Rep. Wasserman Schultz made the following statement on the House floor during the debate on the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005:

"Mr. Chairman, I rise today to strongly oppose the Paul amendment and the civic engagement restrictions in the manager's amendment we previously debated. These will have a disproportionate and disparate impact on the State of Florida.

I just came back from my district, where the damage caused by Hurricane Wilma has been extensive. Its effects will be felt for months, if not years. Thousands of Floridians are living in shelters, as thousands of homes in the State were severely or completely destroyed.

People in Florida, Texas, the Gulf States, and across the country have been affected by these storms and have real life issues to deal with: food, shelter, clothing, fuel, lines for 2 and 3 hours to get fuel. I had to drive 150 miles today before I could find one gas station that only had about a half-hour line.

These people need shelter. They are going to need affordable housing. They could care less about partisan politics. These restrictions are misplaced and unnecessary. They preclude legitimate nonprofits from accessing affordable housing funds at a time when hundreds of thousands of Americans desperately need this assistance. We should not be clouding the need for affordable housing with partisan politics.

I urge my colleagues to stay focused on the issues that are at the center of people's lives and vote ``no'' on this amendment and ultimately support the gentleman from Massachusetts' motion to recommit."

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