On the recordJanuary 16, 2014
I thank the Senator for her tireless effort. I want to comment on the work the Senator from Washington State did in her role chairing the subcommittee on transportation and housing. What a bipartisan effort that subcommittee put forth. Senator Murray and the Senator from Maine Ms. Collins worked on a bipartisan basis on transportation, which is what the committee funds, and on housing. When I speak of housing, this is housing that is primarily related to meeting compelling human need. It also has the money for Community Development Block Grants. Going back to the days when I referred to the Senator as ``Mr. Mayor,'' now ``Mr. President''--the Presiding Officer--we know--City Council Barb and formerly Mayor Booker--what Community Development Block Grant money means in our local communities. In my State, Community Development Block Grant money is key to local governments solving local problems without a ``one size fits all'' from Washington. What I like about the Community Development Block Grant money is that its criteria for funding is it has to deal with blight, it has to deal with unemployment, and it has to meet compelling human need. And whatever they do, it also usually results in good-paying jobs in construction. But it is not decided by Washington: Thou shalt build such-and-such under such-and-such Washington rules. It is decided in Newark, in Baltimore, in Phoenix. What is so important about the CDBG money in transportation and housing is money comes locally.…
