Only once has this been seen by the tribes throughout the past 5 years on housing issues.

It remains clear that Congress needs to further clarify the consultation process that is pivotal to the government-to-government relationship...

I will tell you now that the Administration must consult with tribes as part of its Federal obligation to them.

It remains clear that Congress needs to further clarify the consultation process that is pivotal to the government-to-government relationship.

I am pleased to be here today to receive testimony on the reauthorization of the Indian housing block grant.

Thank you. And TANF reauthorization and the family self-sufficiency program?

As I suggested the last time, I would love to take you up to New Jersey and visit some of these public housings and we can go to Cumberland County at the same time.

Overall however, this budget falls short of meeting what I believe is HUD's core mission--fulfilling both the short- and long-term housing needs that America's families, our communities and frankly, our economy, rely on.

I also find it uneasy that with Congress in the business of reauthorizing TANF this year, that there is no comment with regard to housing issues.

I consider zeroing-out the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program, a program aimed at improving the safety at public housing developments, particularly troublesome.

I continue to be very troubled by the on-the-ground information that I get feedback on from some of the public housing authorities in New Jersey.

At some point I would appreciate it if your staff could show me whether the funds that were allocated are still going to fund the same activities with regard to drug elimination activities and security and public housing authorities.

As you can well imagine as a former business person, though, that if you had bonded, if you had gone to the banks under the projections that you were going to receive grants and it had been indicated that those were going to occur, then…

The President's housing budget is completely silent on the specific housing needs that face welfare recipients.

zeroing out the grants is an extraordinarily troubling issue for those local communities.

Maybe we should follow up with your staff and see how this works.

I am intrigued by the notion, and I am a person who likes to figure out what works to solve our problems and not be doctrinaire about it.

Historically it has been funded out of CDBG, but as I understand it, it would be funded under your budget proposal, out of the capital funds, which would mean the $417 million reduction would be more like $472 million.