[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 21572-21573]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



DEPARTMENTS OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT, AND 
             INDEPENDENT AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 9, 1999

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2684) making 
     appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs and 
     Housing and Urban Development, and for sundry independent 
     agencies, boards, commissions, corporations, and offices for 
     the fiscal year ending September 30, 2000, and for other 
     purposes:

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my serious concern 
with the Veterans, Housing and Urban Development, and Independent 
Agencies for fiscal year 2000. I recognize the difficult balancing of 
priorities which the Chairman and the Ranking Member must do with the 
array of competing interests within this bill. But I find it ironic 
that the House in the space of one month can pass a tax bill that gives 
special breaks to select groups but cuts funding for the neediest of 
all--undermining our efforts to fuel the dream of home ownership for 
all Americans, reducing our efforts to create jobs, and revitalizing 
the forgotten corners of our towns and cities. America should do what 
is right.
  The Subcommittee funded VA Health Care at $1.7 billion, but the 
veterans' organizations submitted to the Congress the Independent 
Budget which calls for an increase of $3 billion--a more realistic 
estimate of the need. This bill does not go far enough to provide for 
the growing health care needs of our veterans as we enter the 21st 
Century. America should do what is right.

[[Page 21573]]

  I am seriously concerned about the adequacy of the Veteran 
Administration's response to the medical needs of 650,000 veterans with 
chronic mental illness. I am specifically concerned that as a result of 
(Veteran Health Administration) VHA's decision to rapidly downsize 
psychiatric hospitals, veterans with mental and substance abuse 
disorders are not receiving proper treatment and the services that they 
need and deserve.
  In particular, dollars saved by eliminating beds from inpatient 
psychiatric facilities are not being redirected to serve veterans with 
mental illness in the community. Between FY 1995 and FY 1997 the number 
of seriously mentally ill veterans treated at inpatient facilities 
decreased by nearly 20%. Currently, there is no indication that the 
twenty-two (Veteran's Integrated Service Networks) VISNs are 
compensating for the lack of inpatient care with either adequate 
alternative care settings or community-based services for veterans with 
mental illness.
  Frightening, over two-thirds of VHA outpatient facilities do not 
provide mental health care. Neither do they provide case management 
services for these veterans. Case management is essential for mentally 
ill veterans because of a pervasive lack of financial and family 
support. In addition, many members of this group need continued 
attention because they suffer from the dual diagnosis of mental illness 
and substances abuse.
  I am deeply concerned that the structural changes within VHA and the 
lack of community-based services threaten many veterans with 
homelessness. Sadly, 40% of all homeless males are veterans.
  I offered report language that emphasizes the need to reinvest 
resources in alternative community-based mental health services, 
including prescription drugs. The current situation of veterans who 
require treatment for mental illness should be a source of shame and 
embarrassment, and America should do what is right.
  The sad reality is that not everyone is sharing in the economic 
prosperity of the booming '90's. Instead of being financially able to 
invest in a home, over 12 million people are paying over 50 percent of 
their salary on rent. This bill fails to help these families. In fact, 
the bill will cost northwest Ohio 448 housing units for cash-strapped 
families next year. This bill also takes major swipes at many of our 
neediest citizens and their communities, ranging from cutting funding 
that keeps children safe from lead paint poisoning to denying housing 
for people with AIDS and for seniors. America should do what is right.
  The bill cuts Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) by $250 
million, which would result in a loss of vital community development 
projects, and the 97,000 new jobs that would be created. Just in 
Toledo, our city would lose $3.8 million of current funding. The State 
of Ohio would forego over $7.3 million in community development 
assistance so vital to revitalizing all corners of our State. For the 
last 6 years, the Majority has been preaching community empowerment, 
CDBG is the essence of community empower. By giving communities the 
flexibility to create their priorities to invest CDBG funds, it 
empowers them to address their community's need as they see fit.
  The bill denies the Administration's request for incremental housing 
vouchers resulting in 128,000 families being denied housing vouchers.
  The bill would increase children's exposure to lead paint poisoning 
by cutting the Lead Hazard Control Grant program.
  The bill would slow the fight against housing discrimination by 
cutting the Fair Housing Assistance and Fair Housing Initiatives 
Programs. In my community, these funds have given the opportunity for 
many minority applicants to achieve the American dream of owning a 
home.
  The bill also fails to fund the rehabilitation of almost 28,000 units 
that would create quality housing for low- and moderate-income renter 
and owner families.
  The bill would result in almost 16,000 homeless people and persons 
with AIDS being denied essential services because of the cuts in 
homeless and Housing Assistance for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.
  I would like to thank the Chairman and the rest of the Subcommittee 
Members for their support of report language that I offered that would 
help the residents of public housing by offering, what most Americans 
take for granted, which is adequate amount financial services located 
near where they live. Unfortunately, in our country, financial services 
are less common and less likely to be located in poor to low-moderate 
income neighborhoods. HUD, in conjunction with the National Credit 
Union Administration (NCUA) will study the feasibility of opening 
credit unions in public housing. With the introduction of credit union 
in public housing, we can cut down on welfare fraud and encourage 
financial independence.
  The bill cuts NASA by $1 billion. This cut will harm future space 
exploration programs, force NASA to slash programs and personnel and 
cripple our nation's basic scientific development for decades. This 
bill will drastically hurt our ability to maintain the balance of trade 
advantage in the first ``A'' in NASA--Aeronautics. This budget inhibits 
our ability to advance future developments of technology that will 
allow America to compete in the aeronautics industry in the 21st 
Century. We must do what is right.
  In conclusion, I am here today to urge my colleagues to do better for 
America, for the men and women veterans to whom our nation owes a great 
debt, for the families in desperate need for housing throughout this 
Nation, and protect basic research for the benefit of all Americans as 
we enter the 21st century.

                          ____________________