Joyce Beatty Confronts Scott Bessent on Affordable Housing Funds and Harriet Tubman Bill

Affordable Housing Funding Delays

• 📌 Representative Joyce Beatty expressed concern over the delays in disbursing funds to Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) for affordable housing projects.
• ⚠️ Beatty highlighted that applications have been pending for up to 12 months, and despite a supplemental application, funds have not yet been allocated for FY25.
• 🎯 She pressed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for a clear yes or no answer regarding plans to release these crucial monies.
• 🚫 The Secretary's inability to provide a direct answer led Beatty to state that the record should show he refused to answer the question.

Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Process

• 💰 Beatty questioned Secretary Bessent about the status of placing Harriet Tubman's image on the $20 bill, a process initiated in 2020.
• ⏳ She noted that previous Treasury Secretaries had indicated a timeline, but the current process is reportedly backlogged until 2028, with a response from Bessent calling it a "complex process."
• ❓ Beatty specifically asked why the process is not on target and why Bessent is not more engaged.
• 🔍 When asked who oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Bessent initially struggled to answer, prompting Beatty to state that the record should show his incompetence on the matter.
• ✍️ The Chairman invited the Secretary to respond to Beatty's detailed questions about the bill in writing.