CAROLYN ROWAN COLLECTION • OWNER
IndividualGREENWICH, CT
$6,600
Aug 23, 2023
8
RICH, BRIAN R MR. JR
GILBERTON COAL CO. • EXECUTIVE SALES
IndividualCONSHOHOCKEN, PA
$6,600
Oct 24, 2024
9
VOLPE, ELLEN M
SELF • HOMEMAKER
IndividualWAVERLY TOWNSHIP, PA
$5,800
May 31, 2023
10
VOLPE, CHARLES J
EXCALIBUR INSURANCE MGMT • PRESIDENT
IndividualWAVERLY TOWNSHIP, PA
$5,800
May 31, 2023

Rep. Crenshaw, Dan [R-TX-2]

ID: C001120

Top Contributors

26

1
CHEVRON
OrganizationSAN RAMON, CA
$5,000
Sep 4, 2024
2
COMPLETE EMERGENCY CARE HOLDING LLC
OrganizationSOUTHLAKE, TX
$3,500
Mar 11, 2024
3
SANDLIAN REALTY
OrganizationWICHITA, KS
$1,000
Feb 7, 2024
4
ALABAMA-COUSHATTA TRIBE
OrganizationLIVINGSTON, TX
$1,000
Sep 30, 2024
5
RUSSELL W H KRIDEL MD PA
OrganizationHOUSTON, TX
$250
Feb 28, 2023
6
JONES RANCH LLC
OrganizationCORPUS CHRISTI, TX
$250
Mar 13, 2024
7
MAFRIGE, DAVID
SELF • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 21, 2023
8
MAFRIGE, DAVID
SELF • COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 21, 2023
9
ODEN, KEITH
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST • EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 27, 2023
10
ODEN, KEITH
CAMDEN PROPERTY TRUST • EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$9,900
Jun 27, 2023

Rep. Hageman, Harriet M. [R-WY-At Large]

ID: H001096

Top Contributors

70

1
COW CREEK BAND OF UMPQUA TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationROSEBURG, OR
$5,000
Aug 6, 2024
2
PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS
OrganizationTACOMA, WA
$3,700
Mar 4, 2024
3
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$3,300
Dec 22, 2023
4
PECHANGA BAND OF INDIANS
OrganizationTEMECULA, CA
$3,300
Dec 22, 2023
5
SHAKOPEE MDEWAKANTON SIOUX COMMUNITY
OrganizationPRIOR LAKE, MN
$3,300
Nov 6, 2023
6
SHINGLE SPRINGS BAND MIWOK INDIANS
OrganizationSHINGLE SPRINGS, CA
$3,300
Dec 22, 2023
7
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$3,300
Mar 29, 2024
8
HPUL PROJECT OPERATIONS
OrganizationUPPER LAKE, CA
$3,300
Sep 6, 2024
9
MUCKLESHOOT INDIAN TRIBE
OrganizationAUBURN, WA
$3,300
Sep 6, 2024
10
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY OPERATIONS ACCOUNT
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$3,300
Sep 13, 2024

Rep. Loudermilk, Barry [R-GA-11]

ID: L000583

Top Contributors

20

1
BOLCH, CARL MR. JR.
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$3,300
Dec 11, 2023
2
STEPHENSON, DONNA MRS.
NONE • HOMEMAKER
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023
3
STEPHENSON, DONNA MRS.
NONE • HOMEMAKER
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023
4
STEPHENSON, JAMES MR.
YANCEY BROTHERS • CHAIRMAN
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023
5
STEPHENSON, JAMES MR.
YANCEY BROTHERS • CHAIRMAN
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023
6
STEPHENS, WARREN
IndividualLITTLE ROCK, AR
$3,300
Dec 4, 2023
7
STEPHENS, WARREN
IndividualLITTLE ROCK, AR
$3,300
Dec 4, 2023
8
TEAGUE, GREGORY D. MR.
CROY ENGINEERING • ENGINEER
IndividualELLIJAY, GA
$3,300
Oct 11, 2023
9
DICKERSON, JASON
QUEST • PRESIDENT
IndividualCANTON, GA
$3,300
Mar 12, 2024
10
MORRIS, JOHN
REPAY HOLDINGS • CEO
IndividualATLANTA, GA
$3,300
Mar 13, 2024

