Acknowledging the history and lasting impact of the Federal Government-created problem of redlining and the responsibility of the Federal Government to address such impact.

IV 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. RES. 234 Acknowledging the history and lasting impact of the Federal Government- created problem of redlining and the responsibility of the Federal Govern- ment to address such impact. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 16, 2021 Ms. CLARKE of New York (for herself, Mr. RUSH, Ms. SEWELL, Ms. LEE of California, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. PAYNE, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. VEASEY, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. BROWN, Mr. CARSON, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. PLASKETT, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. JONES, and Mr. TORRES of New York) submitted the fol- lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services RESOLUTION Acknowledging the history and lasting impact of the Federal Government-created problem of redlining and the respon- sibility of the Federal Government to address such im- pact. Whereas access to opportunity plays a fundamental role in determining the prospects of an individual with respect to achieving upward mobility and the American Dream; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:18 Mar 17, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR234.IH HR234 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 234 IH Whereas where an individual lives plays an outsized role in determining the access of such individual to life-altering opportunities, such as finding a well-paying job and avoiding illnesses caused by environmental factors; Whereas a persistent wealth gap exists in the United States between the wealthy and the vast majority of Americans, a gap that particularly impacts communities of color; Whereas a lack of wealth increases the vulnerability of a fam- ily to socioeconomic emergencies, such as health-related emergencies that can cause financial ruin; Whereas an income gap only explains a small portion of the racial wealth gap; Whereas housing, as the most common household asset and largest source of private wealth, is the largest driver of the racial wealth gap; Whereas Federal Government redlining provided the financial foundation and legal impetus for the racially discrimina- tory housing practices principally responsible for a dis- parity in housing wealth; Whereas redlining used the authority of the Federal Govern- ment and leveraged the borrowing power of that Govern- ment to reinforce racially discriminatory incentive struc- tures in the housing market that substantially contrib- uted to the persistent segregation still seen today; Whereas segregation creates an additional barrier to upward mobility for minority communities by concentrating dis- advantage regardless of income; Whereas neighborhoods with high concentrations of Jews and immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Poland, and other East- ern European countries were also redlined, creating a multiethnic diaspora of the intentionally marginalized; VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:18 Mar 17, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR234.IH HR234 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 234 IH Whereas the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008 exacerbated the racial wealth gap; Whereas intentionally malicious and racially motivated lend- ing practices by large financial institutions directly re- sulted in the widening of the racial wealth gap in the ruthless pursuit of profits; Whereas efforts to incentivize the private sector to lend to the victims of redlining and historically financially under- served areas have failed to generate the private lending necessary to close the wealth gap or address disparate ac- cess to credit; and Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic has disproportionately im- pacted communities of color and further exacerbated the systemic poverty and barriers to opportunity and wealth cultivation that are woven into the fabric of the economic infrastructure of the United States: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That— 1 (1) the history and lasting impact of the Fed- 2 eral Government-created problem of redlining; and 3 (2) that the Federal Government has a respon- 4 sibility to take any and all necessary affirmative ac- 5 tions to ameliorate the direct negative impacts of 6 redlining, including through the creation, preserva- 7 tion, and maintenance of equitable economic oppor- 8 tunities and recovery efforts in response to the 9 COVID–19 pandemic. 10 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:18 Mar 17, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR234.IH HR234 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS