Peter Blute: “I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Economic Development…”

“I would like to take this opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements of the Economic Development Administration [EDA] and to reaffirm the importance of EDA in helping communities throughout the country overcome severe economic difficulties. Mr. Chairman, as a member of the Economic Development Subcommittee, I would like to congratulate the chairman, the gentleman from West Virginia [Mr. Wise], and the ranking member, the gentlewoman from New York [Ms. Molinari], for their hard work on this piece of legislation, and to say that I have taken a long, hard look into the mission of the EDA and how effective it has been in promoting and assisting in the economic development of our Nation's cities. And having reviewed the programs and operations of the EDA, I have been continuously impressed with the breadth and scope of those programs and the professionalism and quality of EDA's personnel who assist in administering them. In the city of Worcester, MA, in my own district, EDA--and in particular the northeast regional office--has played a critical supporting role in a broad State and local effort to revitalize the downtown area of the second largest city in all of New England.”