[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 62 (Monday, May 6, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S3086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, since 1974, the Community Development 
Block Grant program has provided cities and counties with critical 
funding to help low and moderate income people through community 
projects for economic development, revitalization and infrastructure 
improvements.
  The Community Development Block Grant program also gives local 
governments the flexibility to use some of this funding to provide 
basic public services directly to the most vulnerable people in their 
communities.
  These essential services include providing meals, clean water, 
shelter and clothing to low income senior citizens, abused or neglected 
children, the disabled and the homeless.
  For all the good programs that the Community Development Block Grant 
program does, communities are limited because local governments can 
only spend a maximum of 15 percent of their funding on these vital 
services.
  For many of our local communities in Florida and across the country, 
the 15 percent cap is too low to adequately help the number of people 
in need, especially during these tough times.
  In one particular case, the City of Miami wants so desperately to use 
more of its Community Development Block Grant funds for assistance to 
seniors for food programs, but they can't because of the 15 percent 
cap.
  That is why I filed S. 855 on April 25, to raise that modest amount 
so that grant recipients can tailor the program to the needs of their 
communities, in this particular example, the needs of senior citizens.
  This important legislation, which is being reintroduced in the House 
by Representative Ros-Lehtinen, allows local governments to spend up to 
25 percent of their funding for the Community Block Development program 
on essential public services, rather than just 15 percent.
  The bill does not require local governments to spend 25 percent of 
their funding on services, but it gives them the flexibility to do so 
if it is in the best interest of their communities.
  Let me be clear, the bill does not increase funding to any part of 
the Community Development Block Grant program. It simply allows local 
communities to do more with what they have, which is why both the U.S. 
Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities have supported 
this position.
  I hope that we in the Senate will take this critical step to help 
local governments to ensure that the most, vulnerable will continue to 
receive the most basic services.

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