Protecting Homeowners, Protecting the Economy
文章来源: 文章作者: 发布时间:2009-06-03 03:24 字体: [ ]  进入论坛
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REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT THE SIGNING OF
THE HELPING1 FAMILIES SAVE THEIR HOMES ACT
AND THE FRAUD ENFORCEMENT AND RECOVERY ACT

East Room


4:38 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody -- good afternoon.  Please, everybody, have a seat.  Everybody have a seat.  It is wonderful to see all of you.  Four months ago today, we took office amidst unprecedented2 economic turmoil3.  And ever since that day we've worked aggressively across all fronts to end this crisis and to build a new foundation for our lasting4 prosperity. Step by step, I believe we're moving in the right direction.

I know my administration will be judged by various markers. But there's only one measure of progress that matters to me, and that's the progress that the American people see in their own lives, day to day, because right now, despite progress, too many Americans are hurting.  They're Americans desperate to find a job, or unable to make ends meet despite working multiple jobs; Americans who pay their bills on time but can't keep their heads above water; Americans living in fear that they're one illness or one accident away from losing their home -- hardworking Americans who did all the right things, met all of their responsibilities, yet still find the American Dream slipping out of reach.

Now, much of what caused this crisis was an era of recklessness where short-term gains were too often prized over long-term prosperity.  And too often in our nation's capital, we said the right words, we patted ourselves on the back, but ultimately failed to do what we were actually sent here to do -- and that is to stand up to the special interests, and stand up for the American people.

Well, standing5 up for the American people is exactly what we're doing here today with two bills that I'm about to sign -- The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, and The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act.  These landmark6 pieces of legislation will protect hardworking Americans, crack down on those who seek to take advantage of them, and ensure that the problems that led us to this crisis never happen again.

Thanks in large part to some of the men and women here, both onstage as well as in the audience, each bill passed by overwhelmingly bipartisan majorities.  But we wouldn't be here without the leadership of my good friend, Chris Dodd.  And I want to thank him and Senator Richard Shelby.  (Applause.)  Chris and Richard Shelby over on the Senate side; and then on the House side, Chairman Barney Frank and Representative Maxine Waters -- have done a great job.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank Senators Patrick Leahy and Chuck Grassley, as well as Representatives Conyers and Bobby Scott for leading the way on the fraud enforcement bill.  (Applause.)

These two laws, together with the comprehensive credit card reforms that I hope to sign later this week, represent fundamental change that will help ensure a fair shake for hardworking Americans.  And I think it's important for people to understand the significance of this week.  This has been one of the most productive congressional work periods in some time.  And I am grateful to have Harry7 Reid here, as well as Nancy Pelosi, who could not be here, and the other key members of Congress for assigning these measures the urgency that they deserve and that the times demand.

Let me talk a little bit about the housing bill.  The Helping Families Save Their Homes Act advances the goals of our existing housing plan by providing assistance to responsible homeowners and preventing avoidable foreclosures.  Last summer, Congress passed the HOPE for Homeowners Act to help families who found themselves "underwater" as a result of declining home values -- families who owed more on their mortgages than their homes are worth.  But too many administrative8 and technical hurdles9 made it very difficult to navigate10, and most borrowers didn't even bother to try.

This bill removes those hurdles, getting folks into sustainable and affordable11 mortgages, and more importantly, keeping them in their homes.  And it expands the reach of our existing housing plan for homeowners with FHA or USDA rural housing loans, providing them with new opportunities to modify or refinance their mortgages to more affordable levels.

Because many responsible renters are being unfairly evicted12 from homes that go through foreclosure because the owners haven't been paying their mortgages, it requires banks to honor existing leases, or provide at least 90 days notice for renters on month-to-month leases.

And because far too many Americans go homeless on any given night, this bill provides comprehensive new resources for homeless Americans, focusing specifically on families with children -- the fastest-growing segment of the homeless population.

