BPC’s J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy Announces Members of Its Honorary Congressional Council
Washington, DC— BPC’s J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy is excited to announce the members of its Honorary Congressional Council: Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Rep. Beth Van Duyne(R-TX), Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sen. Todd Young (R-IN).
“We look forward to tapping into the Congressional Council’s deep reservoir of knowledge and experience and are honored by their willingness to work with us as we respond to America’s housing-affordability challenge,” said Dennis Shea, the center’s executive director.
Each of the members on the council has a history of championing housing policies and bipartisanship:
Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA) – As Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Rep. Levin has used his position to champion veterans’ housing, spotlighting veterans’ homelessness and housing assistance in hearings and leading legislation, like the Housing for Women Veterans Act and Ensuring Safe Housing for Our Military Act, to provide veterans and their families with safe, affordable housing.
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) – As a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Mace has prioritized both veterans’ housing and disaster resilience. She has cosponsored several bipartisan bills—like the Tiny Homes for Homeless Veterans Act and the Ending Veteran Homelessness Act—to house homeless veterans and provide supportive services as well as bipartisan legislation to help communities more effectively rebuild housing and infrastructure after disasters, like the National Disaster Safety Board Act, Disaster Assistance Equity Act, and Flood Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act.
Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY) – In addition to being Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Meeks is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, where he served as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions and has championed legislation to address racial and ethnic disparities in banking and financial services. Having grown up in public housing in Harlem, Rep. Meeks has attributed his views and focus to having witnessed the struggles faced by low-income families in making ends meet and in getting access to credit.
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) – Rep. Van Duyne has extensive experience in and out of Congress on housing issues, having previously served as a HUD regional administrator and as mayor of Irving, TX from 2011 to 2017. As a HUD regional administrator, Rep. Van Duyne oversaw programs and operations in the five states of Region VI—Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In Congress, she is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, House Committee on Small Business, and Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) – Sen. Van Hollen has represented Maryland in Congress since 2003, serving as a U.S. representative until being elected to the Senate in November 2016. As a member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Appropriations; Foreign Relations; and Budget Committees, Sen. Van Hollen frequently works across the aisle, particularly to champion issues affecting children and families. Sen. Van Hollen recently introduced, with Sen. Todd Young, the Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act to provide housing vouchers to help families with young children move to neighborhoods with high-performing schools, child care, and other opportunities. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Van Hollen also fights for funding that will alleviate the country’s affordable housing supply shortage and close the racial homeownership gap.
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) – Sen. Young has represented Indiana in Congress since 2011, serving as a U.S. representative until being elected to the Senate in November 2016. As a member of the Senate Finance; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Foreign Relations; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees, Sen. Young has established a reputation for his commitment to bipartisanship and housing affordability. He has sponsored and championed a number of bipartisan housing bills, including the Task Force on the Impact of Affordable Housing Act, Yes In My Backyard Act, Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act, Eviction Crisis Act, and Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act.
The J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy is committed to an America where every family has access to a safe, decent, and affordable home. The center looks forward to working with the Honorary Congressional Council and other members of Congress to advance this important, bipartisan objective.
For more information on BPC’s J. Ronald Terwilliger Center for Housing Policy: