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Testimony of Richard A. Hauser
General Counsel-Designate
before the Senate Committee on
Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Washington, DC
May 15, 2001
Mr.
Chairman and distinguished Members of the Committee, thank you for
the opportunity to appear before you today.
Let me begin by expressing my sincere appreciation to President
George W. Bush for his confidence in asking me to be part of his
Administration as General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Housing
and Urban Development. I am honored to be nominated. I also want
to thank Secretary Mel Martinez for asking me to join his team.
Secretary Martinez's life story is compelling and is the embodiment
of the American dream. I will be proud to be at his side, as he
develops and implements his vision for making HUD an agency that
will truly serve America consistent with its core basic mission.
Mr.
Chairman, I come before this Committee as an individual with previous
public and private sector experiences which hopefully have prepared
me for the challenges that lie ahead at HUD. From my early days
as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney's office
in Miami, Florida, at the Department of Justice in Washington in
the Office of Policy and Planning, and two terms in the White House
Counsel's Office, as Associate Counsel in the Nixon White House
and Deputy Counsel to President Ronald Reagan, I have well understood
the value of government service and the need to approach that service
with integrity and a sense of commitment. My experience in the private
practice of law representing clients before departments and agencies
has underscored the importance of integrity and responsiveness in
the administration of our laws and programs. With that in mind,
and with the Senate's approval, I am committed to assist Secretary
Mel Martinez in his efforts to make the Department of Housing and
Urban Development a more efficient, effective and responsive institution
- one that will operate with the highest ethical and professional
standards, - both for its employees and its program participants.
It
is my understanding that HUD has been an organization designated
as high risk by GAO and often criticized by its own Inspector General.
These areas of concern include - but are not limited to - FHA, the
integration of financial management systems, consistent application
of HUD's program requirements and staffing capability. In this regard,
let me state clearly that I respect the independence of GAO and
the Office of Inspector General and appreciate the valuable oversight
functions that they perform, and if confirmed, I will work to forge
a constructive working relationship with both entities.
During
his first months in office, Secretary Martinez has already begun
the task of assuring that the appropriate use of HUD funds and the
appropriate administration of HUD programs is his top priority.
He has delivered that message to the Congress in his confirmation
hearing, and at subsequent budget hearings. He has delivered that
message to HUD staff, and perhaps most important, he has delivered
that message to the recipients of HUD programs. As General Counsel,
it would be my intent to help the Secretary put the HUD house in
order, and address the priorities of President Bush and Secretary
Matrinez, so that HUD will become a truly effective agency, which
is capable of providing the housing and community renewal opportunities
needed by so many American families and neighborhoods.
Mr.
Chairman, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has a
wide range of responsibilities. To his credit, the Secretary has
made it his priority to focus the agency on the core mission to:
expand homeownership opportunities for low and moderate income families;
renew distressed areas with decent and safe neighborhoods; enhance
affordable housing opportunities for all residents, particularly
members of disadvantaged minorities; recognize the needs of the
growing elderly population and provide incentives to address those
concerns and encourage economic vitality while at the same time
address the challenges of growth and their impacts on the quality
of everyday life.
The
Office of General Counsel cuts across all of those lines and helps
the Department achieve its goals consistent with the laws passed
by the Congress and signed by the President. The General Counsel
is the Chief legal officer for the agency providing advice on all
aspects of Federal housing and urban development laws, regulations
and policies. These duties include: drafting legislation, and regulations;
representing the Department in affirmative and defensive litigation
and serving program clients as program counsel by providing guidance
about the statutes and regulations that govern the operations of
the Department to assure that the programs are administered as intended
by Congress, and in the best interest of those whom the Department
was established to serve.
I
would also like to mention one other prior experience that I believe
is relevant to my prospective position at HUD. From 1987-1996, I
had the privilege of serving as chairman of the Pennsylvania Avenue
Development Corporation ("PADC"), the federally chartered and funded
entity that was charged with the revitalization of Pennsylvania
Avenue from the Treasury Department to the Capitol. In that capacity,
I had the occasion to work with executive branch agencies, the Congress,
the D.C. Government, and the development community in a cooperative
effort which resulted in a new commercial, retail, and residential
development along "America's Main Street". My work with the PADC
gave me an appreciation of the complexities of development in the
inner city and the benefits that can be achieved when working cooperatively
with the Congress, federal and local officials, and the private
sector.
With the confidence and support of Secretary Martinez, I expect
that as General Counsel, I will be involved in all aspects of HUD
and its many program responsibilities. As I have already mentioned
in this brief statement, a major focus will be ethics. One of President
Bush's first acts was to meet with his White House staff and clearly
articulate his expectations that all who work in his Administration
will comply with the highest ethical standards. Secretary Martinez
has embraced this mandate for administering HUD programs. It will
be my intent, if confirmed as General Counsel, to assure that the
standards of conduct are clearly articulated, clearly understood
and fairly but firmly enforced by HUD, as they relate to both HUD
employees and HUD program participants. That is the only way HUD
can administer its programs and assure that the programs are delivered
consistent with the responsibility entrusted by the public for the
benefit of the people who need them most.
It
is an important time for our country and a critical time for HUD.
It is time for HUD to address its mission with a sense of urgency,
integrity, efficiency, and high ethical standards . If reported
favorably by this committee and confirmed by the Senate, I look
forward to fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of the position
for which I have been nominated. Thank you for your consideration.
Last modified: June 27 , 2001
Content Archived: March 17, 2010
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