[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 44 (Monday, March 21, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1484-H1485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
FORECLOSURE RELIEF AND EXTENSION FOR SERVICEMEMBERS ACT OF 2015
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (S. 2393) to extend temporarily the extended period of protection
for members of uniformed services relating to mortgages, mortgage
foreclosure, and eviction, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2393
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Foreclosure Relief and
Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015''.
SEC. 2. TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF EXTENDED PERIOD OF PROTECTIONS
FOR MEMBERS OF UNIFORMED SERVICES RELATING TO
MORTGAGES, MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE, AND EVICTION.
Section 710(d) of the Honoring America's Veterans and
Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-
154; 50 U.S.C. 3953 note) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``December 31, 2015'' and
inserting ``December 31, 2017''; and
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``January 1, 2016'' and
inserting ``January 1, 2018''.
[[Page H1485]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Smith of Nebraska). Pursuant to the
rule, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) and the gentlewoman
from Florida (Ms. Brown) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.
General Leave
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
add extraneous materials on S. 2393.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Colorado?
There was no objection.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Foreclosure
Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015. This bill was
introduced by our colleague from Rhode Island, Senator Whitehouse, and
passed the Senate in December.
This bill would extend, through December 31, 2017, mortgage-related
protections for servicemembers who are called to Active Duty under the
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Specifically, these protections would
prohibit a bank or mortgage company from selling, foreclosing, or
seizing a property owned by a servicemember without a court order for 1
year after a servicemember returns from Active Duty.
This protection allows servicemembers the opportunity to avoid
foreclosure or seizure during this 1-year period following their
service, giving them the opportunity to hopefully get back on track
with mortgage payments.
In 2008, the report produced by the Commission on the National Guard
and Reserves found that the threat of foreclosure is a stressor that
should not be placed on members of the Armed Forces upon their return
to civilian life.
Today, as a shrinking Active Duty force leaves more and more
operational responsibilities to the Guard and Reserves, these home
foreclosure protections are more important than ever. This year it is
expected that more than 10,000 members of the Army National Guard and
Army Reserves will cycle through to Europe, nearly double the number of
last year. Many thousands more will serve in other theaters of
operation all over the globe.
I believe it is essential that we ensure members of the military
returning home have plenty of time to regain their financial footing,
particularly when they have selflessly given up their civilian jobs to
deploy with their Guard or Reserve units.
This protection has been extended several times by Congress and has
been considered a noncontroversial extension of existing authorities.
Without our action on this bill, the protection would slip to only a
90-day period of foreclosure protection and could impact servicemembers
as early as the end of this month.
I would also note that the mortgage industry is supportive of this
extension. I thank them for their advocacy and for their continued
support of veterans and active and reserve servicemembers.
Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the work of
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson) and the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Fincher) for their work on this issue, as they also had
similar bills to S. 2393 pending before this body.
Once again, I urge all Members to support S. 2393.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Foreclosure Relief and
Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015.
This bill provides a 2-year extension of current protections so
veterans transitioning out of the military don't lose their homes that
they owned before beginning their military service, if they are
experiencing financial hardships for up to a year after they leave the
service.
S. 2393 allows courts to pause proceedings to foreclose on or seize a
home for 1 year following service, allowing time for transitioning
soldiers to adjust their financial situations, as well as all other
aspects of their lives, to civilian life.
We owe our veterans the benefit of the doubt when they may have
missed payments while facing the tough realities of serving our Nation.
There is broad support for this provision in both Chambers of Congress,
and I urge my colleagues to support it today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Millions of people are losing their homes and have lost their homes
to foreclosure. I have worked with the banking community, Federal HUD,
and NACA. Our veterans and other individuals are still losing their
homes, and now many churches in my district are closing and losing
their properties through foreclosure.
I am pleased that we have this bipartisan legislation, but this bill
is a temporary fix. We need to work together, as a Congress, to find a
permanent fix so that our veterans, other individuals, and churches are
protected from foreclosure.
Again, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr.
Coffman), for bringing this legislation forward. I urge the passage of
S. 2393.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to
support S. 2393.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2393, the
``Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Service Members Act of 2015,''
which amends the ``Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp
Lejeune Families Act of 2012'' by extending through December 31, 2017,
the provisions that protect service members from actions to foreclose
on a mortgage for one year after their service.
S. 2393 prohibits the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of a service
member's mortgaged property without a court order or a waiver from the
service member.
In 1940, Congress passed the ``Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief
Act'' (SSCRA) to provide protections and rights to individuals based on
their service in the U.S. armed forces.
In 2003, Congress passed the ``Service Members Civil Relief Act,''
which was modernized and reauthorized the protections and rights
previously available to service members under SSCRA.
The Service Members Civil Relief Act protects service members in the
event that their military service impedes their ability to meet
financial obligations incurred before entry into active military
service.
In 2012, the ``Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp
Lejeune Families Act of 2012'' amended the SCRA to extend the timeframe
from nine months to one year in which service members are protected
from the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of mortgaged property and any
actions filed against them for an inability to comply with the terms of
the mortgaged obligation.
The ``Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Services Members Act of
2014,'' which passed the House by voice vote, extended this provision
through December 31, 2015.
Mr. Speaker, our service members keep us safe from all manner of
threats around the globe, so the least we can do is to keep them and
their families safe from foreclosure as they transition back to
civilian life.
I urge my colleges to support this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 2393.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________