District Update | September  30, 2015
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U.S. Congressman French Hill
Dear Friends,

In my nine months in Congress, I have not been a part of a week in Washington that was as uniting, hopeful, and inspiring as the one that just passed. The visit by Pope Francis was a historic moment for the Congress, and I was truly honored to have been able to be in attendance for his speech.

Making the day even more special was that a dear friend whom I have known for over 40 years, Monsignor Lawrence Frederick, was able to be in attendance with me. Father Fred was a teacher at Catholic High for Boys in the 1970s when I was a student there, and he has been a great influence, both spiritually and intellectually, ever since. 

Father Fred and I were both extremely receptive of the Holy Father's message to Congress. His words were lined with sage advice about how to best be stewards of God's message and gifts in our day-to-day lives – chief of all is the need to help your fellow man.

The Pope is an ambassador of the best virtues of religion; he is a staunch believer in fighting complacency, corruption, and helping those in poor communities. These are convictions that all Americans hold dear, and they are key goals of this Congress.

This is especially true when it comes to finding new and innovative ways to help the poor. For over fifty years, since President Johnson declared the "War on Poverty," our government has been using well-intentioned, but poorly performing policies to help our poorest citizens.

We have 46.7 million Americans living at or below the poverty rate.  This unacceptable figure exists despite the trillions of dollars the American taxpayers have invested to stop it. The investment has not paid off, and it’s time we reassess how we deal with poverty in this country.

This month, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling challenged all of our Committee members and the American public to find new solutions for fighting poverty.

This is not an easy task, but it starts with making sure that all American children are receiving the education and skills they need to be successful in finding a career. We also need to make sure that children are receiving proper guidance and begin focusing on their future at a young age.

Most importantly, we need private, public, and faith-based organizations to work hand-in-hand while reaching out to all groups in our communities and give them the assistance and hope they need. The Pope talked about the "dignity of work" and the opportunity to pursue happiness. Little Rock-based Our House is a great example of a non-profit that is making a credible and tangible difference in providing first-rate guidance and care for our homeless and nearly homeless populations.

The days of continuously throwing money at the problem with no results need to come to an end. Now, Democrats and Republicans need to work together and pool our ideas and resources to bring about positive change to end this epidemic that is affecting the lives of 15 percent of our Nation’s population.


Sincerely,


Representative French Hill

News for the Week

Hill's Guest: 'It's just all fantastic'
Arkansas Democrat Gazette
Monsignor Lawrence Frederick wouldn't say what grade U.S. Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., received in his class years ago, but the freshman congressman probably earned some extra credit by inviting his former teacher to hear Pope Francis speak Thursday.
Read More

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner Will Resign
Talk Business & Politics
Cong. French Hill, R-Little Rock, said:
“John Boehner is a dedicated representative of the people of Ohio and a good man. I am grateful for his work and leadership in Congress. Now, our party is faced with the challenge of identifying a solid conservative who is ready to lead us in our mission to reduce the size of government and promote an economic environment where all Americans can prosper.
I know John and his wife, Debbie, are excited to spend more time with their first grandchild, and I wish them all the best as they transition into the next stage of their lives.”
Read More
 


A Message for all Homebuyers

In July, a bill introduced by Rep. Hill, H.R. 3192, the Homebuyers Assistance Act, passed the House Financial Services Committee with broad bipartisan support.

The legislation is in response to the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) TILA-RESPA Integrated Disclosure Rule (TRID) set to take effect on October 3, 2015. The rule is highly complex and will affect nearly every home purchase transaction, including those where consumers are looking to refinance their mortgage, which could lead to significant delays and disruptions in the closing process.

Due to the complexity of the rule, CFPB has suggested it would grant some leniency to those acting in good faith to comply, but fail to meet its requirements.

However, industry groups are concerned that, without a formal grace period, the CFPB might not live up to its word, and punish failures to meet TRID requirements.

H.R. 3192 would require the CFPB to provide a temporary enforcement grace period and legal safe harbor to ensure smooth implementation of the new TRID regulation for lenders that make a good-faith effort to comply.


At a recent Committee hearing, Rep. Hill said of the legislation:

"I’d like to thank [the Chairman] and our bipartisan group that are working to take care of [the TILA-RESPA integrated rule] and trying to get bipartisan
support here in the House and the Senate to remove the penalties in the implementation of that act.

"Mr. Cordray has refused to do that in his own authority at the CFPB … I want to side with the consumer here. Some [600,000] Americans refi or buy a new home every month and they’re going to be the ones who are victimized by this confusing rule that doesn’t get implemented properly due to a technology reason or a misunderstanding at a real estate brokerage, or a title company, or a bank.

"I hope we can [pass H.R. 3192], so that our [title companies], commercial banks, mortgage bankers, real estate agents all have some confidence that they can go into this new closing regime and not be penalized, either by the Federal Government or through civil liability."

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