[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 22 (Thursday, February 6, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E144]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           INTRODUCTION OF THE ROUND II EZ/EC FLEXIBILITY ACT

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                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 5, 2003

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Round II EZ/EC 
Flexibility Act of 2003, bipartisan legislation I introduced today with 
my colleague from New Jersey, Mr. LoBiondo.
  The bill we introduced makes a number of small changes to the EZ/EC 
program that will provide these communities with greater flexibility in 
administering their economic development plans. Specifically, the bill 
authorizes $100 million in appropriations for each of the fifteen urban 
Empowerment Zones, $40 million for each of the five rural Empowerment 
Zones, and $3 million for each of the twenty rural Enterprise 
Communities.
  The legislation also ensures that Empowerment Zones and Enterprise 
Communities that apply for one of the new Renewal Community 
designations will continue to receive the EZ/EC funding they were 
promised in 1999. Finally, the bill allows these communities to use 
their funding as the local match for receiving grants from other 
federal programs. This will help EZ/EC communities leverage additional 
resources to undertake economic development initiatives and provide job 
training and other vital social services.
  Mr. LoBiondo and I have worked hard over the last several years to 
secure funding for the communities across the nation that were 
designated as Round II Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities. We 
both know first hand the successes of the EZ/EC program, and we will 
continue to work together in a bipartisan manner to ensure that these 
communities are allocated the resources they need to bring economic 
opportunity to all Americans.

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