Latest news with #HUD
Politico
2 hours ago
- Business
- Politico
Senate Banking advances first large, bipartisan housing package in a decade
The Senate Banking Committee unanimously advanced landmark housing legislation on Tuesday, marking a rare area of overwhelming bipartisanship in a divided Congress. The Renewing Opportunity in the American Dream to Housing Act of 2025, sponsored by Chair Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and ranking member Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), includes proposals that aim to expand and preserve the housing supply, improve housing affordability and access, advance accountability and fiscal responsibility, and improve oversight and program integrity. 'Many people around the country, frustrated with the way we do American politics, wonder, is there any issue that brings this nation together? And I'm here to say hallelujah! We have found one. It is housing,' Scott said before the panel advanced the bill by a 24-0 vote. The legislation directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a new grant and loan program for qualifying homeowners and small landlords to address home repairs and health hazards, develop best practice frameworks for zoning and land-use policies and create a pilot program to incentivize housing development of all kinds in Community Development Block Grant participating jurisdictions, among other actions. Those asks come as the Trump administration is pushing for deep staff and budget cuts at HUD. 'There are new programs here that should operate more directly with the states and local communities so that we're not at the mercy of a stripped down HUD. But I worry about HUD being under resourced to meet its current obligations, much less to take on more,' Warren said in an interview following the markup. Members on both sides of the aisle acknowledged issues with HUD, but said it was important to get something done to improve what many view as a growing housing crisis. The bill received support from a broad range of groups representing the real estate industry, home builders, mortgage bankers, affordable housing organizations and local governments. 'You have to start someplace. And part of it is to upgrade and to modernize a number of the issues that are causing us problems,' said Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) in an interview on Monday. Some members who have been working on parts of the bill for years acknowledged the potential impact of substantial cuts at HUD.
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Homeownership is out of reach for too many. Congress can change that.
Ben Carson served as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 2017 to 2021. Henry Cisneros is board chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center and served as HUD secretary from 1993 to 1997. We each led the Department of Housing and Urban Development. We served in different administrations and hold different political views, but on this we agree: The severe homeownership gap in the United States demands urgent bipartisan action, and Congress is failing to respond.
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Department previously led by Elon Musk may be using AI to create ‘delete list', here's why
The " Department of Government Efficiency " (DOGE), which was previously led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk , is reportedly using artificial intelligence (AI) to create a "delete list" of federal regulations . This initiative aims to cut 50% of regulations by the first anniversary of US President Donald Trump's second inauguration. According to internal documents obtained by The Washington Post, the " Doge AI Deregulation Decision Tool " will analysee 200,000 government regulations and will then select those deemed no longer required by law. Doge, which was overseen by Musk until May, claims that 100,000 of these regulations can be eliminated after incorporating staff feedback. How DOGE is planning to reduce federal regulations using its AI tool In a PowerPoint presentation shared by the Washington Post, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reportedly used the AI tool to make 'decisions on 1,083 regulatory sections,' while the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau relied on it to write '100% of deregulations.' The Post report also included interviews of three HUD employees who said AI had been 'recently used to review hundreds, if not more than 1,000, lines of regulations.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bogota: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo During his 2024 campaign, Trump said that government regulations were 'driving up the cost of goods' and promised to pursue the 'most aggressive regulatory reduction' ever. He frequently opposed policies targeting the climate crisis and has even instructed the heads of all government agencies to conduct a comprehensive review of regulations in co-ordination with DOGE. What the White House said about DOGE's AI tool deleting federal regulations When asked about the use of AI in deregulation, White House spokesperson Harrison Fields said to Washington Pos that 'all options are being explored' to fulfill Trump's deregulation promises. He added that 'no single plan has been approved or green-lit' and emphasised that the work is 'in its early stages and is being conducted in a creative way in consultation with the White House'. 'The Doge experts creating these plans are the best and brightest in the business and are embarking on a never-before-attempted transformation of government systems and operations to enhance efficiency and effectiveness,' Fields noted. Boat Aavante Prime 5.1 5000DA soundbar review: DOLBY ATMOS POWER! AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Yomiuri Shimbun
3 days ago
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
DOGE Builds AI Tool to Cut 50 Percent of Federal Regulations
