Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I too would like to join the others in this Chamber complimenting both the majority and the minority in drafting this bill, but I rise in very strong support of the gentleman's amendment. Let me try to clarify the issue with regard to HUD funding. It is true that these HUD funds have in the past come from a different account. Indeed, for the past 7 years, FHA has used mandatory spending to meet these costs. But the OMB put out a report saying that in the future, one of two things would have to happen: Either, the OMB said, you must find discretionary funds to meet these costs, or you need a statutory change in language to continue to use the mandatory funding. The point being that while the gentleman argues there is no funding increase, in point of fact there has been no funding cut anywhere else; and if we appropriate this 50 percent increase in discretionary funding, we will in fact be spending more money. It does not have to happen. We can in fact fix the statutory language, avoid a 50 percent increase in HUD funding simply by changing the statute, and fund a cause that is extremely important.”