Date: 1982-12-14
Speaker: ST GERMAIN (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Chairman. I rise in strong support of House Joint Resolution 631. to make further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 1983. I wish to commend our distinguished Speaker and the other members of the Democratic leadership for taking the initiative in this postelection session of the 97th Congress to respond to the dismal economic conditions that have brought the highest level of unemployment since the Great Depression. Not only is this appropriations bill providing for the continuing funding of the Federal Government. but it bravely attempts at a minimal level of assistance to provide funding for a series of measures which addresses the critical unemployment problem that is having devastating effects on our economy. As chairman of the Committee on Banking. Finance and Urban Affairs. the Speaker requested that our committee make recommendations to him as to what ought to be included as part of an economic stimulus package on the programs that the Banking Committee has jurisdiction over. Our recommendations have been embodied in title II of House Joint Resolution 631. and. indeed. the Appropriations Committee increased the funding that the Banking Committee Democrats recommended. Title II contains an additional billion dollars for the community development block grant program to be made available to entitlement communities through the regular entitlement process for the purpose of funding public facility improvements. It is our expectation that this additional block grant funding be used exclusively for the type of public facility activities contained in section 105(a)(2) of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. as amended. Title II also contains additional funding for the successful and much needed weatherization grants for our lowincome. elderly citizens. For those of us in the colder climate of this country. this program has been a godsend. I am particularly appreciative of the Appropriations Committees concern in providing an additional $250 million for the weatherization program. Not only does this program provide weatherization for 250.000 homes for our lowincome senior citizens but the direct labor involvement in this program will be 4.700 people put to work this winter season. I would also commend the committee for providing an additional $1.2 billion on top of the $1.5 billion for public housing modernization. Both our Banking Committee and the Appropriations Committee earlier this year tentatively agreed to appropriate the budget authority for our public housing modernization program totaling $1.5 billion. Since the public housing modernization program is a job intensivetype of assistance and since the condition of many publ.c housing projects. many of which ar. 30 to 40 years old. are in great need of major renovation. such as new heating units. new windows. and additional weatherization and other utility improvements. this total of $2.7 billion of public housing modernization is a welcome initiative that the Appropritntions Committee i: o be highly commended for. I know that the public housing authorities in my area of the country can and will use all of the moneys the Department of Housing and Urban Development will allocate to us for these modernization efforts. There will be no delay. the need is there. and I believe that the housing authorities have the ability to use this modernization increase budget authority. Finally. Mr. Chairman. I commend the Appropriations Committee and my colleague from Massachusetts. Mr. BOLAND. for appropriating $9.7 billion of budget authority for the continuation of our assisted housing programs. I regret that the Panking Committee was unable to bring to the floor our housing authorization bill for fiscal year 1983. Our committee reported the authorization bill out of the Committee last May. but due to the delay of the budget resolution. the administrations vehement opposition to the direction of our bill and our ability to work out the necessary compromises with the minority members of the Banking Committee. we have been unable to move forth our bill as we expected. While I and the other Democratic members of the Banking Committee feel that the budget authority provided in our authorization bill. as well as in this appropriations bill. is far too little to meet the low- and middleIncome housing needs of this Nation. we applaud the Appropriations Committee for taking on the responsibility to continue. at least. the structure of our assisted housing programs through to the end of fiscal year 1983. While there are some differences in the manner in which the Appropriations Committee and the Banking Committee would allocate the budget authority for the use of the various assisted housing programs. I believe that the direction taken by the Appropriations Committee by providing $9.7 billion in budget authority for our assisted housing programs is absolutely essential if we are not to turn our face from the lowincome housing crisis that this Nation is facing. I strongly support this joint resolution and I urge my colleagues to strongly oppose the Republican efforts to delete title II of the resolution which would only send another message to the American public that the administration and the Congress do not care about the economic difficulties of this Nation.e