?If 18,000 cities and towns throughout the country speak with one voice to Congress, NLC can be successful on any priority issue it puts forward.? That statement, made recently by an NLC Board member, was right on the mark.
And the future of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has become the galvanizing issue that can demonstrate the power of our collective voice.
President Bush?s proposal to eliminate CDBG as we know it by combining it with 17 other programs, cutting funding by nearly $2 billion, and moving it to the Economic Development Administration in the Department of Commerce has energized local officials in a remarkable way.
CDBG is a vital economic tool for cities and towns of all sizes. Mayors and councilmembers across the country can cite example after example of how they have leveraged CDBG funds with public and private funds to make a real difference in their communities.
CDBG works. And so has our grassroots lobbying effort to save CDBG.
Within days of the release of the President?s budget, NLC joined with U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Association of Counties, the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, and others to launch an aggressive campaign to save CDBG. Local elected officials throughout the country responded to the call to ?localize and personalize? CDBG by telling members of Congress ? using concrete local examples ? about the value of this program.
During the Congressional City Conference, NLC President Anthony A. Williams rallied the delegates to go to Capitol Hill on City Lobby Day with one clear CDBG message ? no cuts and no move.
Our message is being heard on Capitol Hill. Fifty-five Senators signed a letter sponsored by Sens. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) urging full funding for CDBG in the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Senators Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Coleman championed CDBG amendments to the Senate budget resolution, and 68 senators voted in favor of the Coleman amendment to reallocate funds from other accounts in the budget to fund CDBG in HUD.
No cuts and no move.
On the House side, Rep. Jim Nussle (R-Iowa), chairman of the Budget Committee increased funding by $1.1 billion (the approximate cut to the CDBG program alone) in the HUD account.
No cuts and no move.
NLC?s well organized grassroots effort was supported by champions in both the House and the Senate ? Sens. Sarbanes, Coleman and Leahy, Rep. Nussle, along with Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio), who has been a stalwart champion of CDBG with the House leaders, and Reps. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.) and Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who sponsored a letter in support of CDBG to the House Budget Committee signed by more than 181 Representatives. We owe them our sincere thanks and look forward to their continued support.
So, can we declare victory and consider CDBG out of the woods?
The answer is NO.
Budget resolutions set spending caps and provide advice to the appropriations committees. We must continue to work aggressively through the appropriations process to ensure that CDBG is fully funded and remains at HUD.
But, it is important to recognize that our grassroots campaign so far has made a difference.
Mayors and council members across the country are mobilized. The message is getting through. Virtually every member of Congress has heard repeatedly about the importance of CDBG to cities and towns in their districts and states.
The media is also listening and responding. In the past four weeks, there have been more than 100 separate CDBG articles ? in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, USA Today, 40 radio segments, and 10 television spots.
We need to stay focused during the coming months to ensure that CDBG remains a well-funded, viable resource for every city and town. NLC will continue to work in Washington with our partners to keep the heat on. We will also provide up-to-date information, guidance, and tools to local officials to support their grassroots efforts.
The combination of well-organized lobbying in Washington and real life success stories from hometown America is incredibly powerful.
I urge you to capitalize on the opportunity while members of Congress are at home during spring recess, to secure their support for CDBG in the upcoming appropriations process.
Our goal is simple. When members of Congress are making tough decisions about allocating scarce federal resources this year, CDBG must be at the top of their list.
Remember ? when 18,000 cities and towns speak with one voice to Congress, NLC can be successful on any priority issue it puts forward.
Make sure your local voice is heard.
Visit the NLC Grassroots Action Center at www.nlc.org regularly for up to date information and tools you can use to communicate to your congressional delegation.