[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 63 (Friday, May 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5041-S5042]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ON SECTION 8 RULE CHANGES

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, We have all heard of the war on poverty, 
but I fear that 40 years after that war began, there is a new war 
afoot, a war on people in poverty. And the latest assault in this war 
threatens to leave thousands of people homeless. I am speaking about 
the Bush administration's plan to make substantial changes in the way 
our Government helps our poorest citizens secure housing.

[[Page S5042]]

  It is not hyperbole, in my view, to say that this change to the 
Section 8 voucher program could have disastrous effects. Section 8, 
administered by the department of Housing and Urban Development, helps 
nearly 2 million poor families and disabled citizens pay for housing 
with vouchers that have traditionally covered the full cost of their 
rent.
  But under the rule change, the reimbursements will no longer cover 
the full costs. As a result, housing authorities around the country 
will have to cut back on the number of vouchers they offer.
  For fiscal year 2005, the President's request shortchanges all 
housing vouchers now in use by $1.6 billion and could result in further 
cuts in the years ahead. This request would also remove key provisions 
of the Section 8 program that protect families with the lowest incomes, 
such as maintaining rent payments at 30 percent of a resident's income.
  In my home state of Vermont, there are 6,080 authorized vouchers 
available this year, but Vermont stands to lose 740 of these by next 
year with the rule change. That translates to a loss of more than $4 
million in housing assistance in Vermont. And this scenario could 
indeed get worse: it is estimated that my state stands to lose up to 1, 
770 housing vouchers by the year 2009.
  It is important to remind ourselves that we're not talking about just 
numbers here. These are families--real families--who will be at risk of 
not having a place to live.
  I recently read in the Washington Post that the Bush administration 
is making thee changes in an effort to ``constrain rapid growth in the 
program's spending.'' However, the increased demand for Section 8 
housing arises because more people need help in our ailing economy.
  Every day in our country, working families are forced to turn to 
emergency shelters and food banks because they cannot afford the high 
cost of rent, child care and transportation. I believe this change in 
section 8 will add greatly to those numbers, while undermining our 
deeply held premise that work leads to self-sufficiency.
  Every day we hear the term ``working poor,'' but I'm afraid we do not 
take the time to fully understand its meaning.
  All of this prompts me to ask, once again, where are our nation's 
priorities? We continue to give out tax breaks to millionaires despite 
an ever-mounting deficit. We pour billions of dollars into fighting a 
war in Iraq for which there is no end in sight. And we will be spending 
billions more--there is another $25 billion request before us now--to 
rebuild that country while our own nation's poorest citizens cannot 
afford housing.
  If I may borrow a line from Rita Markley, the executive director of 
the largest homeless services program in my state, ``We've got to 
remind people that Homeland Security starts with a home.''
  It is unfortunate that President Bush continues to find fault with a 
program that has demonstrated such success. As the Congress deliberates 
the fiscal year 2005 budget, I will continue to work to protect the 
Section 8 program.
  Forty years ago, when President Johnson declared war on poverty, he 
highlighted this nation's commitment ``to pursue victory over the most 
ancient of mankind's enemies.''
  I fear that we have lost sight of the enemy, at the expense of those 
who needed this victory the most.

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