Issue:  H.R. 861 NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) Termination Act.

Result: Passed in the House, 242 to 182, 8 not voting. The GOP carried the measure, 237 to 2. Only five Democrats voted Aye.  Democrats scored.

Bill Summary:  Rescinds the third round of funding for the 2008 Neighborhood Stabilization Program [NSP].

Analysis:  The Neighborhood Stabilization Program was created during the 2008 mortgage crisis to help governments and nonprofit groups buy and redevelop foreclosed and abandoned houses — a totally unconstitutional function of the federal government.

According to the website of the equally unconstitutional Housing and Urban Development department, “The Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) was established for the purpose of stabilizing communities that have suffered from foreclosures and abandonment. Through the purchase and redevelopment of foreclosed and abandoned homes and residential properties, the goal of the program is being realized.”

Stabilizing neighborhoods is a totally unconstitutional function for the federal government.   Moreover, the NSP is an example of government concocting the poison and the antidote in the same laboratory — problems created by government involvement in the housing market are to be solved by more economically unsound government intervention.

Further funding of the NSP certainly deserves to be halted. Unfortunately, this is merely a House GOP posturing roll call, as the next $1 billion round of grants were slated to go out the door before the rescission could possibly be enacted (assuming the measure had Senate and White House support — not the case).   Nevertheless, we give credit to those House Democrats who stood tall in support of rescission.

We have assigned (good vote) to the Ayes and (bad vote) to the Noes. (P = voted present; ? = not voting; blank = not listed on roll call.)