Rep. Wagner, Ann [R-MO-2]

ID: W000812

Top Contributors

24

1
OTOE MISSOURIA TRIBE
OrganizationRED ROCK, OK
$3,300
Aug 23, 2023
2
DEMOCRACY ENGINE, INC., PAC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$2,000
Jul 14, 2023
3
DEMOCRACY ENGINE, INC., PAC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Mar 15, 2023
4
WINRED
OrganizationARLINGTON, VA
$9
May 9, 2024
5
WILHELM, MARK A MR.
SAFETY NATIONAL CASUALTY CORP. • CHAIRMAN & CEO
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Dec 18, 2023
6
DRURY, TIM M.
DRURY DEVELOPMENT • PRESIDENT
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Feb 27, 2023
7
DANFORTH, JOHN C
DOWD BENNETT LLP • ATTORNEY
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Feb 17, 2023
8
TRACY, RICHARD L. MR.
DOT FOODS, INC. • PRESIDENT
IndividualDES PERES, MO
$13,200
Feb 17, 2023
9
RINEY, RODGER O. MR.
T.D. AMERITRADE • ADVISOR TO CEO
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Mar 23, 2023
10
O'CONNELL, JOHN T.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Mar 15, 2023

Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25]

ID: W000816

Top Contributors

21

1
POARCH BANK OF CREEK INDIANS
OrganizationATMORE, AL
$3,300
Dec 2, 2024
2
FORD, GERALD J. MR.
DIAMOND-A CORPORATION • BANKER
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$6,600
Jan 10, 2024
3
PRINCE, ZAN MRS.
SELF EMPLOYED • INSURANCE AGENT
IndividualWEATHERFORD, TX
$6,600
Mar 30, 2023
4
WOODARD, DONALD M. MR. JR.
WESTERN COMMERCE GROUP • FINANCE
IndividualFORT WORTH, TX
$6,600
Mar 5, 2024
5
CARVALHO, ANNE MARIE MRS.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualFORT WORTH, TX
$6,600
May 5, 2023
6
ROWAN, CAROLYN
SELF EMPLOYED • FASHION DESIGNER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Apr 19, 2023
7
ROWAN, MARC
APOLLO GLOBAL MANAGEMENT • CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Apr 19, 2023
8
DUNIGAN, MIKE MR.
MIKE DUNIGAN RARE COINS • OWNER
IndividualFORT WORTH, TX
$6,000
Mar 5, 2024
9
LOWRANCE, DAN E. MR.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualFORT WORTH, TX
$5,000
Oct 31, 2023
10
NICHOLS, THOMAS B. MR.
U.S. POLYCO • PRESIDENT
IndividualSPARKS, NV
$5,000
Feb 10, 2023

Rep. Moore, Tim [R-NC-14]

ID: M001236

Top Contributors

20

1
HUCKABEE, BOBBY
SOUTHLAND • ENTREPRENEUR
IndividualWRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC
$6,600
Apr 26, 2024
2
HUCKABEE, BOBBY
IndividualWRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC
$6,600
Jun 26, 2024
3
WORDSWORTH, ELAINE
CPFRM • EXECUTIVE
IndividualNASHVILLE, NC
$6,400
Dec 31, 2023
4
WORDSWORTH, ELAINE
IndividualNASHVILLE, NC
$6,400
Dec 31, 2023
5
KELLER, OSCAR A III
SELF EMPLOYED • REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER
IndividualSANFORD, NC
$5,000
Apr 23, 2024
6
KELLER, OSCAR A III
IndividualSANFORD, NC
$5,000
Jun 23, 2024
7
PARRISH, RODDRICK DOYLE
SUMMIT HOSPITALITY • PRESIDENT
IndividualRALEIGH, NC
$4,400
Sep 30, 2024
8
PARRISH, RODDRICK DOYLE
IndividualRALEIGH, NC
$4,400
Sep 30, 2024
9
BELL, III, JAMES
BELLLEGAL GROUP • ATTORNEY
IndividualGEORGETOWN, SC
$3,300
Nov 4, 2024
10
BEAM, DREW
BROAD RIVER HOLDINGS • REAL ESTATE
IndividualSHELBY, NC
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 57 nodes and 58 connections

