Political Quotes

“I want to emphasize the nature of the compromise that we feel should be reached, which would be to maintain funding at the current level and restore the additional cut over cuts that had been made in prior years. I think the point that I would like to make that is very important is that the weatherization assistance program is used to increase the energy efficiency of residences occupied by low-income individuals. It is not merely a transfer of money to a State bureaucracy. In the case of the State of Maine, the funds are received by the Maine State Housing Authority, which then is the agency in Maine charged with operating the program, distributes the funds to regional community action programs, CCAP agencies which take and process the applications and make the payments. Now, as I indicated, Mr. Chairman, there are a number of issues that we have been debating over the last year and a half about how to improve and streamline the system. For whatever reason, those innovations and changes have not occurred.”