U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., a member of the Senate Banking Committee, released the following statement responding to reports that the FHA will need a taxpayer-funded bailout from the U.S. Treasury to remain solvent. 

“No reasonable person could believe that we should continue along with the current housing finance system in this country when three separate entities – Fannie, Freddie, and, according to reports, now the FHA – have all had to come to the taxpayer for billions of dollars in bailout funds,” said Corker.  

In July, Corker commended the Senate Banking Committee for approving the bipartisan FHA Solvency Act of 2013, saying, “I applaud Chairman Johnson and Ranking Member Crapo for passing a bill that puts in place necessary tools and resources to get the FHA on better footing, and I am glad they have committed to building on this momentum and quickly moving a structural and bipartisan housing finance reform bill.”

In June, Corker and Senator Mark Warner, D-VA., introduced S. 1217, the Housing Reform and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2013, which would strengthen America’s housing finance system by replacing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac with a modernized system that preserves market liquidity and protects taxpayers from future economic downturns.

Cosponsors of S. 1217 include Mike Johanns, R-Neb., Jon Tester, D-Mont., Dean Heller, R-Nev., Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., Jerry Moran, R-Kan., Kay Hagan, D-N.C., Mark Kirk, R-Ill., Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.