Total contributions: $58

Top Donors - Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15]

Showing top 23 donors by contribution amount

3 Orgs20 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 1 harmed.

  • −Real Estateconfidence 0.80

    Section 2 requires the Inspector General of the Department of Housing and Urban Development to testify before Congress annually about efforts to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, which could lead to increased scrutiny and regulation of the real estate industry, potentially increasing costs or limiting business opportunities; cite Section 2, subsection (1)

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. De La Cruz, Monica [R-TX-15])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent — they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HARMS

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Very Strong
Vector: 72%
Pages: 545-547AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 225 directly implements Project 2025's HUD reform goals by mandating annual Inspector General testimony focused on detecting and preventing fraud, waste, and abuse, assessing program efficiency, and recommending improvements—core objectives outlined in the Project 2025 HUD section."

Key themes:fraud waste abuseprogram efficiencycongressional oversightaccountabilityresource assessment

— 513 — Department of Housing and Urban Development ENDNOTES 1. At a 1998 Senate hearing, then-HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo acknowledged that the department “faced a competence gap” and had “the dubious distinction of being the only federal agency designated as ‘high risk’ by the General Accounting [now Government Accountability] Office (GAO),” even referencing the Section 8 rental subsidy as “on the brink of becoming the next savings and loan scandal,” and explained how the department was stepping up enforcement efforts “focused on closing the competence gap by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.” See “Testimony of Secretary Andrew Cuomo before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies,” March 25, 1998, https://archives.hud.gov/ testimony/1998/tst32598.cfm (accessed March 4, 2023). 2. H.R. 7984, Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, Public Law No. 89-117, 89th Congress, August 10, 1965, https://www.congress.gov/89/statute/STATUTE-79/STATUTE-79-Pg451.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Budget in Brief, pp. 2 and 7, https://www.hud.gov/ sites/dfiles/CFO/documents/2023_BudgetInBriefFINAL.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 4. For example, the Special Applications Center (SAC) located in Chicago, Illinois, was established in 1998 as a division of the Office of Public and Indian Housing to accept, review, and approve all nonfunded, noncompetitive applications and plans for demolition, disposition, and conversion of land subject to an annual contributions contract (ACC) in public housing. 5. The Secretary has delegated full authority for the Administration and enforcement of the Fair Housing Act to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity but also has delegated limited assignment and decision-making authority to the General Counsel. 6. Effectively the HUD Chief Operating Officer and appointed by the President with Senate advice and consent. 7. The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is an independent adjudicatory office within the Office of the Secretary. Led by a Director who is appointed by the Secretary, it supervises the Administrative Judges of the Office of Appeals, the administrative law judges of the Office of Administrative Law Judges, and the OHA support staff. The HUD Secretary appoints administrative judges and administrative law judges in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. Chapter 5, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/part-I/ chapter-5 (accessed March 4, 2023). 8. HUD currently has a Departmental Equity Assessment Working Group, supported with five FTEs funded by the OSDBU, “as part of the President’s Executive Order 13985, Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Congressional Justifications, p. 35-15, https://www.hud.gov/sites/ dfiles/CFO/documents/2023HUDCongressionalJustificationsFINALelectronicversion.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023), and President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” January 20, 2021, in Federal Register, Vol. 86, No. 14 (January 25, 2021), pp. 7009–7013, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-25/pdf/2021- 01753.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 9. Interestingly, “[t]he 2023 President’s Budget requests $748 thousand for CFBNP, which is $436 thousand less than the 2022 Annualized CR level. The Budget reflects total funding (carryover and new authority) of $1.2 million, $448 thousand less than 2022 total funding.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Congressional Justifications, p. 35-16. 10. See H.R. 558, Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, Public Law No. 100-77, 100th Congress, July 22, 1987, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-101/pdf/STATUTE-101-Pg482.pdf (accessed March 5, 2023). Later renamed the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act. 11. Established under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5301 et seq., https:// www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42 (accessed March 4, 2023). 12. S. 566, Cranston–Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, Public Law No. 101-625, 101st Congress, November 28, 1990, Title II, https://www.congress.gov/101/statute/STATUTE-104/STATUTE-104-Pg4079.pdf (accessed March 5, 2023). 