[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2923]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        THE STATE OF OUR ECONOMY

  (Mr. BARLETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BARLETTA. Mr. Speaker, last week I had a chance to gain feedback 
from my neighbors in Pennsylvania's 11th Congressional District, and 
what I heard should concern us all.
  From my ``Home to House'' town hall forum to the numerous meetings I 
held all over the district, my constituents are deeply concerned with 
the state of our economy and its effect on our communities.
  Just one week after I submitted an amendment to restore $42 million 
to the Community Development Fund, I had the chance to get a firsthand 
look at some of the food banks and after-school programs that benefit 
from this critical resource. I also had the opportunity to hear from 
many who share my apprehension about spending reductions to the Low 
Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP. I learned that 3,036 
requests for LIHEAP grants were received from Wilkes-Barre and Hazleton 
in the past 2 months alone.
  I thank all of those who have made the effort to share their thoughts 
and concerns with me, and I look forward to receiving more feedback in 
the future.

                          ____________________