[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 105 (Thursday, July 14, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1329-E1330]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2012

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. MIKE McINTYRE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, July 8, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2354) making 
     appropriations for energy and water development and related 
     agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2012, and 
     for other purposes:

  Mr. McINTYRE. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition of the Broun 
amendment to the fiscal year 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations bill 
that would transfer $250,000 from the Southeast Crescent Regional 
Commission to the Budget Reduction Account. At a time of high 
unemployment and slow growth, the last thing Congress should be doing 
is killing engines for job creation.
  Commissions similar to the Southeast Crescent Regional are a proven 
tool to help bring vital economic development to some of the poorest 
and most underserved parts of the country. Even before the financial 
crisis, many regions in the Southeast Crescent were suffering from job 
loss, generational problems of poverty and low economic development. 
Many of the counties in the Southeast Crescent, including those in 
states like Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, 
Mississippi, and Florida suffer from a high rate of poverty, below 
average income, and chronic unemployment. Since the economic recession, 
these rates have only gotten worse.
  The Southeastern Crescent Regional Commission is based on the 
successful models of

[[Page E1330]]

the Appalachian Regional Commission and the Delta Regional Authority. 
The Appalachian Regional Commission in its 50-year history has 
successfully reduced the number of counties suffering from chronic 
poverty from 295 to 120--a reduction in high-poverty counties by almost 
60 percent.
  The Southeastern Crescent Regional Commission will help to leverage 
Federal, state, local and private investments to create jobs and 
eradicate unemployment. Therefore, I vehemently oppose the Broun 
amendment.

                          ____________________