13. S. 1, Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, Public Law No. 91-646, 91st Congress, January 2, 1971, https://www.congress.gov/91/statute/STATUTE-84/STATUTE-84-Pg1894.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). “The URA establishes the minimum Federal requirements for the acquisition of real property for Federally-funded programs and projects, and for the relocation of persons who must move from — 514 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise their homes, businesses, or farms as a direct result of acquisition, rehabilitation, or demolition for a Federally- funded program or project.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, HUD Exchange, “49 CFR Part 24–URA Regulations,” published February 2005, https://www.hudexchange.info/resource/804/ura-and- real-property-acquisition-policies-act-49-cfr-part-24/ (accessed March 4, 2023). HUD is one of the 18 federal departments and agencies that “are subject to the Uniform Act.” U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, “Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition for Federal and Federally Assisted Programs,” Federal Register, Vol. 84, No. 243 (December 18, 2019), pp. 69466–69521, esp. p. 69484, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-12-18/pdf/2019-25558.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 14. H.R. 3219, Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act of 1996, Public Law No. 104-330, 104th Congress, October 26, 1996, https://www.congress.gov/104/plaws/publ330/PLAW-104publ330.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 15. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Congressional Justifications, p. 6-1. The U.S. Housing Act of 1937 (Wagner–Steagall Act) established the origins of locally chartered housing agencies that administer federal funding for various rental assistance programs—a quintessentially progressive New Deal–era policy that expanded the administrative state’s powers to the housing market—with the primary legislative intent of eradicating slum housing in urban areas, boosting jobs, and providing housing for the working poor. 42 U.S.C. §§ 1437 et seq., https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42 (accessed March 4, 2023). A decade later, the Housing Act of 1949 codified federal standards for housing livability—a rationale that HUD and federal legislators have continued to use to justify federal intervention in housing—establishing as a national policy objective the provision of a minimum standard of housing quality for all Americans. This legislation also statutorily established many of the rural housing programs that are administered at USDA and expanded programs facilitating the removal of slum housing in urban areas. 42 U.S.C. §§ 1441 et seq., https:// www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42 (accessed March 4, 2023). 16. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Congressional Justifications, pp. 1-2 and 2-2. 17. The National Housing Act of 1934 established the FHA and the statutory authority for the secondary market. The main stated premise was to stimulate jobs and facilitate the housing and construction sector during the Great Depression. 42 U.S.C. §§ 1701 et seq., https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/12 (accessed March 4, 2023). 18. 42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d et seq., https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42 (accessed March 4, 2023). 19. 29 U.S.C. §§ 701 et seq., https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29 (accessed March 4, 2023). 20. HUD’s Departmental Enforcement Center (DEC) is led by a Director. It was established in 1998 as part of a broader effort to streamline and consolidate functions at HUD and was later merged with the Office of General Counsel. The DEC “is comprised of the Office of the Director, the Compliance Division, the Operations Division and five Satellite Offices” and describes its mission as “assuring the highest standards of ethics, management and accountability in the resolution of HUD's troubled properties.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Departmental Enforcement Center, “Program Offices: Departmental Enforcement Center,” https://www.hud.gov/program_offices/enforcement (accessed March 4, 2023). 21. H.R. 5334, Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, Public Law No. 102-1017, 102nd Congress, October 28, 1992, Title X, https://www.congress.gov/102/statute/STATUTE-106/STATUTE-106-Pg3672.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 22. H.R. 8588, Inspector General Act of 1978, Public Law No. 95-452, 95th Congress, October 12, 1978, https://www. congress.gov/95/statute/STATUTE-92/STATUTE-92-Pg1101.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 23. Guiding questions: What immediate administrative reforms of HUD and its programs can be made with high probability of success? What short-term legislative reforms can be proposed that, in tandem with administrative reforms, would achieve the HUD vision/mission objective? What HUD offices should be eliminated and/or realigned to reduce any redundancy that may persist in programmatic functions? 24. Wholly aside from reforms that would require legislation, the next Administration must ensure that key political appointees are able to acquit themselves as change agents to execute administrative reforms. Otherwise, whether because of a sheer lack of skill and expertise or simply a lack of will and philosophical alignment with reforms, staff may frustrate the efforts of committed political appointee staff and leadership to execute substantive administrative reforms. To achieve the policy and regulatory reforms outlined in this chapter, political appointees must be carefully placed in positions that reflect not only technical, market/ industry, and operational expertise, but also a shared will and commitment.

