Jerry Nadler: “Mr. Chairman, first, let me note and thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for coauthoring this amendment…”

“Mr. Chairman, first, let me note and thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez) for coauthoring this amendment with me. She could not be here on the floor right now, but it is her amendment as well as mine, and I want to express my appreciation to her in public for all the work that she has done on this amendment. Second, the distinguished chairman said that an outside interest group estimated the costs of the vouchers. The fact of the matter is, and I quote from a letter from some church groups, religious organizations throughout the country who wrote, ``Recent analyses performed independently by the Congressional Budget Office and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities suggest the committee's estimate is based on voucher cost assumptions that are too low'' because, in fact, they are a couple of years out of date. ``CBPP estimates that the Section 8 appropriation is approximately $580 million short of the funding that will be needed to fully renew vouchers leased in 2004.'' That means that about 85,000 vouchers will not be paid for, assuming the Congressional Budget Office and the Center of Budget and Policy Priorities are more correct than those of the Department, for which I would rather give them the benefit of the doubt than I would the Department. This amendment would restore funding for 23,500.…”