Chairman Sarbanes, Ranking Member Gramm, and distinguished members
of the Committee, my name is Angela Antonelli, and I thank you for
inviting me to appear before you today.
I am humbled and honored to be the choice of President Bush and
Secretary Mel Martinez to serve as the Chief Financial Officer for
the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. If confirmed,
I look forward to being part of the outstanding team at HUD that
will work with you and your staffs to address the housing and economic
development needs in our nation's communities.
As the daughter of Italian immigrants, I cannot fully convey to
you what it means for me to be here today. A day like today fills
me with gratitude and love for this country and the freedom and
opportunity it provides. But you cannot begin to imagine what it
means to my Mother who is here with me today. To her, I am the reason
she came to United States, sacrificed so much and started all over.
When I told her I was asked by the President to serve, she simply
said "It's the Dream." If you are born poor, you do not have to
remain poor; your life's work preordained. No, in the United States
- a land where freedom and opportunity flourish - you can dream,
and through hard work and strength of character, achieve those dreams.
My career in public service is based on a sincere desire to make
sure that future generations always see the United States as a land
where freedom and opportunity flourish and dreams for a better life
come true.
An important part of the American Dream is a home to call your
own and community of caring people of which you can be a part. I
look forward to being a part of HUD's mission to preserve the Dream
- to empower communities and their residents to improve themselves
by reducing homelessness, creating opportunities for homeownership,
and encouraging economic development.
As the nominee for the position of Chief Financial Officer, I understand
very well what is expected of me. As Secretary Martinez has stated,
the first priority will be to put HUD's own house in order. There
are many management weaknesses that remain and drain the ability
of the Department to achieve its mission.
The CFO has direct responsibility for the formulation and execution
of the Department's budget and for financial management, the presentation
of accurate financial information, management integrity and departmental
strategic planning. In the role of CFO, I hope to serve as a catalyst
for change and I welcome the challenges that the position will bring.
I intend to work closely with my colleagues at HUD to address the
institutional weaknesses identified by the US General Accounting
Office (GAO) and HUD's Inspector General.
To the position of Chief Financial Officer, I bring 15 years of
policy, budget and management experience. I have worked with and
for many of the organizations I will be working closely with to
carry out my responsibilities as CFO, including Congress, the GAO
and the Office of Management and Budget. I will be able to bring
my experiences working for the federal government and state government
as well as the private and nonprofit sectors to contribute to the
effective management and leadership of HUD.
Congress and the public are well aware of the problems that have
plagued HUD. Although GAO has removed the Department as a whole
from its "high-risk" list, there are still many activities that
remain at risk. Under the leadership of Secretary Mel Martinez,
I look forward to working with Congress in a bipartisan manner to
address these issues, restore credibility, and do a better job with
the tax dollars that hard working Americans trust to us.
I am deeply grateful for the confidence President Bush and Secretary
Martinez have placed in me. I take the responsibilities and challenges
ahead very seriously.
Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee, thank you for your
consideration of my nomination and the opportunity to appear before
you today. I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
Last modified: June
21, 2001
Content Archived: March 17, 2010