Department of Housing and Urban Development

Strong
Vector: 72%
Pages: 545-547AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 225 enhances HUD oversight by mandating annual IG testimony on fraud detection, audit capabilities, program improvement, efficiency, and resource adequacy—directly supporting Project 2025's goals of strong financial operations, internal controls, waste/fraud/abuse reduction, and accountability needed for HUD reform."

Key themes:financial accountabilityaudit oversightfraud waste abuse detectionprogram efficiencyresource assessment

— 512 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise housing model. At best, any new public investments will provide maintenance funds to bring substandard housing units and properties up to livability standards but will still fail to address larger aims of upward mobility and dynamism for local housing markets where land can be sold by PHAs and put to greater economic use, thereby benefiting entire local economies through greater private investment, productivity and employment opportunities, and increased tax revenue. Any long-term view of HUD’s future must include maintaining the strong financial operations and reliable reporting that are needed to run a $50 billion- per-year agency. Before the Trump Administration, HUD effectively did not have a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for eight years, and HUD’s financial infrastructure inevitably deteriorated. The department’s auditors were unable to conclude that HUD’s internal operations were producing accurate financial reporting. The audi- tors had identified multiple material weaknesses and significant deficiencies in the department’s internal financial controls. Overall, the deterioration of HUD’s financial infrastructure led to a lack of accountability with respect to the use of taxpayer funds as well as to pervasive difficulties with operations and program implementation. However, by hiring a new CFO from the private sector with a proven track record of visionary leadership, HUD was able to implement an agencywide governance structure that improved its financial processes and internal controls and harnessed the power of innovative new technologies to bring a modernized business mindset to the agency’s financial infrastructure. By the end of the Trump Administration, for the first time in nearly a decade, HUD was able to address all of its previously identified material weaknesses, and the auditors were able to issue their first clean audit report on HUD’s financial statements and internal controls. Finally, and more fundamentally, Congress could consider a wholesale overhaul of HUD that contemplates devolving many HUD functions to states and localities with any remaining federal functions consolidated to other federal agencies (for example, by transferring loan guarantee programs to SBA; moving Indian housing programs to the Department of the Interior; moving rental assistance, mortgage insurance programs, and GNMA to a redesignated Housing and Home Finance Agency). Generally, this reform path could consolidate some programs, elimi- nate others that have failed to produce meaningful long-run results, and narrow the scope of many programs so that they are closer to what they were when they were created. — 513 — Department of Housing and Urban Development ENDNOTES 1. At a 1998 Senate hearing, then-HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo acknowledged that the department “faced a competence gap” and had “the dubious distinction of being the only federal agency designated as ‘high risk’ by the General Accounting [now Government Accountability] Office (GAO),” even referencing the Section 8 rental subsidy as “on the brink of becoming the next savings and loan scandal,” and explained how the department was stepping up enforcement efforts “focused on closing the competence gap by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse.” See “Testimony of Secretary Andrew Cuomo before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies,” March 25, 1998, https://archives.hud.gov/ testimony/1998/tst32598.cfm (accessed March 4, 2023). 2. H.R. 7984, Housing and Urban Development Act of 1965, Public Law No. 89-117, 89th Congress, August 10, 1965, https://www.congress.gov/89/statute/STATUTE-79/STATUTE-79-Pg451.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 3. