Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick: “Mr. Chairman, the tragedy in this whole HUD bill is that it is underfunded. I rise to support the amendment to keep the…”

“Mr. Chairman, the tragedy in this whole HUD bill is that it is underfunded. I rise to support the amendment to keep the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program in operation. Last night we discussed until 11 o'clock that there is $640 million cut out of the Section 8 Program. There is $240 million cut out of the Community Development Block Program. There is $445 million cut out now, in this budget, out of the Housing Modernization Program. There is $97 million less this year in the Homeless Assistance Program, and now we come to the Public Housing Drug Elimination Program, which has not been cut back but eliminated. This program was started and signed into law in 1988 by President Reagan. President Bush won and continued the program. President Clinton increased the program, and last year it had a $310 million appropriation. This budget gives it zero. So not only have we reduced those other categories of housing needed, one of the most-needed categories behind education and health in our country, moderate safe, clean housing does not exist for many Americans, and what this Republican Congress does, it has decimated that in this HUD budget even more.”