Tom Latham: “Woman, I must rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. I think everyone needs to understand that we already cut…”

“Woman, I must rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. I think everyone needs to understand that we already cut $7.7 billion from what was provided in 2013 and that this is actually $4.4 billion less than the current rate of spending under sequestration. So everybody talks about sequestration when, in this bill, we are actually $4.4 billion less than that already. To deliver this fiscally responsible reduction, we carefully prioritized programs to preserve housing options for families that are already counting on HUD for support in 2014. The funding level provided reflects what is required to renew commitments by HUD to State and local programs that serve the homeless. With less funding, homeless shelters and other service providers will operate at a lower capacity or, Madam Chairman, many of them will close, putting people who currently need help at risk. For those reasons, Madam Chairwoman, I urge a ``no'' on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.”