The U.S. DOGE Service is using a new artificial intelligence tool to slash federal regulations, with the goal of eliminating half of Washington's regulatory mandates by the first anniversary of President Donald Trump's inauguration, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post and four government officials familiar with the plans. The tool, called the 'DOGE AI Deregulation Decision Tool,' is supposed to analyze roughly 200,000 federal regulations to determine which can be eliminated because they are no longer required by law, according to a PowerPoint presentation obtained by The Post that is dated July 1 and outlines DOGE's plans. Roughly 100,000 of those rules would be deemed worthy of trimming, the PowerPoint estimates – mostly through the automated tool with some staff feedback. The PowerPoint also suggests the AI tool will save the United States trillions of dollars by reducing compliance requirements, slashing the federal budget and unlocking unspecified 'external investment.' The tool has already been used to complete 'decisions on 1,083 regulatory sections' at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in under two weeks, according to the PowerPoint, and to write '100% of deregulations' at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Three HUD employees – as well as documents obtained by The Post – confirmed that an AI tool was recently used to review hundreds, if not more than 1,000, lines of regulations at that agency and suggest edits or deletions. The tool was developed by engineers brought into government as part of Elon Musk's DOGE project, according to two federal officials directly familiar with DOGE's work, who, like others interviewed for this story, spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal deliberations they were not authorized to discuss publicly. Conservatives have long argued that the federal government issues far too many regulations that constrain economic growth and hurt the private sector. Many liberals have emphasized that there are reasons federal regulations are in place, such as protecting the environment and ensuring food safety. Asked about the AI-fueled deregulation, White House spokesman Harrison Fields wrote in an email that 'all options are being explored' to achieve the president's goal of deregulating government. Fields noted that 'no single plan has been approved or green-lit,' cautioning that the work is 'in its early stages and is being conducted in a creative way in consultation with the White House.' Fields added: 'The DOGE experts creating these plans are the best and brightest in the business and are embarking on a never-before-attempted transformation of government systems and operations to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.' No decisions have been completed on using AI to slash regulations, a HUD spokesperson said. The agency is having 'ongoing discussions' to consider how to make government more efficient. 'We are not disclosing specifics about how many regulations are being examined or where we are at in the broader process,' the spokesperson said, adding, 'the process is far from final.' The spokesperson continued: 'The intent of the developments is not to replace the judgment, discretion and expertise of staff but be additive to the process.' One former member of DOGE, which stands for Department of Government Efficiency, wrote in a text message that the team did everything it could to come up with legal and technological solutions to repeal as many regulations as possible within Trump's term. 'Creative deployment of artificial intelligence to advance the president's regulatory agenda is one logical strategy to make significant progress in that finite amount of time,' wrote James Burnham, who served as chief attorney for DOGE and is now managing partner at King Street Legal. The proposed use of AI to accomplish swift, massive deregulation expands upon the Trump administration's work to embed AI across the government – using it for everything from fighting wars to reviewing taxes. And it dovetails with the administration's aim to unwind regulations government-wide, even without AI. But it's unclear whether a new, untested technology could make mistakes in its attempts to analyze federal regulations typically put in place for a reason. On Jan. 31, Trump issued an executive order to 'unleash prosperity through deregulation,' which required agencies to repeal 10 rules for every new rule issued. Since then, some departments have engaged in what almost appears to be a competition to cut. In May, the Transportation Department declared it had deleted 52 regulations and more than 73,000 words from the Federal Register. This month, the Labor Department announced plans to nix more than 60 regulations. Still, Republicans have grown frustrated by the relatively slow pace of deregulatory actions. During the first six months of Trump's first term, his administration cut costs by about $550 million and paperwork hours by 566,000, according to the American Action Forum, a center-right think tank that tracks regulations. Through July of this year, the Trump administration has achieved nearly all its cost reductions by repealing one rule regarding what businesses must report about their ownership ties. Without that, the Trump administration would have increased regulatory costs by $1.1 billion and paperwork hours by 3.3 million, according to the think tank. 'They're way behind where they were in 2017 on the numbers, no question about it,' said Doug Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum and former director of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. 'I thought this was going to be something they crushed because they did so in 2017. I've been baffled by this.' The AI tool is intended to massively accelerate the deregulation process, with every federal agency able to develop a list of regulations to eliminate in less than four weeks, according to the PowerPoint. The agencies are supposed to finish their lists by Sept. 1, and this month, DOGE is supposed to start training staff at agencies on how to use the AI tool, the PowerPoint states. While DOGE had pushed earlier this year to take a larger role in the deregulatory effort, the Musk-led team was frequently rebuffed by agency employees who worried about outsourcing decisions and their authorities, according to three people who have participated in deregulatory conversations at the White House and the agency level who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share private conversations. Federal officials also questioned whether DOGE had the subject matter expertise to comb through highly technical regulations and find appropriate targets for cuts, the people said. As DOGE's influence waned following Musk's departure, the administration has remained focused on Trump's deregulatory order, the people said. White House staff are also using internal trackers to monitor how quickly agencies are paring regulations, while leaders at every major agency are meeting regularly to discuss how quickly they can meet Trump's ambitions and which cuts 'count' toward the president's order, according to the people. In some cases, DOGE's campaign to fire federal workers and dramatically shrink the federal workforce has hampered the deregulatory effort, the three people said. 