[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 88 (Tuesday, June 28, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1391]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND 
               RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 23, 2005

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 3010) making 
     appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human 
     Services, and Education, and Related Agencies for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2006, and for other purposes.

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the colloquy 
between the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. English) and Chairman 
Regula that highlights the importance of restoring funding for the 
Community Service Block Grant Program.
  Mr. Chairman, while I certainly understand the difficult work of the 
Appropriations Committee as it strives to keep the 2006 budget process 
under strict allocations, it is my hope that we can somehow find 
additional funding for the C-S-B-G Program. While the President sought 
to consolidate the program in his 2006 budget to the Congress, I was 
pleased to support language in the House-passed budget package, which 
states that:

       Community Service Block Grants provides invaluable 
     assistance to low-income families and communities. These 
     funds are used to build healthy and stable communities. Due 
     consideration should be given to this program before Congress 
     implements any changes.

  Mr. Chairman, thousands of community action agencies provide services 
that help low-income individuals: Train for gainful employment, obtain 
quality living environments and generally move toward self-sufficiency. 
One of those agencies is ``Total Action Against Poverty,'' in my 
congressional district, which has provided much-needed services to the 
Roanoke Valley and southwest Virginia for nearly 30-years.
  I Believe a major reason for the effectiveness of organizations like 
``Total Action Against Poverty'' are that they are locally controlled. 
Rather than seeking guidance from a know-it-all bureaucracy in 
Washington, DC, community action agencies can resolve community 
problems with community solutions. These organizations are grassroots-
based, and are led by local boards and volunteers, with diverse 
memberships and strong roots in their communities. By nature, these 
groups are invested in their communities--and have the ability to 
leverage C-S-B-G funds with significant resources from private 
organizations including corporations and foundations with a stake in 
promoting the wellness of their neighborhoods, rather than pleasing 
constituencies in Washington.
  Mr. Chairman, it is my belief that C-S-B-Gs are the kind of good-
government programs that Congress should continue to support. I hope 
that conferees can support the C-S-B-G program.

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