Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding and for her leadership on this legislation. Today the committee action agencies, or CAAs, form a network of more than 1,000 organizations that meet the unique needs of communities to help lift low-income individuals and families out of poverty. For decades community action agencies have been central pillars to our communities. They administer programs such as Head Start, to provide quality early childhood education for low-income children and support their families; Meals on Wheels, to support seniors experiencing hunger and isolation; and LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program that helps people keep up with their utilities. In fact, it is the only Federal program whose broad mission is to address poverty conditions and allow community action agencies to tailor services for low-income individuals in their communities, and they do this with the goal of giving a hand up, not a handout. Community action agencies' work is made possible by the community services block grant, the CSBG. Unfortunately, the CSBG program has not been reauthorized since 1998 creating uncertainty in the program. The bipartisan Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022 reauthorizes CSBG for 10 years, the longest period in history, and improves the statute to help CAAs expand their work and reduce poverty across the country.…”