'The White House wants us higher on the leader board,' said one of the three people. 'But you have to have staff and time to write the deregulatory notices, and we don't. That's a big reason for the holdup.' Can DOGE delete rules? Trump officials have tried to use AI to roll back regulations before. At the Department of Health and Human Services, a 2020 'Regulatory Clean Up Initiative' drew on an AI tool to identify and remove archaic language, defunct federal provisions and outdated terms from federal rules. Trump has pushed the limits of the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs repealing federal regulations, most notably through an executive order ending a rule that restricted the water flow of showerheads. It is unclear if courts will allow the administration to void rules. Meanwhile, private-sector companies tend to be uncomfortable ignoring a rule that was illegally repealed, said Nicholas Bagley, an administrative law expert at the University of Michigan. 'There's been some flashy sideshow efforts to avoid the legal strictures, but in general, they don't stick,' Bagley said of Trump's unilateral efforts to cut regulations. DOGE officials may be concerned about the legality of the AI tool. One page of the slideshow says four people identified as 'DOGE lawyers' – Burnham, Austin Raynor, Jacob Altik and Ashley Boizelle – each 'vetted and endorsed' the AI deregulation tool. Raynor, Altik and Boizelle could not be reached for comment. Federal regulations, as they stand now, can be divided into three categories, the PowerPoint says: 50 percent are not required by law, 38 percent are statutorily mandated and 12 percent are 'Not Required but Agency Needs.' By ending the rules that are both unnecessary by law and to agency operations, the PowerPoint states, the government could recover $3.3 trillion a year. But the PowerPoint also suggests it would take 3.6 million 'man-hours' to nix 100,000 regulations under the current system. It is not clear how the PowerPoint's authors arrived at these figures. That's where the AI tool comes in, the PowerPoint proposes. The tool will save 93 percent of the human labor involved by reviewing up to 500,000 comments submitted by the public in response to proposed rule changes. By the end of the deregulation exercise, humans will have spent just a few hours to cancel each of the 100,000 regulations, the PowerPoint claims. A case study at HUD The PowerPoint lists two case studies as examples of how well its AI tool can work, detailing recent efforts to slash regulations at HUD and CFPB. CFPB did not respond to questions. The Post was not able to independently confirm the use of AI at the agency. At HUD, efforts to use AI to kill regulations began three months ago, according to three employees familiar with the matter and emails obtained by The Post. A message sent to some of the agency's Public and Indian Housing staff on April 18 announced a 'DOGE team' would be 'learning how AI will be able to analyze all PIH regulations looking for and flagging discrepancies between them and the underlying statute.' 'This is a major effort,' the email continued. 'We are working with the lawyers to simplify the [Administrative Procedure Act] process … use AI for drafting, and use AI for complying notices in the future.' The overall goal, the email noted, was to deploy AI to reduce the time staff had to spend on deregulation. Another document, signed 'HUD DOGE Team' and sent to staff, detailed how DOGE team members wanted federal staffers to engage the AI tool. Staffers were supposed to look over the tool's recommendations for proposed regulatory eliminations and mark whether they agreed, disagreed or believed deletions should go further. One HUD employee who participated in this process said the AI tool made several errors. It delivered an analysis saying those who drafted various agency regulations had misunderstood the law in several places, said the employee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal conversations. But the AI tool was sometimes wrong, the employee said. 'There were a couple places where the AI said the language was outside of the statute,' the employee said, 'and actually, no – the AI read the language wrong, and it is actually correct.' After its tryout at HUD, the AI deregulation tool is supposed to deploy across the rest of government in coming months, according to the DOGE PowerPoint. Over the next five months, agencies will work with the AI tool to identify regulations to kill, respond to public comments about the proposed deletions and submit formal deregulation proposals, the PowerPoint says. The goal is to wrap everything up and 'Relaunch America on Jan. 20, 2026,' the PowerPoint states.
Engadget
3 days ago
- Business
- Engadget
DOGE is reportedly pushing an AI tool that would put half of all federal regulations on a 'delete list'
According to a report from The Washington Post , DOGE is using an AI tool to analyze federal regulations and determine which to get rid of. A DOGE PowerPoint presentation obtained by the publication notes that its "AI Solution" — reportedly called the DOGE AI Deregulation Decision Tool — found that 100,000 out of over 200,000 regulations "can be deleted." The document sets a September 1 goal deadline for agencies to complete their own deregulation lists using the tool, which it says can be done in under four weeks, and then "DOGE will roll-up a delete list of 50% of all Federal Regulations (100k Regulatory Rules)." The tool is targeting regulations that are no longer required by law, The Washington Post reports . After it makes its suggestions, staffers would review the proposed deletions before finalizing a plan. According to the PowerPoint, the tool has already been tried out by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), where it's been used to write "100% of deregulations," and by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for decisions on 1,083 regulatory sections. The Washington Post spoke to three HUD employees who confirmed it was recently used. One also said that the tool got things wrong on several occasions, misreading the language of the law at times. DOGE will reportedly start training other agencies on the tool this month. Head over to The Washington Post to read the full report.
