[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 44 (Thursday, March 29, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E489]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. J.C. WATTS, JR.

                              of oklahoma

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 29, 2001

  Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce, along 
with my good friend and colleague, Tony Hall, the Community Solutions 
Act of 2001, legislation that will strengthen our ability to serve the 
poor and the homeless, the addicted and the hungry, the unemployed, 
victims of violence, and all those that we are called on to reach out 
to, both as public servants and as individual citizens.
  The Community Solutions Act is a comprehensive approach that will 
enhance the power of communities and individuals to solve the difficult 
problems that grow from poverty and destitution in our wealthy nation.
  Our Nation is blessed with tens of thousands of devoted people who 
work with the poor on a daily basis, in the neighborhoods, on the 
street corners, in the shelters and the soup kitchens, shirtsleeves 
rolled up, literally extending a helping hand to those who have lost 
hope. These are the people who touch the poor.
  They operate thousands of centers throughout the country that provide 
services to the underprivileged. In many neighborhoods these centers 
are centers of hope and often the only source of hope in an otherwise 
desolate landscape.
  Through our legislation we invite these courageous and selfless men 
and women to help us as a society to find those in need and deliver to 
them needed services. Those services include hunger relief, drug 
counseling, protection from violence, housing and other assistance to 
help them become fully invested in their rights as Americans.
  For too long we have excluded these individuals from helping us help 
others. In the effort to wipe out poverty and hopelessness, we need all 
the soldiers we can muster.
  In addition to increasing our outreach to the poor by increasing the 
number of hands that are reaching out, the Community Solutions Act 
provides a number of tax incentives to encourage Americans in their 
generous giving to these causes.
  A charitable deduction for taxpayers who do not itemize seems not 
only good public policy but also a matter of simple fairness for more 
moderate income Americans who use the standard deduction but contribute 
to charities and receive no tax relief for doing so. This initiative 
will give them equal standing with wealthier contributors. We also 
allow tax free contributions to charity from IRAs, and we expand the 
charitable deduction for food products.
  Finally, we provide the opportunity for personal empowerment for the 
poor through the establishment of Individual Development Accounts or 
DIAs. One of the great challenges in the escape from poverty is how to 
build assets and capital to start a business, to buy a home or to pay 
tuition, and how to manage money.
  The IDAs we set up will provide to eligible individuals a government 
match of up to $500 a year tax-free and will serve as a repository for 
other tax-free private giving. Recipients will be trained in the skills 
of money management and will learn how to invest for the future for 
themselves and for their families.
  Last year we passed the Community Renewal and New Markets Initiative 
to reach out to impoverished communities in this land of plenty. The 
Community Solutions Act goes one more step, reaches out a little 
farther, to get government services to every one who needs them. With 
the help of these thousands of dedicated individuals, we can accomplish 
that goal.

                          ____________________