Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, let me follow up with that by saying, failing to fund the administration's budget request for homeless programs undercuts HUD Secretary Martinez's pledge to end chronic homelessness within the next decade. By repudiating the administration's homeless budget, which is at the heart of that pledge, it will be impossible to provide the permanent housing and supportive services that are needed for the 150,000 chronically homeless individuals. Underfunding in the homeless account really comes on top of the bill's deep cuts in public housing and underfunding of section 8 renewals. Public housing and section 8 are the key provisions providing rental assistance to the poorest. Program cuts now will result in an increase in the level of homelessness nationwide, and that is one of the reasons why we are standing today with the President in terms of his funding request of $83 million, so we can move forward and begin to address those who have been shut out, really, of the benefits of this very wealthy country. I want to close with this poem from a 7-year-old homeless child. It is called ``Being Homeless'': ``If you are a kid, it is cold, lonely, scary. I guess I need to hurry and grow up.'' It does not seem much of a choice to me in terms of restoring or putting in the $83 million that the President wants. I am asking for this House to please support the Lee-Schakowsky amendment. It is really a matter of choices.”