House Dems to oppose elimination of mortgage programs

House Democrats are signaling that they will oppose Republican efforts this week to repeal two federal mortgage programs.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said on Friday that Republicans want to end "important programs that help keep families in their homes." The House on Wednesday will begin consideration of H.R. 830 and H.R. 836. The first would eliminate the Federal Housing Administration's mortgage refinance program; the second would end the emergency mortgage relief program established in last year's Wall Street reform bill.

"While there is certainly more work to be done to address the foreclosure crisis, by only offering bills that would terminate programs, Republicans are not putting forward any concrete solutions for how they would replace those programs and help families in need," Hoyer said.

Democrats will have a chance to modify the two bills when they are taken up, as Republicans are proposing to allow germane amendments to be considered as long as they are printed in the Congressional Record by Wednesday. This is the same process Republicans used in consideration of H.R. 1, their fiscal 2011 spending bill.

The House is out Monday, and returns Tuesday at 2 p.m.