Joseph Knollenberg: “Mr. Chairman, what I want to do is thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio], his staff, and the gentleman from…”

“Mr. Chairman, what I want to do is thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio], his staff, and the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy] for their willingness and cooperation on the language that was part of the request for the amendments en bloc. I believe that that language will do a great deal to reduce the amount of fraud and abuse that exists when an individual is on public housing and the public housing PHA's are required to report their income. What I wanted to do today, and I am not going to offer it, I wanted to submit another amendment that would go further. The language in the en bloc amendments did not go far enough, in my judgment, but I believe that another time, another day, we will be able to offer this, because what it does, it strengthens the disclosable income that individuals have that is presented to the housing authority. I want to work continually with the gentleman from New York [Mr. Lazio], with the gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Kennedy], and also with the Committee on Ways and Means to present this in a fashion that I believe will be a provision that will strengthen further what it is that we want to do. We want to actually eliminate fraud and abuse. We only have so many dollars to go around. My language that would be presented in a second amendment will make sure that as much money as possible goes to those people who need it.”