Political Quotes

“Two of my colleagues just came asking to increase the Community Development Block Grant program by $100 million, and actually, the bill itself has an increase above the President's request by $200 million. Sometimes, I agree with the President, and sometimes, I don't; and this is one time I do agree with the President. The President only requested $2.8 billion for the Community Development Block Grant program, and this bill would appropriate $3 billion. So my amendment would remove the $200 million increase over the Obama administration's FY 2015 budgetary request--and only increase--from the Community Development Block Grant program and transfer that amount to the spending reduction account. Why the committee has chosen to go above and beyond what even the President has requested fails me. Mr. Chairman, the Community Development Block Grant program is one of the most wasteful and ineffective programs found within the Department of Housing and Urban Development. It was originally proposed by President Gerald Ford in his effort to revitalize decaying and low- income neighborhoods in American cities and towns. Unfortunately, CDBG has strayed from its original purpose. Today, many of these grants have been diverted to wasteful, parochial projects, such as funding a pet shampoo company, issuing risky business loans, paying for renovation of a wealthy multinational architectural company, and I can go on and on.…”