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Budget in Brief, pp. 2 and 7, https://www.hud.gov/ sites/dfiles/CFO/documents/2023_BudgetInBriefFINAL.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 4. For example, the Special Applications Center (SAC) located in Chicago, Illinois, was established in 1998 as a division of the Office of Public and Indian Housing to accept, review, and approve all nonfunded, noncompetitive applications and plans for demolition, disposition, and conversion of land subject to an annual contributions contract (ACC) in public housing. 5. The Secretary has delegated full authority for the Administration and enforcement of the Fair Housing Act to the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity but also has delegated limited assignment and decision-making authority to the General Counsel. 6. Effectively the HUD Chief Operating Officer and appointed by the President with Senate advice and consent. 7. The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is an independent adjudicatory office within the Office of the Secretary. Led by a Director who is appointed by the Secretary, it supervises the Administrative Judges of the Office of Appeals, the administrative law judges of the Office of Administrative Law Judges, and the OHA support staff. The HUD Secretary appoints administrative judges and administrative law judges in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. Chapter 5, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/part-I/ chapter-5 (accessed March 4, 2023). 8. HUD currently has a Departmental Equity Assessment Working Group, supported with five FTEs funded by the OSDBU, “as part of the President’s Executive Order 13985, Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government.” See U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Congressional Justifications, p. 35-15, https://www.hud.gov/sites/ dfiles/CFO/documents/2023HUDCongressionalJustificationsFINALelectronicversion.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023), and President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Executive Order 13985, “Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government,” January 20, 2021, in Federal Register, Vol. 86, No. 14 (January 25, 2021), pp. 7009–7013, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2021-01-25/pdf/2021- 01753.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). 9. Interestingly, “[t]he 2023 President’s Budget requests $748 thousand for CFBNP, which is $436 thousand less than the 2022 Annualized CR level. The Budget reflects total funding (carryover and new authority) of $1.2 million, $448 thousand less than 2022 total funding.” U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2023 Congressional Justifications, p. 35-16. 10. See H.R. 558, Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, Public Law No. 100-77, 100th Congress, July 22, 1987, https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-101/pdf/STATUTE-101-Pg482.pdf (accessed March 5, 2023). Later renamed the McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act. 11. Established under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, 42 U.S.C. §§ 5301 et seq., https:// www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42 (accessed March 4, 2023). 12. S. 566, Cranston–Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act, Public Law No. 101-625, 101st Congress, November 28, 1990, Title II, https://www.congress.gov/101/statute/STATUTE-104/STATUTE-104-Pg4079.pdf (accessed March 5, 2023). 13. S. 1, Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, Public Law No. 91-646, 91st Congress, January 2, 1971, https://www.congress.gov/91/statute/STATUTE-84/STATUTE-84-Pg1894.pdf (accessed March 4, 2023). “The URA establishes the minimum Federal requirements for the acquisition of real property for Federally-funded programs and projects, and for the relocation of persons who must move from

15

Moderate
Vector: 69%
Pages: 539-541AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 225 focuses on increasing HUD transparency and accountability through mandatory IG testimony, which aligns with Project 2025's emphasis on oversight and guarding against bureaucratic overreach, but it does not address the policy's specific goals of political appointee control, reversing progressive initiatives, or eliminating climate/PAVE policies."

