United States Senator Elizabeth Warren and Representative Maxine Waters have issued a joint statement in response to Secretary Scott Turner's decision to terminate an anti-discrimination housing rule. Warren, who serves as the Ranking Member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and Waters, the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, expressed their concerns over this move.
"Secretary Turner is abandoning HUD’s legal obligation to eliminate housing discrimination in the United States," they stated. They highlighted that this decision comes at a time when the country is facing significant challenges related to housing discrimination and affordability.
The statement emphasized that "this outright assault on civil rights takes us back to the days when the federal government rubber stamped segregation and discrimination." The lawmakers argue that eliminating this key tool will negatively impact various groups including people of color, older Americans, veterans, people with disabilities, families with children, among others.
Warren and Waters declared their commitment to continue fighting for fair housing. "The fight for fair housing is on and Democrats will not back down until we fulfill the promise of equal opportunity in housing for every American."