So altogether, it's a bill that builds on the housing plan we already put into action to stabilize13 the housing market and stem foreclosures.  And because of that plan, all of you should know that interest rates are down, refinancings are up, and Americans who participate can save up to $2,000 a year -- in effect, a $2,000 pay cut per family -- tax cut -- excuse me.  They don't need pay cuts.  (Laughter.)  That wouldn't be a good bill.  (Laughter.)

Any American who wants to learn more about this plan should visit makinghomeaffordable.gov.  And thanks to the efforts of the men and women gathered up here, more families will stay in their homes, more neighborhoods will remain vibrant14 and whole, more dreams will be defended, and America will take another step from recession to recovery.

So what I'm going to do now is I'm going to sign the housing bill, and then I'll talk a little bit about the anti-fraud bill. All right.

(The bill is signed.)  (Applause.)

Let's get the rest of this crew up here.

The other bill that I'm signing today gives prosecutors15 and regulators new tools to crack down on what's helped cause this crisis in the first place -- and that's the twin scourges16 of mortgage fraud and predatory lending.

Last year, the Treasury17 Department received 62,000 reports of mortgage fraud -- more than 5,000 each month.  The number of criminal mortgage fraud investigations18 opened by the FBI has more than doubled over the past three years.  And yet, the federal government's ability to investigate and prosecute19 these frauds is severely20 hindered by outdated21 laws and a lack of resources.

And that's why this bill nearly doubles the FBI's mortgage and financial fraud program, allowing it to better target fraud in hard-hit areas.  That's why it provides the resources necessary for other law enforcement and federal agencies, from the Department of Justice to the SEC to the Secret Service, to pursue these criminals, bring them to justice, and protect hardworking Americans affected22 most by these crimes.  It's also why it expands DOJ's authority to prosecute fraud that takes place in many of the private institutions not covered under current federal bank fraud criminal statutes23 -- institutions where more than half of all subprime mortgages came from as recently as four years ago.

And furthermore, it allows DOJ to prosecute anyone who fraudulently obtains Recovery Act or TARP funds -- precious taxpayer24 dollars we've carefully invested in order to turn this crisis around.  And finally, it creates a bipartisan Financial Markets Commission to investigate the financial practices that brought us to this point, so that we make sure a crisis like this never happens again.

Our current troubles were born of eroding26 home values and portfolio27 values, but also an erosion of our common values.  So if we want to fully25 dig ourselves out of this crisis, we're going to need to do more than just change policy.  We need all of us to live up to our responsibilities.  Government must set the rules of the road that are fair and fairly enforced.  Banks and lenders must end the practices that added to this mess.  Individuals must take responsibility for their own actions.  And all of us must learn to live within our means again.

I believe we're moving in the right direction.  But I want to remind everybody that it took many years and many failures to get us here, and it's going to take some time to get us out.  The stock market will rise and fall.  The job market has taken a beating and won't be back immediately.  The housing market still has a long way to go.  But I'm confident we will get there.  And if we keep at it, if we all do our part to usher28 in a new era of responsibility, then I'm convinced that we will recover from this recession, and we're going to come out on the other side stronger and more prosperous as a nation and as a people.

So with that, I'm going to sign The Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act, along with these extraordinary legislators who helped to make it happen.  Give them a big round of applause.  (Applause.)

(The bill is signed.)  (Applause.)

