{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/u-s-senate-passes-sen-scotts-historic-housing-affordability-legislation/", "U.S. Senate Passes Sen. Scott\u2019s Historic Housing Affordability Legislation", "2026-03-12", "2026", "2026-03", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Today, the U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act by a vote of 89-10. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), Chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, spoke on the Senate floor about how his legislation will lower housing costs by expanding supply, cutting red tape, and empowering local communities to build more homes. For Sen. Scott, housing affordability is deeply personal, and his story is what motivated him to spearhead this bipartisan, bicameral legislation with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and make the American dream of homeownership a reality for more Americans. By passing this legislation, Congress is delivering on President Trump\u2019s agenda and ensuring that 2026 is truly the year of affordability.\n\nClick here or on the image above to watch Sen. Scott\u2019s remarks.\n\nSen. Scott\u2019s remarks as delivered:\n\nMr. President, the issue of housing is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue, it\u2019s an issue about helping moms like the ones that raised me, the amazing woman that she was, become a homeowner.\n\nI grew up in a rental property. My first home that I remember was the one that my grandparents were renting, a little 700-square foot place, where me, my mother, and my brother shared a bedroom and a bed.\n\nOur experience was one that was filled with tragedy and challenges and a lack of resources. But the one resource we had a lot of was love, and hope.\n\nThe legislative process today gives us an opportunity to restore hope for so many people who want to just experience their version of the American Dream, which is so consistently homeownership.\n\nI am so thankful that back in those days when I was growing up there was a group of legislators, back in the late 70s and early 80s, who created a program at the USDA that allowed my mom to become a first-time homebuyer at 38 years old.\n\nBut today \u2013 today the average age of a first-time homebuyer is 40. Forty years old before you ever experience the American Dream.\n\nThat age is too old, and we as a legislative body can do now what a legislative body did then: create opportunities, restore hope, and let young people experience, for the first-time, the American Dream.\n\nThe dream of homeownership.\n\nI am so thankful, that so far so good, but we must finish the task today. We can do what so many folks failed to do in this legislative body for the last few decades.\n\nNot few years, but few decades.\n\nThat is pass consequential legislation that makes it easier to become a homeowner for those that are ready for that part of their journey.\n\nI urge this body to vote yes on this bill, and let\u2019s create more homeowners at an earlier age.\n\nThe age of affordability is now, and the solution to affordability is in fact us.\n\nI urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill and let\u2019s get the ball moving.\n\nThank you, Mr. President.\n\nBACKGROUND:\n\nThe 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act is built around four core pillars:\n\nCutting red tape\n\nUnlocking housing supply\n\nLowering costs for families\n\nIncluding no new mandatory federal spending\n\nThe bill streamlines environmental reviews, modernizes manufactured housing rules, unlocks private investment, updates multifamily financing tools, streamlines construction activities across programs, and limits certain large institutional investors from crowding out families in residential markets.\n\nLast week, Senate Banking Committee Republicans released a series of fact sheets and a Myth vs. Fact document explaining how the legislation increases supply, reduces regulatory barriers, and improves oversight of housing programs.\n\nTo read the Fact Sheets, click here.\n\nFor the full Myth vs. Fact document, click here.\n\nSen. Scott also recently highlighted strong support from housing advocates, industry leaders, lenders, and community organizations across the country for the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.\n\nTo read the extensive list of industry supporters, click here.\n\nThe legislation represents the most significant bipartisan housing reform effort in decades, focused on expanding housing supply, cutting red tape, and lowering housing costs for American families seeking to achieve the dream of homeownership.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/u-s-senate-passes-sen-scotts-historic-housing-affordability-legislation/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7302041631191969, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}