Sherwood Boehlert: “This bill does not have any earmarks. That is very important. The funding for the grants program, incidentally, is in…”

“This bill does not have any earmarks. That is very important. The funding for the grants program, incidentally, is in response to the demand, the cry, the plea from our Governors, our county officials, and our mayors that we come up with a grants program. The grants program is contingent on Congress first appropriating at least 745 percent of the amount authorized for the revolving loan fund. They are intended for hardship communities. I think my colleagues on both sides of the aisle should be working hand in glove, as the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Borski] has with me on this subcommittee as we have brought this out on a bipartisan basis, because we recognize there are communities that have legitimate needs and just do not have the wherewithal to address those needs. Thus, the creation of this grants program. It is a good program, and I urge my colleagues, on a bipartisan basis, to join me in supporting it.”