Key themes:HUD oversightInspector General accountabilitytransparencycongressional oversightprogram efficiency

— 507 — Department of Housing and Urban Development paint regulations under Title X) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Healthy Homes Initiative, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, and National Asthma Control Program. l Office of Policy Development and Research (PDR), headed by a Senate- confirmed AS or PDAS. PDR was established in the early 1970s and today administers research activities, including external contract research grants, and provides analytical and policy advice to senior HUD staff. PDR also provides publicly available statistics through the American Housing Survey (AHS), which is sponsored by HUD and conducted by the Census Bureau; the State of the Cities Data Systems; data on the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC); and annual Fair Market Rents and Income Limits data, among other statistical publications and datasets on the characteristics of families assisted under HUD programs. l Office of Inspector General (OIG), headed by an Inspector General. The OIG is independent of HUD and one of 12 Inspectors General across the federal government authorized under the Inspector General Act of 1978.22 Operating under its own budget authority and strategic plan, the HUD OIG conducts internal and external audits and investigations of HUD programs and operations. While independent of HUD and holding no enforcement powers over HUD programs, HUD OIG works closely with the Office of General Counsel, the Departmental Enforcement Center, and HUD program offices. The Inspector General serves as an adviser to and non- voting member of the FHA Mortgagee Review Board. l Office of Field Policy and Management (FPM), headed by an Assistant Deputy Secretary for FPM. FPM supports the Secretary through regional and field office communication and external engagement with various community stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of Secretarial initiatives and special projects. HUD REFORM PILLARS Ideally, Congress would redelegate authorities that have been diverted to HUD’s administrative bureaucracy and safeguard taxpayers against the mission creep that inevitably occurs when Congress delegates power to an empowered and unelected bureaucracy that is insulated by civil service protections. If implemented, the reforms proposed in this chapter can help a new conservative Administration to use its Article II powers to rectify bureaucratic overreach, reverse the expansion of programs beyond their statutory authority, and end progressive policies that have been put in place at the department. — 508 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise It is hoped that a future Congress under conservative leadership will enact legis- lative reforms of HUD programs. With or without congressional action, however, it is vital that a conservative Administration immediately institute guardrails across HUD programs to remove the administrative state’s bureaucratic overreach of Article I authorities, thereby ensuring formal execution of Article II process and personnel reforms of the sort outlined below. FIRST-DAY AND FIRST-YEAR ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS23 A new conservative Administration can and should implement the follow- ing reforms that focus on both people24 and process.25 Implementation of these reforms simply requires courageous political leadership across all of HUD’s key appointed positions. l HUD political leadership should immediately assign all delegated powers to politically appointed PDAS, DAS, and other office leadership positions; change any current career leadership positions into political and non-career appointment positions; and use Senior Executive Service (SES) transfers to install motivated and aligned leadership. l The President should issue an executive order making the HUD Secretary a member of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which will gain broader oversight authorities to address foreign threats, particularly from China with oversight of foreign ownership of real estate in both rental and ownership markets of single-family and multifamily housing,26 with trillions worth of real estate secured across HUD’s portfolio. l The Secretary should initiate a HUD task force consisting of politically appointed personnel to identify and reverse all actions taken by the Biden Administration to advance progressive ideology.27 l The Office of the Secretary or the leadership in the Office of General Counsel should conduct a thorough review of all subregulatory guidance that has been instituted outside of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). Additionally, departmental leadership should: 1. Immediately end the Biden Administration’s Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity (PAVE) policies and reverse any Biden Administration actions that threaten to undermine the integrity of real estate appraisals.28 2. Repeal climate change initiatives and spending in the department’s budget request.29

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Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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