Jerry Lewis: “this amendment restores funding for a very effective and broadly supported program known as the Community Development…”

“this amendment restores funding for a very effective and broadly supported program known as the Community Development Block Grant Program. This amendment adds $300 million to CDBG. The budget authority offsets are taken from two accounts; $100 million is from the annual contributions account, and $200 million from the FEMA disaster relief account. As most of my colleagues know, the CDBG program is one of the most popular at HUD, for a variety of reasons, including the fact that it is the most flexible program. I have received any number of requests to restore funding to the $4.6 billion level which is the 1996 appropriations level as well as the President's request for fy 1997. In addition, I promised the ranking member of this subcommittee, as well as members of the full committee in our discussion there, including the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Durbin], that I would continue to work to find offsets to fully fund CDBG. I am pleased to say that we are able to accomplish this at this time rather than waiting until conference.”