John Conyers: “Of course, the gentleman understands the difference between leaving this in a block grant where it competes against an…”

“Of course, the gentleman understands the difference between leaving this in a block grant where it competes against an infinite number of others; the question is whether he feels convinced of the importance of this so as to lift it out of this infinite multitude of permissible items in the block grant to give it a life of its own. It would still, I say to the gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Goodlatte], still be optional; it would still not be mandatory to anybody. But it would be rewarding a program that works. And that to me is the important comments that were made by the gentleman from Maryland [Mr. Mfume] and the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Hastings] that make it so important that we pass this amendment.”