[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 113 (Thursday, August 1, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H5268-H5269]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SUPPORT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANTS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Capps) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak on behalf of support 
for funding for the Community Development Block Grants, commonly known 
here as CDBG funding.
  Public-private partnerships are great investments for our 
communities. And on the central coast of California, as well as in 
communities all across our country, Community Development Block Grants 
have long been a critical source of funding for local initiatives. CDBG 
funding gives nonprofits opportunities to provide locally tailored 
services in an efficient and effective manner. These nonprofits are 
then able to leverage additional private funding, giving taxpayer 
dollars an extra bang for the buck in spending power. It is a win-win 
for everyone. The investments that are made stimulate and grow our 
local economies. They improve the quality of life for our working 
families.
  My constituents see CDBG funding at work each day, even though they 
may not know what it is. It's there working on their behalf. It's the 
Santa Maria Meals on Wheels program, which delivers nutritious meals to 
local seniors each day. For many of these seniors, it's the only real 
meal they'll have in a day.
  It's the Thrifty Shopper and Catholic Charities' Community Services, 
which support mobile food distribution and case management for our 
neighbors in need.
  It is the youth education enhancement programs which provide quality 
after-school youth education programs. These programs improve reading 
and

[[Page H5269]]

study skills. They promote high school graduation, and foster parent 
participation in a child's academic life. CDBG supports our local Boys 
and Girls Clubs, the food bank, and legal aid. It's giving Santa Maria 
a chance to rehab Oakley Park, which benefits the entire community.
  CDBG helps those in need, and it makes life a bit better for 
everyone. These are investments with real local impacts, and that's why 
cuts to this program, like the drastic ones we've been debating, also 
have a direct impact.
  Already, important programs like Meals on Wheels are having trouble 
reaching all those in need due to sequestration cuts. So to slash the 
program in half will only add to this devastation. These aren't 
disposable projects. They are truly investments in our people and in 
our community, and that is why I urge my colleagues to stand with the 
central coast of California, to stand with communities across this 
Nation who can't afford the bill the House majority has brought to the 
floor.

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