[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 27 (Friday, February 18, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E310-E311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              FULL-YEAR CONTINUING APROPRIATIONS ACT, 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. NYDIA M. VELAZQUEZ

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 15, 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. VELAZQUEZ. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to this 
legislation. All of us recognize the need for fiscal restraint, but we 
should not be doing so at the expense of working families.
  Governing is about making difficult choices, making wise investments 
where we can, while recognizing the fiscal pressures our nation faces. 
This legislation is an abdication of that responsibility. It would harm 
our most vulnerable citizens, fail to invest in economic recovery and 
cost American jobs. For our economy to recover over the long term, 
American workers need training and education that will enable them to 
compete in a new global economy. However, the Republican spending bill 
makes drastic cuts to education, putting a college degree out of reach 
for more working families.
  In my district, this bill will deprive 22,000 working families of 
nearly $1,000 in financial assistance from the Pell Grant program. Many 
of these New Yorkers will have to pay more in tuition. For some, this 
shortfall may prevent them from completing their degree, altogether.
  The cuts to the Pell program are just one way education suffers. 
Spread throughout my district, there are thirty-two Head Start centers 
that offer early education to the children of working families. New 
York City Head Start will lose almost $30 million in funding. As we 
look for ways to strengthen our country's economy, cutting services 
that prepare children for the future seems not just unconscionable, but 
unwise.
  Just as children and young people would be penalized by this 
legislation, some of our oldest and most vulnerable citizens would be 
harmed. In the middle of winter, New York City would lose $4.4 million 
in funding from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, forcing 
seniors and working families to choose between keeping the heat on and 
purchasing groceries.

[[Page E311]]

  Meanwhile, important services that help seniors stay in their home 
would be slashed. Job training for workers dislocated by the recession 
would face cuts. New York City would see a loss of $14 million in 
Community Block Service Grants, which fund these valuable initiatives.
  In New York, where working families already struggle to make rent, 
this bill slashes housing services. HUD's public housing capital fund 
would be reduced by 40%. The New York City Housing Authority relies on 
this fund for almost three-fourths of its resources. That money ensures 
elevators work, broken windows get repaired and hallways stay lit. New 
York City would also lose $129 million in Community Development Funds. 
As a result of these cuts, the City's Department of Housing, 
Preservation and Development, which helps ensure housing is safe and 
livable, would have to let 1,200 hardworking employees go.
  Mr. Chair, the American economy is just now turning the corner, 
showing early signs of resurgence. As recovery takes hold, this is not 
the time to cause another wave of job losses, with shortsighted cuts. 
Instead, we should choose wisely, creating jobs now, while investing 
for the long term.
  If we crafted the right spending bill it could accomplish these 
goals, funding our government in a way that meets our responsibilities, 
contributes to growth, and reduces the deficit.
  This is not that bill. I urge my colleagues to oppose it.

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