Floor Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Senate President Pro Tempore
“21st Century ROAD to Housing Act”
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Every year, as I travel to all of Iowa’s 99 counties, I do that to connect with constituents and to understand Iowans’ needs of their various communities across our state.
Whether the community I visit is large, small or rural, all regularly expressed concerns with the lack of affordable housing.
So, you can understand why I’m excited that the Senate, after a long period of time, is finally working to pass the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. I want to emphasize [that] this is the most significant housing package to be considered by the Congress in decades.
This bipartisan bill includes a wide range of proposals focused on increasing housing supply by cutting red tape and unlocking private capital. It updates federal housing laws and empowers communities to address local housing needs.
Most importantly – this is most importantly because Iowa is a rural state – the bill includes key reforms to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural housing service programs that will preserve and expand affordable housing operations in Iowa’s rural communities and throughout [the] rural United States.
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