Pelosi Signals Support for Expanding Housing Aid to Illegal Immigrants
For years, Republicans have argued that Democrats support mass illegal immigration to secure a permanent majority in critical states and nationwide. Recently, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi seemed to validate these concerns.
During a Friday interview on HBO's “Real Time” with Bill Maher, the California Democrat discussed a new state bill that would allocate up to $150,000 in state funds to assist illegal immigrants in purchasing homes.
“The bill, AB 1840, would require the California Housing Finance Authority’s home purchase assistance program, or California Dream for All Program, to include illegal immigrants’ applications,” reported Fox News, noting that the bill has already been approved by the state Senate.
With Democrats holding a super-majority in California's legislature and Governor Gavin Newsom also a Democrat, the bill’s passage seems likely.
Maher remarked, “Giving government assistance to undocumented immigrants to buy houses; that’s kind of a different place than the Democratic Party used to be on immigration.”
In response, Pelosi asserted that helping illegal immigrants has historically been a “bipartisan” matter.
“Well, it’s not free housing. It’s the American dream, being available to more people. But understand this about immigration. The best speech on immigration was by President Ronald Reagan,” she said, despite the fact that Reagan and Republicans never supported taxpayer-funded housing for illegal immigrants.
Pelosi continued, referencing Reagan: “And he talked about the Statue of Liberty and the beacon of hope it is to the world and what America was preeminent in the world because our door was always open. And we will cease to be preeminent when we shut the door.”
Maher then asked, “So you’d vote for this law?”
Pelosi replied, “Well I don’t – I’m not familiar with exactly what it is, but making the American dream of home ownership available to all people is something we have to do for people who are here now.” Maher pointed out that the housing aid would go to “undocumented” migrants while the state grapples with a housing shortage.
Pelosi responded, “Well, what I would like to do is move them to documented. One of the best things that we can do for our economy is to pass comprehensive immigration reform.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher from Yuba City criticized the bill, suggesting it would worsen the border and housing crises while raising the cost of living in California.
“I didn’t know it was possible to make the border crisis and the housing crisis worse with just one vote, but Democrats found a way,” Gallagher remarked. “Giving taxpayer-funded housing subsidies to illegal immigrants will drive costs even higher and encourage more chaos at the border.”
“This is crazy, and it needs to stop,” he added.
Fox News also reported:
The California Dream for All program passed despite funds running out just 11 days after being instituted in June, which was awarded to 1,700 first-time homebuyers at the time. Finding more funding for the program was the prime concern in floor debate.
The program gives first-time homebuyers up to 20% of a home’s value or up to $150,000 as down payment assistance. The bill now heads back to the California state Assembly to go over revisions made by the state Senate. The bill passed by 12 votes, following the party line at 23-11. Some Democrats present did not vote.
Governor Newsom has yet to indicate whether he will sign the bill into law if it passes the Assembly. A spokesperson stated that the governor will evaluate the bill if it reaches his desk.