[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S10545]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              STEWART B. McKINNEY HOMELESS ASSISTANCE ACT

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the consideration of H.R. 5417, which is at the desk.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 5417) to rename the Stewart B. McKinney 
     Homeless Assistance Act as the ``McKinney-Vento Homeless 
     Assistance Act.''

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I rise today to ask the Senate to pass 
legislation that has been sent to us by the House of Representatives 
that would change the name of the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless 
Assistance Act to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. This is 
one, small step we can take to honor a colleague who devoted his life 
to public service, particularly service on behalf of the most 
disadvantaged Americans.
  Bruce F. Vento has been one of the most effective advocates on behalf 
of homeless people throughout his career. Mr. Vento was one of the 
first Members of Congress to bring the plight of the nation's homeless 
to the public's attention. In 1982, Bruce introduced legislation in the 
House of Representatives to create the Emergency Shelter Grant Program. 
He attached an amendment to a housing bill to provide matching grants 
to repair vacant buildings to be used as temporary shelters. This 
became the first national legislation to provide federal assistance for 
emergency homeless shelters.
  Throughout the 1980s, Mr. Vento worked repeatedly, with his 
colleagues on the House Banking Committee, to raise the profile of this 
issue and to build the coalitions necessary to enact comprehensive 
legislation to help the homeless across this nation. In early 1987, 
Representative Vento worked to pass an aid package that included $100 
million for a program of emergency shelter grants to help charitable 
organizations and state and local governments renovate buildings for 
the homeless and succeeded in enacting the legislation into law.
  In that same year, Congressman Vento was an original author of a 
larger, more comprehensive measure that became known as the Stewart B. 
McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, the first and only coordinated 
federal initiative directed toward the problem of homelessness and the 
only social program that was passed during the Reagan era. The McKinney 
Act seeks to meet some of the immediate needs of the homeless: shelter, 
food, health care, education, job training services, and transitional 
housing through programs at HUD, FEMA, HHS, and the Education and Labor 
Departments. This legislation continues to be at the heart of the 
federal government's response to the ongoing problem of homelessness in 
America.
  It is indeed fitting to honor Bruce Vento by joining his name with 
that of his friend and colleague, Stewart B. McKinney, on this 
legislation. In 1987, after Representative McKinney's passing, Bruce 
took a leading role in seeking to name the programs that would serve 
persons who are homeless as the McKinney Act because of Stewart 
McKinney's ``close association and concern and compassion that he 
espoused and reflected throughout his service'' in Congress. We all 
recognize how well these very same words, which Mr. Vento used to 
describe Stewart McKinney, embody the work and career of Bruce F. Vento 
himself.

  Shortly after taking office, President Clinton asked then-speaker of 
the House Tom Foley to organize a Task Force to look into the problem 
of homelessness. In February of that year, Mr. Vento was appointed as 
the Chairman of that Task Force, which issued a comprehensive, 
nationally recognized report to the Speaker one year later.
  During the past few years, Mr. Vento continued to work hard on the 
McKinney Act. He added language that improved prevention planning and 
activities so that people do not become homeless due to lack of 
foresight or planning. The Vento prevention language added discharge 
planning requirements for persons who are discharged from publicly 
funded institutions, that is, mental health facilities, youth 
facilities and correctional facilities, so that people are not merely 
discharged to the streets.
  Mr. Vento also introduced the ``Stand Down Authorization Act.'' 
Created by several Vietnam veterans, Stand Downs are designed to give 
homeless veterans a brief respite from life on the streets. The Stand 
Down bill would, in conjunction with the grassroots community, expand 
the VA's role in providing outreach assistance to homeless veterans. In 
this Congress, H.R. 566 gained the strong support of over 100 
bipartisan cosponsors, the VA, the American Legion, the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Disabled American Vets (DAV).
  Bruce Vento worked throughout his entire career to improve and save 
the lives of homeless men, women and children around this nation. In 
the tradition of Minnesota's great leader, Hubert H. Humphrey, Bruce 
has always believed that we are elected to formulate and enact policies 
which improve the quality of life of our citizens. I have had the 
pleasure of working with him these many years to do just that. That is 
why I urge you to join me in enacting into law this legislation to 
rename our nation's fundamental homeless statute the McKinney-Vento 
Act. This act will duly honor a colleague who has worked long and hard 
for the most vulnerable Americans, people who are without a home to 
call their own.
  Mr. President, while this legislation deals with homelessness, I want 
to make it clear that Mr. Vento's interests and accomplishments go far 
beyond this important area. He was one of the strongest proponents of 
FHA in the Congress. He understood how FHA has been a crucial tool in 
helping millions of families attain the dream of homeownership in 
America.
  Mr. Vento played an active role in helping craft the bipartisan 
public housing reform legislation that passed in 1998. He was a leader 
in the effort to preserve affordable housing that has been threatened 
by expiring use restrictions or rental assistance contracts. Important 
progress as made on this front last year. He was a strong supporter of 
the effort to increase and strengthen community-based non-profits in 
their efforts to develop affordable housing and revitalize our 
communities.
  Mr. Vento has been a longstanding supporter of the Community 
Reinvestment Act, CRA, because he understood how access to capital for 
homeownership and small businesses is the key to ensuring equal 
opportunity for all Americans, regardless of the neighborhoods they 
live in or their economic status. I was privileged to work closely with 
him to preserve CRA during the debate on financial services 
modernization legislation.
  Finally, Mr. Vento was a strong supporter of consumer protection 
laws, from the Fair Credit Reporting Act, to the Equal Credit 
Opportunity Act, to the Home Ownership Equity Protection Act.
  Renaming the McKinney Act is one small way that all of us can honor 
Mr. Vento's memory. Mr. President, Bruce Vento will be sorely missed in 
the Congress of the United States. I want to join President Clinton, my 
colleagues, and many others in expressing my deepest sympathies to Mr. 
Vento's family and friends.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be 
read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon 
the table, and any statements relating to the bill be printed in the 
Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The bill (H.R. 5417) was read the third time and passed.

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