Political Quotes

“while I recognize that the gentlewoman from Florida has great intentions here, this bill, as we have said, is all about choosing priorities and making some difficult choices. The proposed reduction in HUD S&E funds, combined with the need to absorb a one-half percent increase in the Federal pay raise, will necessitate a further reduction in HUD's staffing level of several hundred full-time equivalent staff positions, making it more difficult for HUD to provide sufficient oversight and risk management in its significant housing and community development program delivery. Regarding the cuts to GSA, I make note that we are at the start of the hurricane season, and these funds that would be cut support the Office of Citizen Services and Communications, the Nation's focal point for information and services offered by the Federal Government. This infrastructure has been a resource in the time of crisis or unexpected events, most recently as a means to provide valuable information to citizens after Hurricane Katrina. Reductions could impact the hours of operation of our call centers for victims of hurricanes this year. These accounts also fund GSA's real and personal property utilization and disposal programs from which we transfer assets no longer needed by the Federal Government to State and local governments and nonprofit organizations, saving millions of dollars.…”