[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

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                               speech of

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 16, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Defense and the other 
     departments and agencies of the Government for the fiscal 
     year ending September 30, 2011, and for other purposes:

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to Section 2226 of 
the bill, which will cut funding for the Community Development Block 
Grant (CDBG) program from the current level $3.948 billion to $1.5 
billion, a 62 percent decrease.
  This drastic reduction would have a devastating impact on communities 
all across America, including my district, and hinder our ability to 
continue doing our part in aiding the Nation's economic recovery.
  CDBG works. In Los Angeles County, for example, CDBG funding has 
provided a direct benefit to low- and moderate-income residents and 
their neighborhoods, something that simply would not have been possible 
without this federal-local partnership.
  Over the past five years, Los Angeles County's CDBG program has 
accomplished the following: 1. created or retained 1,109 jobs; 2. 
provided loans and technical assistance to over 14,000 businesses; 3. 
provided assistance to over four million individuals in unincorporated 
areas and participating cities in Los Angeles County; 4. preserved 
6,217 housing units; 5. provided improvements to almost 23,000 
facilities; and 6. removed over 28 million square feet of graffiti.
  Mr. Chair, reducing CDBG funding would mean curtailing or cancelling 
the following types of activities in my district and countless others 
across the Nation: 1. Housing Rehabilitation Loans and Grants for 
families the elderly and disabled persons; 2. Commercial Facade 
Improvements in distressed areas; 3. Youth Programs providing 
afterschool, child care, gang prevention, and intervention services; 4. 
Senior Programs that offer meals, housing placement, and recreation; 5. 
Construction and improvement of critical public facilities and 
infrastructure; and 6. Business Loan Programs to bring development and 
jobs into our communities.
  Mr. Chair, the federal budget is not merely a ledger documenting 
receipts and expenditures but a reflection of our national values. And 
certainly nothing is more central to our national character than its 
strong, healthy, and vibrant local communities. The CDBG program is 
indispensable if we are to continue the important community and 
economic development initiatives needed to revitalize our economy, 
create jobs, and put people back to work in homes they own and can 
afford.

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