Olver Blasts President's Budget For Abandoning Program That Seves Most Vulnerable Citizens
OLVER BLASTS PRESIDENT'S BUDGET FOR ABANDONING PROGRAM THAT SERVES MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS
Elimination of Community Service Block Grants Would Devastate Local Anti-Poverty Efforts
Joins 140 Members of Congress Formally Rebuking President
WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman John W. Olver (D-1st District) strongly criticized the presidentís FY07 budget proposal for eliminating Community Service Block Grants (CSBG), a federal program that provides essential, basic services, such as job placement and emergency food assistance, for millions of low-income families.
"I am a staunch supporter of CSBG, which funds our local anti-poverty agencies in their efforts to provide basic and essential services for some of our most vulnerable citizens, our children and elderly and low income individuals. and those displaced by hurricanes," Congressman Olver said. "I will continue to fight to restore funding for CSBG during the budget process."
Congress firmly rejected the same initiative last year; just last week, 140 members of Congress, including Congressman Olver, sent a letter to the president expressing support for maintaining CSBG funding.
According to As outlined in the letter, "CSBG provides flexible dollars to local agencies to deliver community-designed responses to their unique needs and causes of poverty. Funding is targeted to the poorest of the poor: those living at or below the poverty line."
The letter continues, "Resources are not only devoted to providing these individuals with the tools to achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence, but to strengthening low-income communities to create and expand local opportunities."
Community Services Block Grants fund a vast array of programs for low-income families and individuals, including senior citizen congregate meal sites, home delivered meals, transportation, job training, Head Start, energy crisis assistance, housing and education.
Local anti-poverty programs, known as Community Action Agencies, are funded by CSBG. For local Community Action Agencies (CAAs) and the people and communities they serve, this cut would be devastating.
A freeze in funding for Head Start means fewer pre-schoolers will be served, even as the number of children in poverty continues to climb. Of the 19,000 children that are anticipated to go unserved under a freeze in Head Start funding, 6,300 would have been served by CAAs.
A cut of 32 percent in Weatherization Assistance will leave nearly 29,000 low-income energy consumers whose homes CAAs expected to weatherize in 2007 literally out in the cold. CAAs deliver most of the Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program investments to low-income homes. Participants have saved an average of $450 this winter.
A freeze or reduction in the Low-Income Home Energy Assitance Program (LIHEAP) program means CAAs will again exhaust the LIHEAP funds no later than February 2008, as is the case at present, and most LIHEAP recipients will again use up all the fuel their assistance purchased within two months.
According to the National Community Action Foundation, CAAs nationwide currently are serving more than 15 million of the poor. This is an increase of 2 million low-income Americans in two years. In addition, poverty nationwide has steadily increased the last four years. CAAs nationwide also are currently serving more than 171,000 hurricane victims.
Olver said, "We have a responsibility to ensure that all Americans have an opportunity to share in America's prosperity. It is irresponsible to cut CSBG funding when there is such an obvious need for the services that this funding provides."
http://www.house.gov/olver/news/pr060208.html