JOSEPH A. HALL: “this amendment to title II would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to give priority to States affected…”

“this amendment to title II would direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to give priority to States affected by Hurricane Katrina when redistributing unobligated Federal matching funds. Texas is serving 6,000 children of Katrina evacuees with child care, despite a waiting list of 34,000 Texas children for child care services. Failure to pass this amendment will put Texas in the position where its only option for continuing to serve the children of Katrina evacuees is with funds meant for Texas children. The Katrina kids would either be cut off or be allowed to cut the line in front of Texas kids who have been waiting up to 2 years to receive child care. This Congress authorized $200 million in additional child care development funds for fiscal year 2006. Because these funds were made available in the middle of the fiscal year, not all States will be able to identify the necessary matching funds. What I am asking is that any balances in the CCDF Federal matching funds be made available to the States whose child care caseloads have increased because of these hurricanes. Members, this issue is but one example of the problematic Federal response to the hurricanes that struck the gulf coast last fall. Shortly after Hurricane Katrina struck, Texas was given a $75 million national emergency grant to provide employment and training services to victims of that storm who had taken up residence in our State.…”