Political Quotes

“I am pleased to offer this amendment with my colleagues, Mr. Kelly from Pennsylvania, Mr. McKinley of West Virginia, and Mr. Barletta of Pennsylvania. Our amendment puts $350 million back into the Community Development Block Grant program. The CDBG's budget has been reduced by $1.3 billion from last year, and these reductions we believe will deeply affect our local communities. With our national debt approaching $17 trillion, it is critical that Congress tighten its belt and direct limited resources to the most important priorities. I believe that funding for CDBG is a high priority. This amendment has been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, and it will not increase the budget authority proposed in this bill. In fact, it will actually reduce the outlays for fiscal year 2014 by $129 million. The Community Development Block Grant program plays a critical role for the many communities who are trying to find funds to improve lower- income and under-utilized areas. It helps tremendously in the rural areas. In my home State of West Virginia, unfortunately, there are still some West Virginians who have to drive to fill up a water tank because they don't have access to safe drinking water. The CDBG program has been critical in funding these safe drinking water and sewer projects to many areas in West Virginia.…”