Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise to support the Diaz-Balart amendment and to draw attention to a crisis that will soon hit the city of Miami and many other cities throughout south Florida, our State of Florida, and indeed throughout the Nation. We are all aware of the difficult funding decisions that will need to be made by many departments and programs. Programs like the Community Development Block Grant may see overall reductions because of the sad realities of the current budget constraints and in the interest of fiscal responsibility. However, because of an arbitrary Community Development Block Grant expenditure cap, countless vulnerable citizens in the city of Miami and throughout the United States will lose their only means of sustenance. {time} 1410 This amendment is not about increased funding, Mr. Chairman, nor is it about changing the overall formula of the Community Development Block Grant. It is simply about providing greater flexibility to cities on how they allocate their CDBG funds. Currently, only 15 percent of Community Development Block Grant funds can go toward public services. Now, what are public services? Well, they include food for senior citizens, the disabled, the homeless, the abused, or neglected children. They also may be used for child care, for health services, for job training services.…”