[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20941]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


[[Page 20941]]

         VA-HUD INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR FY 2000

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) is recognized for 5 minutes.

  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, the VA-HUD bill that we are considering today 
is unacceptable. At a time of unprecedented economic prosperity, the 
question is: Why is it that we are cutting the supply of affordable 
housing instead of increasing the supply of affordable housing?
  The cuts proposed by the Republicans will be devastating to our 
Nation's most vulnerable citizens. The majority proposes to cut $1.6 
billion below last year's levels. The VA-HUD bill does not include any 
of President Clinton's requests for new housing and economic 
development assistance, such as 100,000 new Section 8 vouchers, APIC, 
which is America's Private Investment Companies, and other initiatives.
  In the City of Chicago, these cuts would deprive 2,530 people of 
jobs; 1,915 people of affordable housing; and deny assistance to 397 
homeless families and persons with AIDS. It is estimated that the City 
of Chicago will lose $33,975,000 as a result of the VA-HUD cuts.
  My constituents are asking, what is going on here in Washington? 
Well, I will tell what is going on here.
  The proponents of this huge tax cut are looking for ways to pay for 
their plan for their wealthiest supporters. Unfortunately, they chose 
to do this on the backs of the poor, our most vulnerable citizens. I 
urge my Republican colleagues to fully fund VA-HUD. We must expand, not 
cut, the programs that meet vital housing and economic development 
needs of our most vulnerable citizens.

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