Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) introduced the HUD Transparency Act, bipartisan legislation to require the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Inspector General (IG) to testify annually before Congress.
“HUD exists to make housing more affordable for hardworking families across the country,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This commonsense, bipartisan bill would ensure that Congress can exercise its oversight authority by monitoring the impact of HUD’s work and preventing illegal or wasteful practices in the Department.”
“By requiring HUD’s Inspector General to testify before Congress each year, this commonsense bill would ensure the agency is spending taxpayer dollars responsibly,” said Senator Cornyn.
Specifically, the HUD Transparency Act would require the HUD IG to testify before Congress about:
- Efforts to detect and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse;
- The ability to conduct and supervise audits, investigations, and reviews;
- Actions to identify opportunities for HUD programs to progress and succeed; and
- Recommendations to improve overall efficiency and public accountability.
Senator Cortez Masto has been a leader working to lower housing costs and build more homes. She recently helped pass landmark legislation through the Senate to increase access to affordable housing, including provisions Cortez Masto authored. Earlier this year, Cortez Masto secured $5.1 million from the Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLBank) of San Francisco to assist with the construction or preservation of 273 affordable housing units in Nevada, and she has consistently been pushing to reform the FHLBanks. She introduced the Affordable Housing Bond Enhancement Act, which would make homeownership more accessible and sustainable for working families. Last year, her AACE Act to cut red tape to speed up federal land transactions and lower housing costs was signed into law.
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