END
4:50 P.M. EDT



点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 helping 2rGzDc     
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的
参考例句:
  • The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
  • By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。
2 unprecedented 7gSyJ     
adj.无前例的,新奇的
参考例句:
  • The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
  • A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。
3 turmoil CKJzj     
n.骚乱,混乱,动乱
参考例句:
  • His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
  • The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。
4 lasting IpCz02     
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持
参考例句:
  • The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
  • We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
5 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的
参考例句:
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。
6 landmark j2DxG     
n.陆标,划时代的事,地界标
参考例句:
  • The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
  • The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。
7 harry heBxS     
vt.掠夺,蹂躏,使苦恼
参考例句:
  • Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天,人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
  • Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。
8 administrative fzDzkc     
adj.行政的,管理的
参考例句:
  • The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
  • He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。
9 hurdles ef026c612e29da4e5ffe480a8f65b720     
n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 );跳栏;(供人或马跳跃的)栏架;跨栏赛
参考例句:
  • In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时,必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句
10 navigate 4Gyxu     
v.航行,飞行;导航,领航
参考例句:
  • He was the first man to navigate the Atlantic by air.他是第一个飞越大西洋的人。
  • Such boats can navigate on the Nile.这种船可以在尼罗河上航行。
11 affordable kz6zfq     
adj.支付得起的,不太昂贵的
参考例句:
  • The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
  • There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。
12 evicted 17682d2fe623013fd1839f09251d20cf     
v.(依法从房屋里或土地上)驱逐,赶出( evict的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
  • They had evicted their tenants for non-payment of rent. 他们赶走了未交房租的房客。
13 stabilize PvuwZ     
vt.(使)稳定,使稳固,使稳定平衡;vi.稳定
参考例句:
  • They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
  • His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。
14 vibrant CL5zc     
adj.震颤的,响亮的,充满活力的,精力充沛的,(色彩)鲜明的
参考例句:
  • He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
  • She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。
15 prosecutors a638e6811c029cb82f180298861e21e9     
检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 ); 告发人; 起诉人; 公诉人
参考例句:
  • In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方,检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
  • You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。
16 scourges 046f04299db520625ed4a0871cf89897     
带来灾难的人或东西,祸害( scourge的名词复数 ); 鞭子
参考例句:
  • Textile workers suffer from three scourges -- noise, dust and humidity. 纱厂工人的三大威胁,就是音响、尘埃和湿气。 来自汉英文学 - 现代散文
  • Believe, if Internet remains great scourges, also won't have present dimensions. 相信,如果互联网仍然是洪水猛兽,也不会有现在的规模。
17 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
18 investigations 02de25420938593f7db7bd4052010b32     
(正式的)调查( investigation的名词复数 ); 侦查; 科学研究; 学术研究
参考例句:
  • His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查,但没有发现什么。
  • He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。
19 prosecute d0Mzn     
vt.告发;进行;vi.告发,起诉,作检察官
参考例句:
  • I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
  • Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据?
20 severely SiCzmk     
adv.严格地;严厉地;非常恶劣地
参考例句:
  • He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
  • He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。
21 outdated vJTx0     
adj.旧式的,落伍的,过时的;v.使过时
参考例句:
  • That list of addresses is outdated,many have changed.那个通讯录已经没用了,许多地址已经改了。
  • Many of us conform to the outdated customs laid down by our forebears.我们许多人都遵循祖先立下的过时习俗。
22 affected TzUzg0     
adj.不自然的,假装的
参考例句:
  • She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
  • His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。
23 statutes 2e67695e587bd14afa1655b870b4c16e     
成文法( statute的名词复数 ); 法令; 法规; 章程
参考例句:
  • The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
  • Each agency is also restricted by the particular statutes governing its activities. 各个机构的行为也受具体法令限制。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
24 taxpayer ig5zjJ     
n.纳税人
参考例句:
  • The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
  • The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。
25 fully Gfuzd     
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地
参考例句:
  • The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气,然后全部呼出。
  • They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。
26 eroding c892257232bdd413a7900bdce96d217e     
侵蚀,腐蚀( erode的现在分词 ); 逐渐毁坏,削弱,损害
参考例句:
  • The coast is slowly eroding. 海岸正慢慢地被侵蚀。
  • Another new development is eroding the age-old stereotype of the male warrior. 另一个新现象是,久已形成的男人皆武士的形象正逐渐消失。
27 portfolio 9OzxZ     
n.公事包;文件夹;大臣及部长职位
参考例句:
  • He remembered her because she was carrying a large portfolio.他因为她带着一个大公文包而记住了她。
  • He resigned his portfolio.他辞去了大臣职务。
28 usher sK2zJ     
n.带位员,招待员;vt.引导,护送;vi.做招待,担任引座员
参考例句:
  • The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
  • They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。
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