Tom Harkin: “I might reserve a little bit of time. I may have other colleagues who will come over to speak. Just to refresh memories…”

“I might reserve a little bit of time. I may have other colleagues who will come over to speak. Just to refresh memories, when this continuing resolution was passed at the end of September, I came on the floor and offered an amendment that would have kept whole the Community Services Block Grant program. That is a program that administers the LIHEAP program, administers a lot of Head Start programs, Even Start programs, Older Americans Act programs, elderly transportation programs, emergency shelter programs, weatherization assistance--you get the idea. Most of the programs really help a lot of poor people in this country. Last year's level was $636.8 million. The amendment I offered in September would have kept the funding of the Community Services Block Grant program at that level. You might say that was a continuing resolution. A continuing resolution keeps things at last year's level. Therein lies the problem. The House sent us a continuing resolution that said: We will continue programs at last year's level or at the level of the House budget, whichever is less. The House budget cut the Community Services Block Grants Program down to less than $320 million. They cut it in half. That is the level it was in 1986. I said in September that it was unfair for poor people to have to have theirs cut right away down to that level because winter was coming and you need the heating energy assistance and things like that.…”